Step Off!

11Vital Idol

There were a few rather defining moments throughout my days as a P.A. at MTV, and this one definitely left a rock n' roll imprint on my brain. It was March 1, 1991, and Oliver Stone's much anticipated and controversial biopic, The Doors, was about to hit the big screen. That night we were shooting the premiere party for the film from the world-famous Whisky a Go-Go on the fabled Sunset Strip. MTV was airing the much-publicized event as a live special.

Performing for the show was none other than rock n' roll rebel Billy Idol. I was, as I said at the time, “jacked up beyond belief” to be working the show. I mean, to be inside the historic Whisky, which just oozed rock n' roll folklore, and to see Billy Idol perform was a pretty decent night's work.

My job description for the evening was as follows: Take $200 petty cash, go a block away to the liquor store, and buy enough adult beverages to make Billy Idol, Billy “Fucking” Idol. Then prep his dressing room with all of the goodies. Didn't seem so hard, but it turned out to be a bit more difficult than I anticipated. I mean, what do rock stars really drink? I was 22 and on a tight budget. I had no clue what to get. At the time I was drinking 40s of Schlitz with the occasional shot of Jåeger when I felt like splurging. Billy was British and just didn't really strike me as a malt liquor kind of guy. So I bought what I thought a millionaire rock star would drink: two cases of Heineken and as much champagne as the petty ...