Latest news with #DreamIntoIt
Gulf Today
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Billy Idol talks about his album, documentary and more
When Billy Idol first entered American consciousness in the early, leather-clad and bleached hair in tow, he not only brought a punk rock sound to the mainstream. The Englishman brought a new attitude, a new, rebellious way of being. In the time since, songs like 'White Wedding,' 'Rebel Yell' and 'Eyes Without a Face' have become instant classics — for those who've worn a spiky jacket and those who've only imagined what it might be like. Now, over four decades later, he's got the wisdom to reflect. It's led to a new documentary about his life, 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead,' which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival — and a new album, the polished punk-pop of 'Dream Into It.' 'It was a gradual process, really,' he said of 11 year span between albums. 'It wasn't so much that we didn't want to make an album, it was more like we were building up to doing this.' Idol discussed about his new album and forthcoming documentary, his past struggles with addiction, his first-ever Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination and more. You've described 'Dream Into It' as autobiographical. I thought your last album, 2014's 'Kings & Queens of the Underground,' pulled from your life as well. Being this age, in particular, 69, when you look back, you can really see your whole life, how it plays out. And maybe it's also having grandchildren. My children are having children. You sort of reach this vantage point where you can really look back and see all the sort of different eras of my life. And you can sing about it. And I think I didn't go deep enough with the songs I did on 'Kings and Queens.' I thought lyrically I could go deeper. That's one of those regrets I had about the last album. So I really went for it, and I went for more imagery, (on 'Dream Into It,' in the) way of talking about my life. I'm not spelling it out exactly. There are a lot of rock 'n' roll women on the album. Joan Jett, Avril Lavigne and The Kills' Alison Mosshart are all featured. (Mosshart's) voice is just incredible. And of course, Joan Jett, I've known since 1978 after a Germs/Dead Kennedys concert. We hung out at the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles. I was on a Generation X promotion tour for the first album. And then Avril, I mean, I've just been watching her career forever and she's fantastic. So, it was just great. I've heard that sentiment from other performers. When we were young, with lots of stuff, one minute people were there and then next week they weren't. We were just living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle 24/7, dressing like it, thinking like it. And in those days, it embraced bad things. It's just what it was like. I took acid at 12 and a half, 13 (years old.) You get sucked into that world and it takes a hell of a long time to get away from it. And that's partly what I'm singing about in the album as well. There's a point in my life where I was very drug addicted, and it ruins relationships. Yeah, I'm lucky that I've kept the brain I've got, because some people went brain-dead and some people ended up in jail forever. Or dead. You're nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the first time. Do you think your younger punk rock self would be excited? I do sort of think about Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and Little Richard. 'And what? Are you going to be in something with those guys?' You know, Buddy Holly. These are some of the seminal people who turned on the people that turned me on, you know? Somewhere down the road, it led to punk rock. Also, my motorcycle has been in the Rock & Roll of Fame for like five years. So I might as well be in it, too. Associated Press
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Q&A: Billy Idol On Dreaming His Iconic Career Into Existence
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a ... More diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band. The guests for Monday, April 28 included David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell and Hannah John-Kamen ("Thunderbolts*"), Billy Idol ("Dream Into It"), , and musical guest Billy Idol featuring Avril Lavigne. (Disney/Randy Holmes) BILLY IDOL, AVRIL LAVIGNE (Photo by Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images) I have no real qualms with this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class, except, damn, Billy Idol should have made it. Not only does Idol deserve it for his amazing career with Generation X and as a multi-platinum solo act, but the timing would have been so perfect with Idol having made one of his best albums, Dream Into It, this year. As I found out when talking to him the record, which features appearances by Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett and Alison Mosshart, is very much a look back at his iconic career. I spoke with Idol about the album, tour, being a grandfather and more. Steve Baltin: It's funny that you're nominated this year and you've made one of the best albums of your career. Billy Idol: Yeah, it's kind of fantastic timing. I enjoyed Ozzy's induction solo, I really enjoyed being part of it. It was a great night. There are so many people I saw that I know and I met a million people. I didn't know Jelly Roll, playing with Wolfgang van Halen and stuff and just hanging out. It was a great night. My motorcycle has been in the Rock Hall of Fame for like five years so I might as well be. Baltin: I love 'John Wayne.' Idol: That's actually my favorite on the record. Baltin: But like 'People I Love,' for example, where you talk about letting down people you love. Were you surprised by some of the writing on this record? Idol: Yeah, exactly. I didn't tell my parents, I'm leaving university and joining a punk rock group, they didn't even know what a punk rock group was. He saw that, all their dreams for me just went like those cartoons, we're like going to pieces in front of you. So, you're really upsetting them, but you had to do what you loved. Then, just doing this job you're just not always there. I couldn't be at my daughter's graduation. So, I sent a card, congratulations. But this job is a bit like that. It rips you away from family at times and so you kind of hurt sometimes the people you love. So, that was the thing we were making the documentary during the Coronavirus, which is going to come out quite soon around the time of the album. So, I was bouncing off what we were talking about you know my life in the documentary so it's easy to bounce off that and make the album very much about different facets of my life and talk about but not spell out your life talk about it in imagery and give you vignettes or feelings about what my life was like rather than spell it out but I enjoyed it. Then the album is my life, '77' is the punk rock days. 'Too Much Fun' is coming to America. Then 'John Wayne' and 'Wildside' are realizing about human relationships and dealing with growing up or whatever and then 'I'm Your Hero' is about having grandchildren and seeing that they see you, they know you now. They don't know your backstory and they love granddad and stuff like that. So you get to talk about all these different things. I've got one foot in the past, one foot in today, and one foot in the future on this album in a way lyrically. Baltin: I'm a big believer in writing being subconscious. So, are there things that were revealing in this record that surprised you in a good way? Idol: Yeah, I didn't really realize how much making the documentary was making me reappraise my life because I'm 69. So, you find you are at this vantage point where you can really see your life and then actually doing the documentary at the same time, I got it spelled out. Like actually going back and revisiting like where we started this punk rock club in London the Roxy because there was this unofficial ban on all the punk rock groups, The Sex Pistols had broken up the Marquis club so a lot of the clubs. 'Let's have an unofficial ban.' So, we started our own club, The Roxy. Then going back and thinking about things like that, that was a bit of a dream to have a club that we start and then we could rehearse there and play in it and of course the first night that we put on people at the club, there was a clash, The Heartbreakers and Generation X. It was just a killer night and so you dreamt up your life really in a way. That's what the album's kind of talking about, like the Aborigines in Australia, we dreamt up the landscape. We never thought with punk rock it was going to go mega, we just thought it's going to last six months, maybe a year, maybe two years. Then it went kaboom in England. You could never imagine that. So we were doing this purely for the love. That was the thing. It paid off in spades. That says a lot to me about why you should do things in life. Baltin: When you look back on it, does it seem in a way not surprising that you are here nominated for the Rock and Roll All Fame because of the success of friends and punk rock? Idol: I went to school with Siouxsie and Steve Severin in the Banshees. So, 1973, 74 we were talking about what we wanted to do, and we were following the scene in the States and what's going on in CBGBs. Then we were digging David Bowie and people like that, and we wanted to be part of this music revolution we were seeing. I knew and then watching us both get somewhere and really love and create a style, we created definite styles for ourselves and all of that. You couldn't have imagined all that. It was just so exciting to do that and then end up spending your life doing that. It's been really fantastic. Then being able to talk about all that on this album and then even doing an album that's satisfying at this stage of your life. I could never have imagined that, sitting here today being excited about music and giving a damn and still caring and loving it, really loving what we do. It was a life I, I could say, I dreamed into it. There was a door, I saw the door opening and we were bored with what was going on. There was a massive depression in England at the time. America was depressed. So, if America is depressed, Europe's really f**ked. And England was just tearing itself apart. Not so different from what's going on today in America actually, where England's always a bit of a microcosm. In a way, you're able to talk about all that. And with this album, look back on the vista of your life, the documentary helping to realize I'm at this vantage point I've never had. Even when I wrote my book, I wasn't quite at this vantage point. We can really see what happened. And you're a little bit divorced from that person too. You're still him, but you're not the young guy anymore. Baltin: Like you say you have grandchildren now, you are a totally different person than the person who wrote 'White Wedding and 'Rebel Yell' and Generation X songs and in a way you can almost look at those as a fan. So, when you think about touring in a is it fun to revisit those songs because it's like a different person. Idol: Yeah, but there are also touchstone things in the songs that don't get old. That's 'White Wedding,' 'Rebel Yell,' 'Dancing With Myself,' I don't know what it is. They just don't get old when I perform them, they don't get boring. I've done, I can't think how many times I have done 'Rebel Yell,' t's like a million f**king times, but it's always fresh. I don't know how. How is it still fresh, Steve? It's because there was something intrinsic built into it at the time we made it that doesn't get old. It's alive. We really cared at the time. Something about Keith Forsey did an incredible job working with us and helping us as musicians to get somewhere or come to terms with writing songs. Then we've had a long time working together where we're still excited. We give each other room and we don't crowd each other. All of that kept the bond strong, and keeps us firing each other up. I couldn't have imagined any of that.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Billy Idol is 'lucky to be here' after wild past, talks Joan Jett tour and new doc
Billy Idol knows he's taken too many risks. Whether overindulging in drugs and alcohol or seriously injuring himself after speeding through a stop sign on his Harley Davidson, there have been more than a few moments to warrant reflection. His upcoming documentary, 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead,' premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival June 10, and its bracing title is hardly hyperbole. 'I'm lucky to be here,' he tells USA TODAY. 'If I was doing today what I was doing in the '80s, I would be dead. A lot of people didn't make it out.' Idol, who will turn 70 in November, has learned to temper his penchant for excess, crediting exercise, a good diet and trying to remain 'California sober' as his supporting behaviors. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. He's also tried to instill some self-discipline, abiding by the rule of, 'If I do anything too much, don't carry on the next day.' Why Billy Idol tempered his wild side Along with the documentary, this year includes other high-profile activities for Idol. He has a thoughtful new album, 'Dream Into It,' which released April 25, and a lengthy tour with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, which kicks off April 30 in Phoenix and rolls through the U.S. and Europe through Sept. 25 in Los Angeles. Idol met longtime friend Jett after a Germs/Dead Kennedys concert at the Whiskey a Go Go in 1978, when his then-band, the respected punk outfit Generation X, was doing a round of publicity. Along with touring together, Jett joins him on the new album's melodic rocker 'Wildside.' Idol confirms that even as age and wisdom have quelled his demons, some personality traits are inescapable. 'I most definitely still have a wild side,' he says. 'There's still the guy who doesn't mind risking things, just trying to keep it in check. The guy who is willing to move to another continent to start his life again or gamble his future a lot of the time.' But Idol enforced moderation in his routine after having kids. Brant, Willem and Bonnie are all adults now and Idol is a gleeful grandfather of four, aged 2 to 5. 'I'm the head of the family,' he says proudly. Billy Idol loved working with Avril Lavigne: 'She nailed it' The latest single from 'Dream Into It,' a loose concept record with songs sequenced to track the different phases of Idol's life, is ''77,' a punchy blast of caffeinated pop-rock featuring Avril Lavigne. Idol said daughter Bonnie is a massive fan of Lavigne – 'We were in a restaurant and Avril was there and my daughter was fan girling over her,' he recalls with a laugh. Idol says he always appreciated her music. 'The way she sang this song, she really nailed it. She's fantastic. It's been a lot of fun doing promotion with her,' he says. For the upcoming tour, Idol will have guitar consigliere Steve Stevens alongside him, his faithful collaborator since the early '80s breakout smashes 'Rebel Yell,' 'White Wedding,' 'Eyes Without a Face' and 'Flesh for Fantasy.' 'When I met him, I realized I could do anything because he could (play) anything,' Idol says, agreeing that Stevens has been the main constant in his musical life. 'We grew up with eclectic records and it opened that door for me. We could do ballads or rockers and we're still making eclectic music.' Billy Idol thanks fans who stuck with him 'through thick and thin' Idol and Stevens – whose shock of ebony hair is almost as iconic as Idol's platinum spikes ('I dry it upside down,' Idol says is the key) – were nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, but missed the cut. Idol didn't know if he'd join the 2025 class at the time of this interview, but was unruffled when pondering the outcome. 'If I don't get in, it wouldn't be the end of the world because there's always another year,' he says. 'But if we do, it's a chance thank your fans. They're the reason you're here and they stuck with you through thick and thin – and believe me, some parts of it were thin! – and that's the reason I'm still going.'
San Francisco Chronicle
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Billy Idol on his first album in over a decade, surviving addiction, the Rock Hall and more
NEW YORK (AP) — When Billy Idol first entered American consciousness in the early '80s, leather-clad and bleached hair in tow, he not only brought a punk rock sound to the mainstream. The Englishman brought a new attitude, a new, rebellious way of being. In the time since, songs like 'White Wedding,' 'Rebel Yell' and 'Eyes Without a Face' have become instant classics — for those who've worn a spiky jacket and those who've only imagined what it might be like. Now, over four decades later, he's got the wisdom to reflect. It's led to a new documentary about his life, 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead,' which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival — and a new album, the polished punk-pop of 'Dream Into It.' 'It was a gradual process, really,' he said of 11 year span between albums. 'It wasn't so much that we didn't want to make an album, it was more like we were building up to doing this.' Idol discussed with The Associated Press this week his new album and forthcoming documentary, his past struggles with addiction, his first-ever Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination and more. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity. AP: You've described 'Dream Into It' as autobiographical. I thought your last album, 2014's 'Kings & Queens of the Underground,' pulled from your life as well. IDOL: Being this age, in particular, 69, when you look back, you can really see your whole life, how it plays out. And maybe it's also having grandchildren. My children are having children. You sort of reach this vantage point where you can really look back and see all the sort of different eras of my life. And you can sing about it. And I think I didn't go deep enough with the songs I did on 'Kings and Queens.' I thought lyrically I could go deeper. That's one of those regrets I had about the last album. So I really went for it, and I went for more imagery, (on 'Dream Into It,' in the) way of talking about my life. I'm not spelling it out exactly. AP: There are a lot of rock 'n' roll women on the album. Joan Jett, Avril Lavigne and The Kills' Alison Mosshart are all featured. IDOL: (Mosshart's) voice is just incredible. And of course, Joan Jett, I've known since 1978 after a Germs/Dead Kennedys concert. We hung out at the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles. I was on a Generation X promotion tour for the first album. And then Avril, I mean, I've just been watching her career forever and she's fantastic. So, it was just great. AP: The documentary has an evocative title, 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead.' It sounds like it may dive into your past struggles with addiction. IDOL: There was a point in my life when I was living like every day, like, 'Live every day as if it's your last.' One day, you're going to be right. In the '70s, in England, you know, young people, we had this feeling that we were being completely ignored. You were even being told that you had no future. And so, we just didn't think beyond the day-to-day existence. It was probably only when I really started having children and stuff like that, I really starting to realize I (should) try start to give up drugs and things. I've always flirted with death, in a way. Even riding motorcycles, you're staring at the concrete. It's right there, you can come off that thing and get horribly messed up. And I've done it. It's horrible. You find out how human you are, how vulnerable. There's lots of things about my life that, yeah, I did kind of call death at times. Not really mean to, but you just were living like that. Imagine if it was today. If I was doing what I was back then today, I would be dead because I would have run into fentanyl. AP: I've heard that sentiment from other performers. IDOL: When we were young, with lots of drugs and stuff, one minute people were there and then next week they weren't. We were just living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle 24/7, dressing like it, thinking like it. And in those days, it embraced drugs. It's just what it was like. I took acid at 12 and a half, 13 (years old.) You get sucked into that world and it takes a hell of a long time to get away from it. And that's partly what I'm singing about in the album as well. There's a point in my life where I was very drug addicted, and it ruins relationships. Yeah, I'm lucky that I've kept the brain I've got, because some people went brain-dead and some people ended up in jail forever. Or dead. IDOL: I do sort of think about Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and Little Richard. 'And what? Are you going to be in something with those guys?' You know, Buddy Holly. These are some of the seminal people who turned on the people that turned me on, you know? Somewhere down the road, it led to punk rock. Also, my motorcycle has been in the Rock & Roll of Fame for like five years. So I might as well be in it, too.
Asharq Al-Awsat
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Billy Idol on His First Album in over a Decade, the Rock Hall and More
When Billy Idol first entered American consciousness in the early '80s, leather-clad and bleached hair in tow, he not only brought a punk rock sound to the mainstream. The Englishman brought a new attitude, a new, rebellious way of being. In the time since, songs like 'White Wedding,' 'Rebel Yell' and 'Eyes Without a Face' have become instant classics — for those who've worn a spiky jacket and those who've only imagined what it might be like. Now, over four decades later, he's got the wisdom to reflect. It's led to a new documentary about his life, 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead,' which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival — and a new album, the polished punk-pop of 'Dream Into It.' 'It was a gradual process, really,' he said of the 11-year span between albums. 'It wasn't so much that we didn't want to make an album, it was more like we were building up to doing this.' Idol discussed with The Associated Press this week his new album and forthcoming documentary, his past struggles with addiction, his first-ever Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination and more. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity. AP: You've described 'Dream Into It' as autobiographical. I thought your last album, 2014's 'Kings & Queens of the Underground,' pulled from your life as well. IDOL: Being this age, in particular, 69, when you look back, you can really see your whole life, how it plays out. And maybe it's also having grandchildren. My children are having children. You sort of reach this vantage point where you can really look back and see all the sort of different eras of my life. And you can sing about it. And I think I didn't go deep enough with the songs I did on 'Kings and Queens.' I thought lyrically I could go deeper. That's one of those regrets I had about the last album. So I really went for it, and I went for more imagery, (on 'Dream Into It,' in the) way of talking about my life. I'm not spelling it out exactly. AP: There are a lot of rock 'n' roll women on the album. Joan Jett, Avril Lavigne and The Kills' Alison Mosshart are all featured. IDOL: (Mosshart's) voice is just incredible. And of course, Joan Jett, I've known since 1978 after a Germs/Dead Kennedys concert. We hung out in Los Angeles. I was on a Generation X promotion tour for the first album. And then Avril, I mean, I've just been watching her career forever and she's fantastic. So, it was just great. AP: The documentary has an evocative title, 'Billy Idol Should Be Dead.' It sounds like it may dive into your past struggles with addiction. IDOL: There was a point in my life when I was living like every day, like, 'Live every day as if it's your last.' One day, you're going to be right. In the '70s, in England, you know, young people, we had this feeling that we were being completely ignored. You were even being told that you had no future. And so, we just didn't think beyond the day-to-day existence. It was probably only when I really started having children and stuff like that, I really starting to realize I (should) try start to give up drugs and things. I've always flirted with death, in a way. Even riding motorcycles, you're staring at the concrete. It's right there, you can come off that thing and get horribly messed up. And I've done it. It's horrible. You find out how human you are, how vulnerable. There's lots of things about my life that, yeah, I did kind of call death at times. Not really mean to, but you just were living like that. Imagine if it was today. If I was doing what I was back then today, I would be dead because I would have run into fentanyl. AP: You're nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the first time. Do you think your younger punk rock self would be excited? IDOL: I do sort of think about Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and Little Richard. 'And what? Are you going to be in something with those guys?' You know, Buddy Holly. These are some of the seminal people who turned on the people that turned me on, you know? Somewhere down the road, it led to punk rock. Also, my motorcycle has been in the Rock & Roll of Fame for like five years. So I might as well be in it, too.
