By 1989, Billy Idol was out-of-control. 1983’s Rebel Yell had turned the former Generation X man into a star, and 1986’s Whiplash Smile, while being greeted less warmly by the critics, was still a commercial success.
His personal life however, was in turmoil. Perri Lister, he mother of his son, had flown back to England the previous year after catching the singer cheating, and while the two tried to patch things up, Idol was caught in a cycle of indiscretion and depression, his bad behaviour matched only by the despair he felt about his inability to maintain the relationship.
He also fell victim to the rock’n’roll lifestyle, and all that entails. He desperately needed a break, one that would sever the supply lines. And a friend, Harry Johnson, had the answer: a trip to Thailand.
“We went there to have a whale of a time – a sex holiday, really,” Idol told Classic Rock. “But it got…
