Virginia Beach, VA – English rocker Billy Idol brought the snarl and attitude to a large crowd on a partly cloudy Saturday night with support from Akron, Ohio’s new wave band Devo.
Growing up in Ohio in the 1970’s listening to one of the best radio stations in the world, WMMS FM 100.7, “Home Of The Buzzard!”, I got several opportunities to head Devo before the release of “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!” in 1978. With the advent of MTV, Devo’s songs “Whip It”, “Girl U Want”, “Working in the Coal Mine” and “Jocko Homo” became major hits. For a number of people, myself included was our first time seeing Devo live. Their set consisted of mostly material from their first five albums with the exception of ‘Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)’ from 2010’s “Something for Everybody”. People loved the graphic backgrounds and the robotic style movements by the band as well as the fortunate few who managed to get an energy dome. They sounded incredible live and managed to get that 80’s radio feel that the crowd remembers them for.
SETLIST
Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)
Peek-A-Boo!
Going Under
That’s Good
Girl U Want
Whip It
Planet Earth
Uncontrollable Urge
Blockhead
Mongoloid
Jocko Homo
Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA
Gates of Steel
Freedom of Choice
Another staple of MTV in the 1980’s, Billy Idol exploded with songs like “White Wedding”, Dancing With Myself” and “Rebel Yell”. Billy brought the punk attitude to the world and kicked ass wherever he played. many came out to see him exclusively, particularly two women who walked by me wearing black wedding gowns with white veils. The set was a perfect slow burn of playing through slower material and building up the energy of the audience until closing out the night with “White Wedding”.
SETLIST
Still Dancing
Cradle of Love
Flesh for Fantasy
77
Love Unchained
Eyes Without a Face
Steve Stevens Guitar Solo / Over the Hills and Far Away / Stairway to Heaven
Mony Mony (Tommy James & The Shondells cover)
Trouble With the Sweet Stuff
Ready Steady Go (Generation X song)
Blue Highway / Top Gun Anthem
Rebel Yell
Dancing With Myself (Generation X song)
Hot in the City
White Wedding
The second round of “It’s A Nice Day… To Tour Again” begins on September 10th in St. Louis, Missouri and ends on September 27th in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Show Date: 08.22.2026
