Are you ready to share the ‘Love’? – Starting tomorrow Dreamscape is celebrating Toyah’s 1983 album ‘Love Is The Law’ (one of the songs on it inspired this website so it would be wrong not to). Every day throughout the month we will be bringing you at least one LITL-related post – So please do Come to the Dreamscape…
Dreamscape’s Love Is The Law Month doesn’t begin until Tuesday but I thought I’d add this today rather than wait, especially as it went on sale exactly 30 years ago. Toyah: Return Of The Rebel, there were more smaller articles, such as “Personal File” and the like over the next few years but this was Toyah’s final big double-page interview feature for ‘Smash Hits’. Click below to read at Dreamscape’s Press Archive.
• The full 29 September – 12 October 1983 issue has also just been uploaded to The Smash Hits Archive.
Not strictly Toyah news but she is mentioned in the article, as is fellow Human Bill Rieflin.
King Crimson unveil new-line up and 2014 tour plans
Robert Fripp has unveiled a new incarnation of King Crimson.
Speaking to Uncut, Fripp said: “King Crimson is returning to active service. We are on-call to be ready for a live performance on September 1, 2014. Seven members. Four English, three American. Three drummers. It’s a different configuration of King Crimson than before. Some are familiar names, maybe more than others.”
This line-up – the 8th in the band’s history – will be Fripp, Gavin Harrison, Bill Rieflin, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Mel Collins and Jakko Jakszyk.
• Continue reading at Uncut.
Been meaning to do so for a number of years, and finally I’ve transferred this from VHS tape to digital. A 30-minute interview with Toyah from the series It’s Your Funeral, hosted by Kaye Adams, which aired on Channel Five in 2001. It’s an interesting interview and, despite the title, not particularly morbid. Click below to watch
• More footage coming in October to Dreamscape’s You Tube Channel – A selection of Love Is The Law clips.
Toyah has recorded an episode of BBC Radio 4’s Ramblings as a Guest Presenter. The programme, usually presented by Clare Balding, will air on the station on Thursday 17th October.
Toyah was a guest on Ramblings earlier this year when Clare interviewed her at Croome Park in Worcestershire. The programme is still available to listen to at BBC iPlayer. It’s also downloadable as a podcast at iTunes. That edition is also included in Ramblings – Clare’s top 30, pretty special as there have been 25 series of the programme.
• Browse all of Dreamscape’s Ramblings news here. Visit the Ramblings website. There’s also a full transcript of the episode at The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive.
Just rediscovered in my collection, and uploaded to Dreamscape, an interview with Toyah from ‘BBC Radio London’ 10 years ago. This aired just before Toyah appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! She discusses that, religion, ‘Velvet Lined Shell’ and much more. Click below to listen.
• The Big Fat Quiz Of The 80s: A few screen caps from Sunday night’s programme. It’s available to watch online at 4 on Demand, and is repeated a few times this coming weekend (days/times here). Click here or on the caps to view larger versions.
• Instagram #1: Last night Toyah shared a photo of Phil Davis, herself and Mark Wingett at the Quadrophenia screening/Q&A in London – View the photo…
• Behind The Sofa: The Doctor Who book from last year, which Toyah contributed to, has been revised and expanded with over 30 new entries: Over 150 celebrity memories of DOCTOR WHO, on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK, with a new foreword by Sir Terry Pratchett – View more info…
• Instagram #2: On Sunday Toyah shared a photo of a “Toyah Wilcox” Birmingham Rep Bar beer mat – View here…
• Head Crash: The 1986 radio drama, which was banned and didn’t air until July 1993 on ‘BBC Radio 3’, which included Toyah in the cast is currently available to listen to in full at ‘Soundcloud’ – Listen here…
• Talk The Talk: Recently uploaded to ‘You Tube’, a short clip of Toyah, talking about languages, on the ‘BBC Learning Zone’ from the early 2000s – View here…
• Ulster Hall 1981: Photos of Toyah from this gig, which was also televised, have been added recently to Buck Defect’s Facebook – View here… (Thanks to Seán)
A short, but fantastic, clip of one of Toyah’s appearances on TISWAS in 1981. Performing “I’m A Misery” with the band and various presenters, and then flanned by the Phantom Flan Flinger. A classic clip. Click on the caps to watch, and visit Dreamscape’s You Tube Channel.
Even our Chief Rebel Runner is looking forward to “Love Is The Law Month” at Dreamscape :) Huh? Oh, okay it’s stills of Toyah promoting the album in 1983. Stay tuned for an abundance of LITL-related updates… Even as I type some Martian Cowboys are having Broadband installed to make sure they don’t miss out!
We are now into the third part of September and the end of the month is almost here so it’s not too early to announce that October is “Love Is The Law Month” at Dreamscape. We will be bringing you lots of content related to the magnificent 1983 album in the build up/countdown to Toyah’s Love Is The Law & More Tour kicking off. The horns of elfin land really will be calling you to come to the Dreamscape :) In the meantime, click below for details on the tour, including dates and links to buy tickets for each venue.
• Toyah is getting ready for the tour. She tweeted on Wednesday: “Just learning Dreamscape….perfect opener for the tour set…..into Rebel Run perhaps?“
‘Dreamscape’ has always been one of my favourite Toyah songs, hence the title of this website, but listening to the Love Is The Law album over the last year, I think ‘Time Is Ours’ has overtaken it. Thus I thought it deserved a little preferential treatment when doing the songwords – Think of it as a double-pager :)
• I haven’t forgotten about ‘Dreamscape’ – The songwords from last year are here. I was going to redo it to fit the theme of The Complete LITL Lyrics page, though possibly not as ‘Time Is Ours’, above, differs too.
• Magazines: There are Toyah interviews in two new, just and just about to be published, magazines: ‘Vive Le Rock’ (September/October 2013 issue) and ‘Respect Magazine’ (October 2013 issue).
• Vive Le Rock: A CBGBs special, Issue #14. September/October 2013, includes a one-page interview with Toyah. View a l/q preview of the article here, and order online at their website or locate where the magazine is stocked near you. (Thanks to Jimi LaLumia)
• Respect Magazine: The cover for Issue 22 of ‘Respect’ has just been made available. Toyah is interviewed inside the “Respect Goes Pop” issue, and her name appears on the cover. The magazine will be published online soon here…
• Time Out: Now. Here. This.: Time Out film editor Dave Calhoun sits down with the cast and crew of this legendary street-tough British drama. Director Franc Roddam (he created Masterchef, fact fans) and stars Philip Davis and Toyah Willcox will be among those looking back on a true national treasure, the tale of a young working class mod’s struggle with the mounting pressures of fitting in, growing up, rocking out and getting laid. It’s not cheap, but it’ll be well worth it – Continue reading…
• Time Out: Events: The best film events in London this week: One-off screenings, festivals, seasons, double-bills and more. Each week we bring you the very best of London’s alternative film events – ‘Quadrophenia’ + Q&A – Continue reading…
• Pictureville: Cast and crew of Quadophenia to gather at Ciné Lumière: Ciné Lumière and the London Film School are presenting a special screening of Quadrophenia, attended by members of the cast and crew, on Monday 23 September, as part of the ongoing ‘Classic Cinema: The Reunion’ series – Continue reading…
“Well…..30yrs on, I can still get into original Rebel Run outfit….just!” Toyah tweeted earlier today – View the full photo at Toyah’s Instagram. Watch Toyah perform ‘Rebel Run’ wearing the outfit on ITV’s Hold Tight in 1983. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)
• Bird in Flight: A rare promo flyer for one of Toyah’s greatest singles, ‘Bird in Flight/Tribal Look’ from 1980, was recently listed on ebay. The reverse includes info on Toyah’s Safari recordings up to the release of the single. A great piece of retro Toyah memorabilia!
• Made At The Mill: Toyah tweeted a photo taken at the Kaleidoscope event celebrating Pebble Mill yesterday. She participated in presentations on Look! Hear! and Glitter – View the photo at Instagram.
• Made At The Mill #2: John Holmes, another of the former Look! Hear! presenters, also tweeted a photo from the event – View at Twitter…
• Time Out: ‘Quadrophenia’ reunion screening + Q&A: Time Out says – Reunion screening of the 1979 film, loosely based around the rock opera by legendary band The Who. This special screening will be followed by a Q&A with a panel including: Franc Roddam (Director), Bill Curbishley (Producer and manager of The Who), Martin Stellman (Writer), Sean Barton (Editor) and Toyah Willcox. ‘Classic Cinema: The Reunion’, is new series presented by the London Film School and Ciné Lumière in association with Time Out Live – View here…
• Cool Britannia: On this day (14th September) in 1979, The film Quadrophenia was released. Based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera the film featured Phil Daniels & Toyah Willcox.
• Smash Hits Archive: September 15-28, 1983: A small news article on Toyah is included in this issue, just uploaded 30 years to the day it was originally published: Toyah’s new single, “Rebel Run”, will soon be followed by a new LP, “Love Is The Law”. Her next project is a TV film called The Ebony Tower – View here… (Lots of Toyah in the next issue, including a two-page interview and songwords)
The other three mock “Q Special Edition” Toyah magazine covers Andy designed for my birthday. Just amazing! One day perhaps something like this may really happen. Thanks again to Andy and I’d like to dedicate these to Lärwi, another great friend to me and this website (thanks for the pressie & card Lärwi x). Click below to view larger versions of these covers.
It’s been a while since we posted about Andy’s awesome Toyah dolls, so to rectify that here are a couple of great recent photos of these uncanny creations. A collection of four classic Toyah images; Ieya/The Blue Meaning, Anthem, Brave New World/The Changeling, Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), plus a recreation of a 1980 photos session. Click below to view the original photos and visit Andy’s Instagram.
I had to share this with Dreamscape’s visitors – The only way this could be better is if it was a real magazine. Andy Westhorpe has designed a collection of mock “Q Special Edition” Toyah magazine covers for my birthday this weekend, using iconic Toyah photos, and I think they are utterly fantastic. So thoughtful of Andy to take the time to do this but he has always been a great friend to me and this website. I’ll add the other three covers tomorrow. Click below to view a larger version.
• Love Is The Law & More Countdown: Toyah’s anniversary tour kicks off 5 weeks today. Do you have your tickets? All the venue details and ticket links are available at Toyah’s Official Gigs page. There’s also an exclusive new ‘live tracks of the month’ track, ‘Creepy Room’ from the King’s Heath Hare & Hounds gig last year, featuring a great live photo by Paul of PAC Photography – Visit the Official Gigs page…
• Thru A Photographer’s Eye: Speaking of PAC Photography, Dreamscape’s collaborative feature with Paul includes some great shots of Toyah – View here…
• South Wales Evening Post: Stars share an odd way to celebrate little Harry’s life: In his short life, Harry Patterson made a huge impression. And that was no more apparent than yesterday, when stars of stage and screen – and even rock royalty – evoked the playful spirit of the youngster from Alltwen, who died in a freak accident, two years to the day… Amongst those tweeting their pictures of odd socked feet were Julian Lewis Jones, Di Botcher, Kai Owen, Craig Gallivan and Kev Johns, as well as singer Toyah Willcox – and even Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood – Continue reading…
• Odd Socks In Memory of Harry: Toyah tweeted a lovely tribute to Harry yesterday. View the photo at Toyah’s Instagram.
• Respect Magazine: An interview with Toyah is scheduled to be included in the next, digital, issue of ‘Respect’ in their “Poptastic” edition. Keep an eye on their page at issuu for the October magazine – Visit here…
Just uploaded to Dreamscape’s You Tube channel – Toyah guesting on V Graham Norton in 2002. She appeared on the Channel 4 show in June of that year, around the time of the release of the brilliant ‘Little Tears Of Love’ EP, lovingly modelled by Mr Norton. Watch by clicking below.
It’s Vampires Rock‘s 10th anniversary. In a newly published interview Steve Steinman, who created and stars in the show, talks about the last 10 years and also pays tribute to the Devil Queen herself!
The show has attracted some famous names in its time on tour too, in 2007 Eddie Ojeda of hit rock band, Twisted Sister, played guitar in the show, and he was followed by Toyah Willcox, who toured in the show for two years as the Devil Queen, the long suffering wife of Baron Von Rockula.
Steinman says: “Toyah wanted to be in the show but there wasn’t a suitable character for her to play so we wrote one specially. Toyah was great; she introduced the show to a new audience. I remember in one of our first meetings we were discussing what type of costumes we would design for her and she said ‘Oh don’t worry darling, I’ve got the perfect thing in my wardrobe already’ – that was Toyah, she was made to be in a show like this!”
• Continue reading at All Media Scotland.
• Rebel Run: Toyah’s 13th single, was released this week 30 years ago. Toyah couldn’t appear in the studio on Top Of The Pops to perform the song as she was still in France filming The Ebony Tower – The edition of the show, which includes a play of the promo video, has recently been uploaded to You Tube…
• Rare Import Singles: Longtime Toyah fan Asher Meekins is auctioning off some of the rarest items from his Toyah collection, including French, German and Yugoslavian import singles – View at ebay…
• Made At The Mill: This weekend sees Toyah revisit her roots as she takes part in Made At The Mill: A Celebration of Pebble Mill & BBC Birmingham, taking place in Stourbridge in the West Midlands:
14:00 Look Hear Reunion: Chris Phipps, John Holmes and Toyah Willcox talk about the Midlands pop show and share a special reunion before episode screening. 16:00 Toyah introduces her screen debut in Second City Firsts television play Glitter (1978)
• Full details of the event is available at the Kaleidoscope website.
