Breakfast with Billy Idol.

 By Laura Medina

Having breakfast with Billy Idol, first thing Monday morning…

While announcing his new documentary, “Billy Idol Must Die,”

Billy offered wisdom being a punk rocker for 50 long years.

In his opinion and according to his insights, yes,..it is easier to get on social media technology to put out your music but the path and the road is getting harder as they are getting murkier and muddier.

Back then when he was getting started with his old punk rock band, Generation X, there was a definite road, path, and time line to career success and becoming a rock star, regardless of rock or pop genre.

It was a 5-years journey. During those 5 years, you discover what genre you and your mates are good at. Eventually, you refine, improve, and master that particular genre you all are good at. Finally, you’ll find a manager who’ll like your genre enough to take you to professional level.

There’s still a definite path. Billy told his fellow Brit, who just moved here in LA, that he was no different. He, too, moved to America based on what his American manager advised him.

On his path as a punk rocker, Generation X had to get a license to work a gig at a lesbian disco. That was then, when he decided to become Billy Idol.

Asked about his worldwide, notorious sneer, Billy says it still continues with today’s rocker, Yung Blud. The attitude continues.

Asked about being one of punk rock pioneers, Billy talked about punk rock’s origin. It was a backlash against guitar and drum orchestral overload of Led Zeppelin and Electric Light Orchestra. It was back to basics simplicity that anyone can do. It was the Sex Pistols’ anger and attitude that ignited it. Their punk shock on British tv, that made it popular and nationwide. It was Billy’s Generation X crossing over to America then splashing on MTV’s early days, that made punk mainstream, especially in America.

When asked if he’ll do Coachella, Billy is very much observingly aware. He mentioned that Coachella is currently Electric Dance Music. But when it becomes more focus on guitar, more rock oriented, then yeah, he’ll do Coachella.

Speaking of being established, he says the flip side of that, is ageism, and having to still work on being relevant to whatever is the current demographic.

In other words, if Coachella is more opened to presenting and promoting more rock, he’ll be more open to doing Coachella.

Talking about his new documentary, Billy said it’s about fathers and sons. His dad never approved of him being a punk rocker or his success until now, late in life. Billy reinstated he’s a father and a grandfather, himself.

Throughout the breakfast, there were people who were there with him from the beginning, back in the days. When an ex-music promoter commented he was there, when he promoted Billy in the early Eighties NY MTV days. Everyone understandably laughed when Billy said, he didn’t remember those days and,..nights. Fame was one big rocket of whirlwind.