A reminder that Toyah guests on the BBC quiz show Pointless Celebrities this evening, alongside Level 42’s Mark King. This is a repeat of the programme which first aired last August. It will also be available to watch at BBC iPlayer after airing. This was Toyah’s second guest appearance on Pointless.
Pointless Celebrities: BBC1: Sat 31st Jan: 5.20pm
Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman present a special celebrity music edition of the quiz that rewards the answers that no-one else could think of. Featuring Mark King and Toyah Willcox, Carol Decker and Limahl, Dave Hill and Dave Bartram and Antony Costa and Scott Robinson.
So, so much not to be missed on Vintage TV! There’s nothing for it therefore but to clear the diary, book a place on the sofa and settle down for a music marathon. And, thoughtful folk we are, we’ve hand-picked some hot highlights for you among our stunning Sunday teatime shows.
Toyah’s Electric Ladies (8th March, 6pm) – those switched-on female artists who’ve electrified, inspired and very much strutted their own stuff through the decades, as presented by our own princess of punk. How illuminating.
• Continue reading at Vintage TV.
Toyah Willcox is one of the best-known and most versatile entertainers Birmingham has produced. Actor, TV presenter, businesswoman but most of all a singer, she is about to begin a tour which will feature her best-known work played acoustically. She told us about her upcoming Robin show.
“It’s acoustic, which is a lot of fun. I’ve been doing this show for a year now. It’s Colin Hinds from China Crisis and Chris Wong from my band, two acoustic guitars and myself. We do all the hits but I also do favourite tracks from my albums and I use film and visuals to tell behind the scenes stories, how certain images were created and how videos were made. It’s really irreverent, the whole point of the evening is fun, laughter and dance. The evening is very uplifting and what I find surprising is that the songs are more danceable in this format. It just works, the songs really shine and it’s been incredibly successful.”
You certainly seem very enthusiastic about it. Will this be something you do more of?
“It’s a regular thing because it’s very much in demand. A lot of people don’t want to go to rock clubs to hear an electric band so this show can go to other venues such as arts centres where the clientele are happy to sit and listen to someone talking about their life. But we’ve found that the show still maintains the energy and if anything it’s more intense because it goes from story to song and back again and it sounds very melodic, with a lot of light and shade. It takes me by surprise because when we started I honestly thought we’d do two shows and never do it again but I’m getting a standing ovation every ten minutes. People really get it.”
• Continue reading at The Birmingham Press.
Sci-fi film by Nuneaton movie maker could hit screens in 2015
Film-maker Simon Cox has high hopes of seeing an ambitious project hit the screens later this year. His full-length sci-fi movie Kaleidoscope Man is now nearing completion – after two years of fund-raising, putting together an impressive cast and shooting scenes on locations throughout the Midlands.
Mr Cox, whose Alpha Star Productions company is based in Nuneaton, said: “We have around 45 per cent of the movie in the can and it looks really amazing. “We’re planning a big shoot in early March when we will film another battle scene in Birmingham – which will include using genuine military tanks in the city centre.”
Kaleidoscope Man is an all-action adventure story which stars Lucy Drive, Simon Haycock and 80s pop legend Toyah Willcox.
• Continue reading at the Coventry Telegraph.
There’s a new tour t-shirt for 2015! Featuring the very first Toyah logo on the front, and all dates will be listed on the reverse. Coming soon! Click below to browse all of Toyah’s live dates for 2015.
Toyah tones down her punk pedigree for acoustic Black Country gig
Toyah is toning down her punk pedigree for an acoustic adventure which promises a mix of stories and songs. The singer found fame during the 70s And 80s as an actress and musician who clocked up platinum sales with her album Anthem and The Changeling.
Toyah, who grew up in Birmingham, was awarded a prestigious Honorary Doctorate by the University of Central England to recognise her achievements in performing arts, media and broadcasting. During her career Toyah has consistently returned to making music and she is set for a UK tour of acoustic shows joined by Chris Wong and Colin Hinds for songs interspersed with stories and images from her career.
The tour will roll into the Robin 2, Bilston on Thursday February 5, support at the show will come from Jonny Cole and Steve Mercy.
• Continue reading at the Stourbridge News. View further info and ticket links for this gig.
The Eighties singer Toyah Willcox has spoken up about how things were in the record industry in her day. “We were on £30 a week,” she says. “I was weighed once a week and if I went over, even by an ounce, seven stone three pounds, I wasn’t allowed to eat.”
That’s rotten. When I was seven, watching the video for Thunder In The Mountains, I don’t think I’d seen such an empowered-looking woman. The hair! The sneer! The chariotty thing she was sort-of-piloting! And all along she was an exploited minion of The Man.
Will my daughter, one day, discover that Peppa Pig isn’t as punk rock as she thinks? This rabbit hole goes all the way down.
• Continue reading at the London Evening Standard.
A slightly revised version of Toyah’s recent interview has also been published online by The Sunday Post (see the print version a few posts below).
Rewind Scotland Festival star Toyah Willcox says it’s a mystery where all her money went
Toyah will be performing at this year’s Rewind Scotland line-up alongside various top 80s acts such as Hue & Cry, Bananarama, and Belinda Carlisle.
Pop star Toyah has revealed she was banned from eating to preserve her image in her ’80s heyday.
And the singer, who stars at this year’s Rewind Scotland Festival at Scone, says she was paid a weekly allowance of just a fraction of the money her records made. “There were no excesses back then,” Toyah said.
• Continue reading at The Sunday Post.
WillyFred, Acoustic Up Close & Personal, Toyah in Seattle, John Shuttleworth, The Humans, Robbie Williams’ dad!! It’s been an interesting January at Toyah’s Official Twitter!
• Keep up to date with Toyah at Twitter – Regular tweets and photos direct from the Crimson Queen herself here…
Toyah’s interview from last week’s Nicola Gilroy Show on BBC Radio Lincolnshire is available to listen to at BBC iPlayer.
There are short bursts of I Want To Be Free, It’s A Mystery and Thunder In The Mountains, before Toyah talks about her music career, her early acting career, the difference between the early 80s and now, her childhood, and punk. There’s then a full play of Free and more chat from Toyah, on Quadrophenia, working with Katharine Hepburn and more.
• The interview begins at approximately 2hr 6minutes into the show and runs for around 22 minutes. Listen here.
A new interview with Toyah, published in today’s Sunday Post.
Toyah says It’s A Mystery where all her money went
Pop star Toyah has revealed she was banned from eating to preserve her image in her 80s heyday.
And the singer, who stars at this year’s Rewind Scotland Festival at Scone says she was paid a weekly allowance of just a fraction of the money her records made.
“There were no excesses back then,” Toyah said. “We were on £30 a week. I was weighed once a week and if I went over, even by an ounce, seven stone three pounds, I wasn’t allowed to eat. You read about rock stars with their private jets but we just weren’t allowed that. Everything was done on a budget. Whoever was living that lifestyle wasn’t near us.”
• Continue reading here. (Thanks to Sharon Dickson for the scan)
The “Sunday Post” interview (see news post above) has also been published by the Daily Mail today. It’s more than likely being syndicated to various newspapers. The DM article includes this amazing photo of Toyah from 1990…
Photos from last Saturday’s Acoustic, Up Close & Personal concert at Beccles Public Hall. Click below to view larger versions of these great shots. (Thanks to Angus | Photos © Angus Turner)
Pointless Celebrities: BBC1: Saturday 31st January: 5.20pm
Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman present a special celebrity music edition of the quiz that rewards the answers that no-one else could think of. Featuring Mark King and Toyah Willcox, Carol Decker and Limahl, Dave Hill and Dave Bartram and Antony Costa and Scott Robinson.
Toyah is guesting on Nicola Gilroy’s show on BBC Radio Lincolnshire tomorrow afternoon, ahead of her live date at Yardbirds Rock, Grimsby in March.
The Nicola Gilroy Show: BBC Radio Lincolnshire
Monday 19th January: 2pm
Entertainment, arts and what’s on in the afternoon with Nicola Gilroy.
• Listen live at the BBC Radio Lincolnshire website, or post-broadcast at BBC iPlayer.
John Shuttleworth, the comedy creation of Sheffield’s Graham Fellows, is celebrating 30 years in the business this year.
This year marks John Shuttleworth’s 30th year in the comedy/music business.
… He will also be playing the slightly larger London Palladium on June 28, when he headlines a charity night in aid of MS. “Chas and Dave, Toyah and Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 are all playing,” says Fellows. “So John Shuttleworth is finally playing Sunday Night at the Palladium. “In June 1985 I did my first demo tape as John, so it’ll be a nice way to mark the 30 years.”
• Continue reading at The Irish News.
Who’s Doing The Dishes: UTV Ireland: Saturday 25th January: 12.30pm
On today’s programme, will it remain a mystery that Toyah Willcox is their celebrity host when she throws a dinner party for four strangers? Join Brian McFadden to find out!
Toyah’s successful Acoustic, Up Close & Personal UK Tour, which played numerous dates and received great feedback and reviews in 2014, continues through 2015. The first date of the year, which is also Toyah’s first gig of 2015, takes place at Beccles Public Hall this Saturday. Click below to view the full tour schedule.
View photos from a selection of last year’s Acoustic dates, as well as other Toyah gigs, at Dreamscape’s Gallery. Browse all of our Acoustic, Up Close & Personal tour news. View Toyah’s complete 2015 gig diary.
New season at Selby Town Hall to include punk poets, post-punk musicians and stand-up comedians
Selby Town Hall has lined up 20 acts for February to June covering the usual mix of folk, blues, Americana, comedy, theatre and poetry.
Eighties’ star of stage, screen and pop chart Toyah Willcox presents Toyah: Up Close And Personal, a sold-out, career-spanning acoustic show on May 9.
“Our spring season brings stars from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 21st century, with shows that cover blues to Britpop, poetry to plays and everything in between” says Chris Jones, Selby Town Council’s arts officer.
“I’m really thrilled to have secured so many acts who are more often seen in spaces far bigger than Selby Town Hall. It’s the intimacy of the performances here that really makes them so special. The chance to enjoy acts like Cara Dillon, John Cooper Clarke, Toyah Willcox and Alexei Sayle in a venue where you can see the whites of their eyes is pretty exciting!”
• Continue reading at The York Press.
FM: 4Music: Monday 19th January: 10.30pm
FM: 4Music: Thursday 22nd January: 11.30pm
System Addict. Jane dares Dom to quit drinking, he challenges her to stop smoking and Lyndsay is set the task of finding a girlfriend. Including guest appearances by the Toyah Willcox and the Wombats, who perform My Circuitboard City. Comedy, starring Chris O’Dowd, Kevin Bishop and Nina Sosanya.
Later in the year Toyah will play the Flashback Festival 2015 at Clumber Park, Worksop. This will be a “70s Vs 80s” two day line-up.
Previously known as ‘Flashback to the 80s’, Flashback 2015 takes place at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire.
Dubbed “’70s Vs ’80s” with Sister Sledge, Boney M, The Real Thing, Hot Chocolate, Odyssey and more representing the ’70s and The Human League, Marc Almond, Jason Donovan, Fivestar, Toyah and The Doctor (from Dr and the Medics) representing the ’80s.
Flashback Festival 2015 takes place on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd August. A special guest for the 70s concert is still to be revealed, with further announcements to be made over the coming months.
What better way is there to spend a long summer evening than listening to your favourite performers in the picturesque location of Clumber Park? This year you can really make a weekend of it with our fabulous new twist 70’s v 80’s On Friday we will introduce a fantastic 70’s disco line up and on Saturday the 80’s are back with another wonderful selection of 80’s artists. Day tickets are available for your chosen era but if you really want to go for it various camping options are available for both Friday and Saturday!
Visit the Flashback Festival 2015 website. Stay updated via their Twitter page.
