Photos and review by Zachary Katsock
The day was sunny and hot with fans packing the Mann Center and ready to rock. The lights went down at 7:30 pm and the crowded roared. Opening act Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were ready to hit the crowd with a loud dose of the hits.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts played a mix of her biggest hits, such as “I love Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” which got the crowd
singing along, as well as some songs from her days in The Runaways. She closed her hour-long set with “Bad Reputation.”
Billy Idol hit the stage at 9 pm on Aug. 16 and played an hour and a half set, opening with a song called “Still Dancing“ from his newest album “Dream Into It.” The show was special because the band paid tribute to rock and heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, who had recently died. Idol gave his mic to rhythm guitar player Billy Morrison, who said a few words about Ozzy, his best friend. A picture of Osbourne appeared on the screen behind the band, while Morrison said he believed he was there tonight watching over them and got the crowd to chan “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy.” He also mentioned that he and Idol’s lead guitar player Steve Stevens have worked together on music. The band then went into “Ready Steady Go” by Generation X, Idol’s 1970s punk band. The Englishman played classic hit after classic hit, including “Eyes Without a Face,” “Rebel Yell” and closed the show with “White Wedding.”
Both acts put on an amazing show and sounded excellent, and the production on this tour was great with impressive lighting and a huge screen behind each band, which showed pictures and some song lyrics. If any music fans have been contemplating whether to see either act, you can catch them in the U.S until Sept. 25 before Idol and his band’s Latin American dates.
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