Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

While on the subject of ‘Lion of Symmetry’ and Lorca & The Outlaws (see Newsy Bits below) – The full film is available to watch at You Tube, under its other name, Starship. Made in 1984, Toyah appears briefly in the film, on a holographic video jukebox in the “Miram Bar”, performing ‘Lion Of Symmetry’, a collaboration with Tony Banks, included on his ‘Soundtracks’ album from 1985. Listen here and view the songwords.

• If you only want to see Toyah, she appears at approximately 58 minutes into the film!

• Brighton’s Big Screen: Quadrophenia: The classic movie is showing in Brighton next month – Another MOD invasion hits Brighton Beach this August Bank Holiday Sunday. At 7pm on Sunday 25th August before the showing of Quadrophenia, Rock ‘n’ Roll Productions, in association with Brighton’s Big Screen are presenting, for ONE NIGHT ONLY, a very special preview performance of: All Or Nothing The Mod Musical – Continue reading…

• Lion of Symmetry: There’s an obscure instrumental of this mid-80s Toyah song at CD Baby. It’s by a Dutch synth musician who is a huge Tony Banks fan – Listen here to a preview… (Thanks to Giddy Gavin – Have a wonderful brave new world in Wales Gavin x)

• Fragile Humans: Rare footage of Toyah recording the This Fragile Moment album in Estonia, June 2009 – Watch at You Tube…

• Northern Pride 2013: A great selection of photos, including over a dozen of Toyah onstage in Newcastle last weekend – View at flickr…

• Jack Up The 80s: The times and running order for next month’s festival has been announced. Toyah plays on Sunday 11th August at 4pm – View more info…

• Thunder in The Mountains: The stormy weather caused many mentions of TITM on Twitter this week! Most notably was Record Collector Magazine – “RC tuned to Toyah’s euphoric Thunder In The Mountains. Not to mention in urban industrial wastelands.” – View at Twitter…

• Tatton Park Picnic Concerts 2013: Toyah backstage with Gallowglass security man Vince at last weekend’s Tatton concert – View at Twitter…

• You Tubing: Toyah talks dyslexia and the Dore Programme. I think this is from a few years ago but has just been uploaded – Watch at You Tube…

• The Producers’ Forum: Members’ & Colleagues’ News, July Week 2: Debbie Isitt Event – Tom Lawes ( Electric Flix) who sponsored the event brought his neighbour Toyah Willcox!!..can you spot her? – Continue reading… (Thanks to Sara)

The special Toyah celebrity edition of Living With The Dead is being repeated in early August on UK television for the first time since it originally aired in June 2008.

Toyah was interviewed by ‘Digital Spy’ at the time:
Have you always believed in the paranormal?  “I believe in the paranormal and I accept it but I don’t change my life around it. I’m not an avid follower, as it were. I am open-minded.”

Living With The Dead: Sky Livingit: Sunday 4th August: 11pm
Toyah Willcox, Pershore, Worcs (Celeb Special). Singer Toyah Willcox invites the Living with the Dead experts to her hometown nearby Pershore Abbey to exorcise paranormal activity connected to 15th-century criminal monks. Also airing on Sky Livingit +1.

• Read the full ‘Digital Spy’ 2008 interview with Toyah here. View some of their related press, from Dreamscape 2008, here.

A couple of great Instagram updates from Toyah over the last few days. On Saturday this amazing photo of Toyah, taken at Northern Pride (“snapped by @craigastley just before going on stage @northernprideuk“) was posted. Today is all about ‘Love Is The Law, (“LOVE IS THE LAW is ready 4 the 21st Century.My fave LP can now b downloaded 30yrs since being recorded. Come join me Martian Cowboys x“). Click below to view a larger version of the photo and/or follow Toyah at Instagram. (Thanks to Craig Astley)

Toyah’s 1983 album Love Is The Law is now available digitally for the very first time, marking the 30th anniversary of its original release.

Featuring the full 10-track album, plus nine bonus songs, 13 of these tracks have never previously been available as downloads. Three of the bonus songs were recorded during the ‘Love Is The Law’ sessions in 1983 and were originally issued as b-sides. There’s also a new digital booklet, with 1983 imagery & lyrics.

Full track list: 1. Broken Diamonds, 2. I Explode, 3. Rebel Of Love, 4. Rebel Run, 5. Martian Cowboy, 6. Dreamscape, 7. Time Is Ours, 8. Love Is The Law, 9. Remember, 10. The Vow | 11. To The Mountains High [Bonus Track], 12. Baptised In Fire [Bonus Track], 13. Haunted [Bonus Track], 14. Be Proud, Be Loud (Be Heard) [Bonus Track], 15. Laughing With The Fools [Bonus Track], 16. Urban Tribesmen [Bonus Track], 17. The Furious Futures [Bonus Track], 18. Stand Proud [Bonus Track], 19. Ieya 1982 {Full Length Version) [Bonus Track].

Download the album, & Toyah’s full Safari back catalogue, at iTunes. The digital album, or individual songs from it, is also available at both the amazon.com and amazon.co.uk mp3 stores

Review: The Human League, Howard Jones and Toyah Willcox

The Human League prove they’re still in a league of their own when it comes to giving the 80s bandwagon full throttle.

Thirty years ago, when proms didn’t trouble us or our pockets, the school disco was the place to be…

Toyah definitely gives her relatively thin hits back catalogue some welly, belting out It’s A Mystery with gusto and filling in the blanks with covers. She knows her place – as warm-up gal to Messers Jones and headliners The Human League and just seems happy to be at Tatton entertaining  a 40-something nostalgia-drenched crowd.

• Continue reading at the Manchester Evening News.

Northern Pride event attracts thousands

Thousands of people took part in Newcastle’s annual gay pride event.

Now in its sixth year, it is one of the biggest celebrations in the North East of lesbian, gay, and transgender life, with organisers hoping to beat last year’s record attendance of 23,000.

The parade began at the Civic Centre, and moved through the city centre to end at Exhibition Park. Festivities included performances by Toyah Willcox and Amelia Lily, and there are market stalls and a fun fair.

• Continue reading at BBC News Tyne & Wear.

Birmingham’s well known landmarks: But for a city so linked to heavy metal, many sounds have left its clubs to find fans aroud the globe. In the 1980s in particular, Birmingham bands were among the biggest around. While Toyah found fame in post-punk pop, UB40 were at the forefront of British reggae and Duran Duran became the biggest band on the planet.

Newcastle Pride takes place this Saturday. Entertainment Editor Gordon Barr has the details

Amelia Lily, Toyah and Katrina, of the Waves, headline this year’s Newcastle Pride on Saturday.

The festival, celebrating the region’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, could boost the Tyneside economy by around £1m.

Last year Newcastle Pride attracted around 23,000 visitors for the one-day event held in Newcastle’s Exhibition Park, many of whom came from around the UK. And organisers believe this year’s line-up will bring in even bigger crowds – giving a huge boost to hotels, restaurants and bars across the city and beyond.

• Continue reading at Chronicle Live.

• So So Gay: Preview: Newcastle Pride: Jordan Mann takes a look at what is going on at this year’s Newcastle Pride. Now in its sixth year, Newcastle is back with its annual Pride this weekend… The LGBT community and supporters will march through the city centre to Exhibition Park ready for the main event, where there will be entertainment from the likes of Toyah Willcox – Continue reading…

• Manchester Evening News: Still in a league of their own: Human League to play a picnic gig at Tatton Park… The Human League will be appearing at Tatton Park, Knutsford, on Saturday along with Howard Jones and Toyah Willcox, as part of Tatton Park Picnic Concerts. Operatic star Katherine Jenkins will be appearing on Sunday – Continue reading…

• Sky Tyne & Wear: Newcastle Pride To Promote Healthy Message…: Visitors to one of the UK’s biggest celebrations for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community next week can also use the occasion to check if they have a clean bill of health. Around 25,000 people are expected to descend on Tyneside next Sat (July 20) for Newcastle Pride… a one day free event which this year includes performances by Amelia Lily, Toyah and Katrina from The Waves – Continue reading…

• Tatton Park Picnic Concerts 2013: The Official booklet – Continue reading…

• Woman’s World: Picnic and Concerts in One: Combine friends, delicious treats, music and fireworks and you’ll get Tatton Park Picnic Concerts. On Saturday 20 July and Sunday 21 July Tatton Park will be transformed into a musical oasis, gathering stars on stage and audience on the grounds for Picnic Concerts 2013. Synth pop international superstars The Human League plus special guests Howard Jones and Toyah Willcox – Continue reading…

• Kyeo.tv: Pride Takes Over Newcastle This Weekend: Fingers crossed the sunshine will be beaming down upon us at the weekend, so you can enjoy the sixth annual Northern Pride Festival in all it’s glory in Newcastle’s Exhibition Park… Come Saturday at noon the festivities begin with a parade from the Civic Centre with the theme of the six colours of the rainbow flag. Followed by a free live concert featuring the likes of Toyah Willcox and Amelia Lily – Continue reading…

Toyah is referred to a couple of times in this, comprehensive and interesting, new article by The List on how British pop music changed through the Eighties.

1980s British pop – The ideological and musical battles of the decade we can’t seem to recover from

As Tracey Thorn and Duran Duran’s John Taylor hit the Edinburgh Book Festival, Alan Bissett explores the music of the 80s

UK music kicked off terrifically in the 1980s, drawing inspiration from three key 70s co-ordinates: David Bowie, Kraftwerk and punk. The Sex Pistols, having scoured the landscape of rock dinosaurs, cleared the way for an energetic New Wave. Lyrical wit and edgy textures were crushed into pop gems by Joy Division, Elvis Costello, Gary Numan, The Police, Adam and the Ants, Bow Wow Wow and Toyah Willcox.

… Where Toyah Willcox, at the start of the decade, had wanted to ‘turn suburbia upside down’, the Hit Factory wanted everyone to move there. It spelled out British pop’s long-term doom.

• Continue reading at The List.

A busy weekend for Toyah, with two gigs taking place today. During the day she plays a headlining PA at Newcastle/Northern Pride and later in the evening Toyah plays the Tatton Park Picnic Concert alongside Howard Jones and, headliners, The Human League.

Toyah previously played Northern Pride last Summer. She last played Tatton Park (“Party! at Tatton Park”) in July 2007.

Another unofficial extended version of a Toyah classic by Magnum Mixes, ‘Good Morning Universe (Spiral Tribe Extended)’. As with their previous mix of ‘It’s A Mystery’ this isn’t too far removed from the original, just simply extending it. ‘Good Morning Universe’ is a great feelgood song, and quite underrated!

Toyah plays Tatton Park tonight. Here is a fantastic photo of her, playing live at Tatton Park in July 2007. Click below to view a larger version & view more photos here. (Thanks to Richard Smith)

‘Love Is The Law’ has been added to both the amazon.com and amazon.co.uk mp3 stores with a release date of Monday 22nd July. The album will also be available from iTunes and other online digital stores.

The Corn is Green: True Movies 1: Wednesday 31st July: 3.00am
The Corn is Green: True Movies 1: Sunday 4th August: 5.00am
Academy Award winner Katharine Hepburn stars as a schoolteacher determined to help the people of a turn-of-the-century Welsh mining town. With Ian Saynor, Bill Fraser, Patricia Hayes, Anna Massey, Artro Morris, Dorothea Phillips, Toyah Willcox, Huw Richards, Bryn Fon, Dyfan Roberts and Robin John. Directed by: George Cukor (1979).

Toyah made another guest appearance on ITV’s Daybreak yesterday morning. She was on the programme to discuss her experience of the Liverpool Care Pathway, which is in the news again as it’s been announced it is soon to be abolished. The programme is available to watch at ITV Player (UK viewers only) for the next six days. View larger versions of the caps by clicking below. (Thanks to Tony Ames)

Toyah has lent her support to CRB Midlands – The Campaign for Regional Broadcasting Midlands – Promoting the Midlands as a place to make TV, radio and film!

They say: “As a publicly funded organisation the BBC is obligated to reflect the importance of our region. The Midlands needs the support of the BBC but it should also be recognised that the BBC needs the support of the 10 million people who live in this region.”

Toyah said: “Birmingham has incredible talent and culture. We need the BBC to be able to express this to the world. As a city Birmingham is the friendliest place I know and it deserves to be a media centre of excellence.”

• View the CRB Midlands petition page at Change.org.

A rare television advert for the ‘The Birmingham Post’ has just been uploaded to You Tube. It features “Actress, Singer and New Midlander” Toyah and looks like it was filmed in the 1990s. Click below to watch and view larger versions of the screen caps here.

Eighties’ stars turn out for charity’s birthday party

Some of the biggest pop acts of the 1980s — such as Bad Manners, Toyah and Heaven 17 — will be helping the Island celebrate the 25th anniversary of local charity, Osel Enterprises.

Osel Enterprises will be staging Jack Up the 80s: The Wight Crystal 25th Party at the Isle of Wight Garlic Festival site, Bathingbourne Lane, Newchurch, over the weekend of Saturday, August 10, and Sunday, August 11.

The festival will feature chart-topping bands and artists from the era, including Bad Manners, Heaven 17, Katrina and the Waves, Doctor and the Medics, Eddie and the Hotrods, Toyah, Matchbox, Orange Street and top tribute act, Bootleg Blondie, together with The Hoosiers.

• Continue reading at the Isle of Wight County Press.

Toyah attended Film Birmingham’s Meet The Filmmaker event on Thursday evening at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

The Producers’ Forum and Creative Shift with Electric Flix are delighted to present this exclusive event with film director Debbie Isitt (Confetti, Nativity, Nativity 2, Nasty Neighbours) on July 11th at the Hippodrome.

View a photo of Toyah at Meet The Filmmaker here. The Producer’s Forum tweeted: “Great to have the wonderful Toyah Willcox with us tonight at the Debbie Isitt event“.

• More info on Meet The Filmmaker at Film Birmingham’s website.