Billy Idol gets his flowers in a new career retrospective doco.
Billy Idol‘s having a pretty good year. And lets face it, he’s had some pretty bad ones, what with the drug addiction, the motorcycle accident, and everyone shitting on Cyberpunk back in the day. But now he’s got a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination, he’s just wrapped up the It’s a Nice Day To…Tour Again tour with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and now he’s the subject of a pretty killer-lookin’ doco directed by legendary music video wrangler Jonas Åkerlund (Spun, Lords of Chaos).
Billy Idol Should Be Dead Trailer
What’s the plot?
As the official synopsis tells us:
The documentary traces the life and career of punk pioneer turned rock ‘n’ roll icon Billy Idol. Through never-before-seen archival and personal interviews with Idol, his family, peers and collaborators, the documentary digs deep into his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker, his meteoric rise as a global superstar in the MTV era and the myriad of challenges Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain one of the most beloved figures in rock n roll, fifty years into his career.
The film features Idol’s original song with Academy Award-nominated songwriter J. Ralph, “Dying To Live,” which was recently shortlisted for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards. The film’s coda sequence is built around “Dying To Live,” featuring imagery—both animated and archival—from throughout Idol’s life and storied career and was written by Idol and Ralph alongside longtime Idol collaborators Steve Stevens, Tommy English and Joe Janiak.
Who’s in it?
Billy Idol, of course. Plus Miley Cyrus, Billy Joe Armstrong, Duff McKagan, and many more.
When’s it out?
Excellent question! It’s in US cinemas now – hopefully we’ll get news of a local release soon.
What’s the vibe?
While the past… well, 30+ years really haven’t exactly seen Billy Idol at the top of the cultural heap, the man is a bona fide rock and roll legend, and – always assuming this doesn’t turn out to be another boilerplate hagiography – this should be a fascinating look at his life and work,
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