Veeps will premiere Billy Idol: State Line on November 25th
Following a successful limited theatrical run, Billy Idol: State Line, a Vertigo Live concert film documenting the rock legend’s April show at the famed Hoover Dam—the first-ever concert performed at the location—is making its streaming/video on demand debut via Veeps on Saturday, November 25th at noon PT. Billy Idol and his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens will be on hand for the debut live stream and chat.
The special film—part docu-concert, part live performance—is free for Veeps All Access subscribers, and individual tickets can be purchased at Veeps.com. Fans around the world will be able to access the show at Veeps as well as via the Veeps app on Apple TV, Roku, iOS and Android. The film is available for ticket holders and All Access subscribers to rewatch through December 7. The Veeps stream exclusively features bonus, never-before-seen footage of Idol performing the tracks “Rebel Yell” and “Bitter Taste” at the Hoover Dam.
The movie highlights the history and significance of Hoover Dam and includes performances from two unique sets of Billy Idol’s iconic hits: a full band concert at sunset with special guests that electrified and illuminated the surrounding Black Canyon and an acoustic duo set on the roof of the powerhouse at the foot of Hoover Dam straddling the Colorado River, directly on the Nevada/Arizona state line.
For both sets, Idol is joined by Stevens, his collaborator and lead guitarist of over forty years. Performed in front of only 250 fans, the full band set features special guests Alison Mosshart (The Kills, The Dead Weather), Steve Jones (Sex Pistols, Generation Sex) and Tony Kanal (No Doubt).
“Our show at Hoover Dam was a monumental and surreal career highlight,” notes Idol. “I’m excited to get State Line out into the world. With this film we set out to highlight the continued importance of one of the most inspiring infrastructural achievements of the 20th Century, while also bringing the power of rock n roll to a stunning, magical location. I think we more than succeeded on both accounts.”
Idol’s first-person experience of the Colorado River Basin drought conditions while shooting the film at Hoover Dam inspired his ongoing efforts to promote the importance of water conservation, including appearing in a series of public service announcements being released by the US Department of the Interior.
Of his activism relating to water conservation, Idol adds, “The drought conditions prevalent in the American West are severe and impossible to ignore. It takes all of us to conserve water in whatever ways we can to preserve the future of our natural resources for our grandkids and beyond. I’m proud to help amplify this issue in whatever way I can.”
MVD will also release the concert on Blu-ray on December 8th.
Billy Idol: State Line is produced by Lastman Media for Vertigo Live in collaboration with the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas.
Idol has confirmed a number of select upcoming shows, including a performance in Las Vegas the same day as Super Bowl LVIII in February.
For 46 years, Billy Idol has been one of the definitive faces and voices of rock’n’roll. Between 1977 and 1981 Idol released three albums with Generation X as their camera-ready frontman. In 1982 he embarked on a transatlantic/trans-genre solo career that integrated the bold and simple lines of punk and rock’n’roll decadence. Touring consistently around the world for the last ten years and showing no signs of slowing down, Idol released both The Roadside EP in 2021 and The Cage EP in 2022 on Dark Horse Records, earning praise from fans and critics alike. In January, Idol cemented his name among Hollywood legends with the first Walk of Fame Star of 2023.
Idol recently wrapped the first-ever Generation Sex tour in the UK and Europe. The punk supergroup is comprised of Idol and Tony James from Generation X, and Steve Jones and Paul Cook from Sex Pistols. November 10th marks the 40th anniversary of Idol’s seminal record Rebel Yell, with an expanded edition of the album due in early 2024.