Punk is not dead

I like this punk rocker’s hair, sneer, shredded leather jacket, tattoo, the “no ballroom” skin-tight leather pants and almost every other thing. I am referring to Billy Idol. I first saw him perform his hit single, “Hot in the City” on telly. The TV show was “Solid Gold”. Wow…that show sure got babelicious dancers. Those taut, long and slender legs.

Billy Idol really endeared to me and my friends. We were in secondary school then. We really dig his attitude. It was a rush whenever we hear his records and watch his MTVs.

He was the mindless new-wave haircut punk rockers of the '80s. You know, the most rocking, the most punkish, always punching his clenched fist in the air, with the cheesy spikey hair.

I reckon he got a few hits during his time, songs like “Dancing with Myself”, “Mony Mony”, “White Wedding”, “Rebel Yell”, “Hot in the City”, “Eyes without a Face” and “Sweet Sixteen”. I love hearing them over and over.

This punker’s music probably borders on a mixed combination of punk, disco, synth pop, glam rock and bit of metal. “Eyes without a Face” and “Sweet Sixteen” are surprisingly smoldery sweet tunes for someone like him. “Rebel Yell” was truly one hell of a rock anthem, madman at the midnight hour, screaming "mo, mo, mo”! The MTV was one heck of a cinematic landmark for its time. It captures and smacks of hostilities, sexual hysteria and narcissism.

Till today, Billy Idol is still inexplicably one of my idols, so punky, so alive and so darn unrepentant.