On May 7, 2025, Billy Idol performed at Dickies Arena, in Fort Worth, Texas as part of his “It’s a Nice Day To…Tour Again” tour. We were excited to see this concert, having never seen Billy Idol perform live before. We were also enthusiastic about his new album, Dream Into It, his best in probably forty years. This tour should have been Idol’s coronation into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but alas just a few weeks prior to the show, the announcement of this year’s inductees sadly omitted Billy Idol. One of several head scratchers by the voters of that institution this year and over the past several years.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Open Concert With 15 Song Set
Idol’s performance was preceded by punk rocker Joan Jett and her band, The Blackhearts. When Jett took stage, she took the audience by storm who sang along to her hits, from her early days in the band The Runaways, she performed ‘Cherry Bomb,’ which has been featured in both the film Dazed and Confused (1993) and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Jett and her band also did a great rendition of the Sly and the Family Stone classic, ‘Everyday People.’
Before the song “Fake Friends,” Jett talked about the inspiration for that song when she was having a tough period in the fickle music industry. Joan Jett went on to perform ‘Do You Want to Touch (Oh Yeah)’ with a call and response during the chorus. Jett also performed ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,’ ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You,’ and ‘Bad Reputation,’ probably her three most famous songs towards the end of her set.
Billy Idol Mixes New Songs with His 80’s Classics in His Concert Set
After Joan Jett & The Blackhearts left the stage, the screen at the back of the stage began to show a laser image of the outline of Idol’s head with his spiky hair. Billy Idol came on around 9pm, headlining the tour for the release of his newest album Dream Into It. He performed five songs from Dream Into It over the evening, most of which were enthusiastically embraced by the crowd. He kicked off the evening with one of those new songs, ‘Still Dancing’”’ and played another new one ’77’ early in his set. The album version of ’77’ is a duet with 90’s singer Avril Lavigne.
Early in Billy Idol’s set, he performed ‘Cradle of Love’ and ‘Flesh for Fantasy.’ Immediately after performing ‘Eyes Without a Face,’ Idol’s long-time guitarist, Steve Stevens played a guitar solo that included elements from Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and Van Halen’s ‘Eruption.’ Idol then performed ‘Mony Mony.’
At the end of Idol’s main set, he dueted and covered Rolling Stones’ ‘Gimme Shelter’ with his back-up singer Jessica Childress, who together gave a mesmerizing performance. Idol continued with the first song he ever wrote, from his Generation X days : ‘Ready Steady Go.’ Billy Idol finished his main set with ‘Blue Highway’ and his most famous song ‘Rebel Yell,’ which made the audience cry for “mo’, mo’, mo’!” Prior to ‘Rebel Yell,’ Idol told a story about drinking the whisky that inspired the song title at a party in Hollywood with members of the Rolling Stones!
Idol’s Encore Includes Iconic Songs like “White Wedding”
After a brief break, Idol came back for his encore. During Billy Idol’s encore, he performed another of his generation X songs, ‘Dancing With Myself.’ Idol continued with ‘Hot in the City’ and finished with the astounding ‘White Wedding,’ one of the most iconic songs and videos of the early 80’s.
Throughout the performance over the night, on a screen behind the stage were projections with such clear and crisp quality that the entire audience was blown away, especially during Billy Idol’s final song, ‘White Wedding,’ which featured a stained-glass window that got jumped through by a motorcycle at the start of the chorus, revealing the interior of a church. Overall, seeing Billy Idol and Joan Jett, both punk rock icons perform at the same place at the same time was amazing and enjoyable.
Billy Idol and Joan Jett to Continue Tour in August 2025
Billy Idol will be resuming his U.S. tour in just a few weeks in Chicago and playing through until late September with nearly twenty more dates where he finishes up in Las Vegas. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts will also be opening for Idol on this part of the tour. Jett and her band also have a few warmup shows preceding this tour.
