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Billy Idol hints that his Las Vegas story won’t end with his final Pearl residency dates

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Billy Idol
Photo: Amy Harris / AP

Rock icon Billy Idol staged his first Las Vegas residency four years ago at the House of Blues. For the past two years, he has made the Palms his home, popping up for a recurring engagement at the Pearl along with the likes of Blink-182 and Lady Antebellum.

This week begins the final shows of this run from the former Generation X frontman, but he tells the Weekly he’s loving Las Vegas and hoping to book more shows here soon, maybe even another extended gig.

“Doing these shows at the Palms has been great, because it’s such a great venue, a really good sounding room,” Idol says. “This group we have together now has been playing together for five years, so it’s a really solid version of Billy Idol. I’m sure we will [be back].”

Best known as one of the prominent early faces of MTV and from ’80s hits like “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell” and “Dancing With Myself,” Idol dropped his first album in nine years—Kings & Queens of the Underground in 2014. He also released memoir Dancing With Myself that year.

“There are so many ways that people see things, how they access things. We found out that these days, when you put a record out, you can’t just put a record out, it has to be a record and a book or some other thing,” he says. “So we’re actually doing a documentary at the moment. It may not be ready for a couple years, but we’ll be shooting it in Vegas during these dates.

“Another great thing about the Palms is it’s a good place to shoot. One of these audiences will be in the documentary. This residency is a lot of fun, because we’re doing more than just playing.”

Idol says he’s also hoping to return to Vegas soon because the diverse audiences here are perfect for an artist whose work spans decades, yet also reminds fans of their own rock ’n’ roll glory days.

“You get some die-hard fans but also a lot of people who never got the chance to see a full-on show [back in the day],” Idol says. “[In] Vegas … you get everybody, this vast audience of massively different ages. And in general, people are there for a really good time. We play a majority of stuff people will know, the greatest hits, but we also put in some deep cuts. So if you’re a real fan, you’ll get to hear something we don’t always play.”

There’s even a chance you might get to sample a new track at the Pearl, too. Idol says he’s committed to releasing new music this year and has been surveying the landscape for collaborators.

What might the next album sound like? “I’m just sort of finding that out really,” he laughs. “It’s definitely going to be Billy Idol music right down that line. That’s one great thing about [guitarist] Steve Stevens. I can go anywhere with my muse, because he can play anything. We stick to what is recognizable as Billy Idol, a style you recognize. Whatever that is, it’s going to be that. Although I never make the same album twice, so it won’t be a carbon copy of the last record.”

BILLY IDOL March 6-7, 11, 13-14, 9 p.m., $36-$146. The Pearl, 702-944-3200.

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Brock Radke

Brock Radke is an award-winning writer and columnist who currently occupies the role of managing editor at Las Vegas Weekly ...

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