British singer-songwriter and rock icon Billy Idol will debut a new powerhouse band when he hits the road this summer with performances at major music festivals throughout Europe, with North American dates set to follow. In addition to his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens, Stephen McGrath on bass and Derek Sherinian on keyboards, Idol will be joined on this trek by acclaimed guitarist Billy Morrison and drummer Jeremy Colson. Morrison, one of the founders of Camp Freddy and front man for Circus Diablo , has previously played in The Cult, Stimulator, Doheny and Into A Circle, while Colson is Morrison's collaborator in Circus Diablo and is known for his work with Steve Vai, with whom he's worked since 2002.
The legendary rocker's 2010 summer trek will kick off with a pair of shows in Russia (Moscow on June 5th and St. Petersburg on June 7th), to be followed with a performance at the Malmo Sweden Rock Festival and his second appearance at the Download Festival at Donington Park in his native UK.
European tour stops include multiple dates in Germany, along with Switzerland, Serbia, Macedonia, Czech Republic, among others. Look for the US dates to be announced in the coming weeks.
Along the tour, Idol will be performing classics from his storied career. As leader of the group responsible for starting a youth cult, Generation X, he was one of the original British punks who gave the rock establishment a good kick up the arse with such classics as 'Ready, Steady, Go', 'Wild Youth', 'Your Generation' and 'Dancing With Myself', the latter of which marked the transition to Idol's solo career when it appeared in remixed version on his 1981 Don't Stop EP.
Other show-stoppers will likely include hits from the Grammy and MTV nominee's multi-platinum selling career including 'Hot In The City', 'White Wedding', 'Eyes Without A Face', 'Flesh For Fantasy', 'To Be A Lover' and the #1 smash 'Mony Mony'. He long ago found a way to take that sneering punk attitude into the pop and rock mainstream, carving out songs that have lasted a lifetime. All of these classics are included on 2008's The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself, a career-spanning CD, Deluxe Edition CD/DVD and digital collection (Capitol/EMI). His immortal 'Rebel Yell' was also featured on 2008's Guitar Hero World Tour game.
Tour dates:
June
5 - Moscow, Russia - SCCH Russia
7 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Ice Hall
9 - Helsinki, Finland - Ice Hall
11 - Malmo, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival
13 - Donington Park, UK - Download Festival
16 - NR Nurenburg, Germany - Arbenburg, Burg
18 - Athens, Greece - Karaiski Stadium
20 - Skopje, Macedonia - Skopsko Lizgaliste
21 - Belgrade, Serbia - Belgrade Arena
22 - Zagreb, Croatia - T Music Festival
24 - Ljubjiana, Slovenia - Hala Tivoli
25 - Vienna, Austria - Danube Island Free Festival
27 - Prague, Czech Republic - Sasazu
29 - Ravensburg, Germany - Oberschubenhalle
July
1 - Sopron, Hungary - Volt Festival
3 - Germany - TBA
4 - Bremen, Germany - Freeload Festival
8 - Bonn, Germany - Museumplatz
9 - Huttweil, Switzerland - Rocksound Festival
11 - Weert, Holland - Bospop Festival