Billy Idol in Mansfield, MA – August 23, 2025

Billy Idol returned to the road for It’s a Nice Day To… Tour Again! — with a stop at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield on August 23. Fellow superstar Joan Jett & the Blackhearts have been joining Idol on all shows.

Idol brought incredible energy and stage presence, with a voice as strong as ever. His bleach-blond spikes, and leather attire still defines his persona, creating a reimagined 80’s punk-glam atmosphere — it was an edgy and charismatic spectacle. Throughout the show, he connected with the audience and showed sincere gratitude to his band and the crowd.

Steve Stevens, Billy Idol’s longtime guitarist, was brilliant as usual, delivering a performance that fed off Idol’s energy. Stevens’s guitar work was a highlight, especially his soaring solos in the “Top Gun Anthem” — for which he won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1987.

British guitarist and singer-songwriter Billy Morrison, who has been a longtime member of Idol’s band, took a moment in the show to pay tribute to Ozzy Osborne, who was both a professional colleague and one of his best friends. Morrison recently offered a eulogy during Osborne’s memorial last month. He led the crowd in a chant for Ozzy, in hopes that he was watching over them and would be happy to hear them. “He was the Prince of Darkness, yes. But he was also my best friend. And all I can think about is how kind and generous he was, how incredibly talented, and how incredibly funny the man was. He made me laugh for 30 years.”

He added that Ozzy always loved “Billy [expletive] Idol.”

Idol played a collection of his classic hits, including “Flesh for Fantasy,” “Cradle of Love,” “Hot in the City,” and “White Wedding.” He also shared the inspiration for one of his most iconic songs, recalling a birthday party on the West Side of New York City, where he saw a few “Stones” — Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, and Mick Jagger — all sharing a big bottle of brown liquor. “I just wondered what it was, and I followed the label up to Mick Jagger’s lips, and I saw it said, ‘Rebel yell!’”