• Vist Middlesbrough: Toyah Willcox performs live at Middlesbrough Theatre tonight!!! (Toyah – Brave New World video).
• Love Middlesbrough: Call 01642 81 51 81 or 729 729 to book for the fab Toyah Willcox tonight at @mbrotheatre. Toyah Willcox performs live at Middlesbrough Theatre tonight!!!
Celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of The Changeling, Toyah and her full band perform a selection of songs from the album alongside classic material as heard on the Warrior Rock live album.
The Changeling Resurrection II is a treat for Toyah diehards, 1980s fans and goth/rock music lovers. With brand new images created especially for the tour and material not performed in thirty years, this is a true celebration and reinterpretation of one of Toyah’s finest albums, alongside hit singles.
Toyah’s special tour opens right here at Middlesbrough Theatre. Be the first to see it!
Over the last, almost, 13 years Dreamscape has been sent thousands of photos of Toyah from the numerous live gigs, tours and PA’s of the late 90′s, through the Noughties and into this decade (the Teenies?). Welcome to Fotofriends, an occasional feature focusing on the fans (and photographers) who took some of those photos.
Photographer Paul Crutchley, of PAC Photography, has captured some great shots of Toyah over the last few years; at gigs, premieres and events. Paul has also kindly let Dreamscape feature some of his work in various news posts, at our Gallery and as part of the Toyah: Thru A Photographer’s Eye feature. (Thanks again to Paul & PAC Photography)
Photos from: 1/4/6/7/8: The Changeling Resurrection Tour at The Robin 2, Wolverhampton (April 2012), 2: The Humans at Birmingam’s HMV Institute, a special gig that was filmed for online broadcast (October 2011), 3/9: The Changeling Resurrection Tour at The Ruby Lounge, Manchester (April 2012), 5: Toyah attending The Power Of Three film premiere at the Everyman Theatre, London (November 2011), 10: Toyah receiving her Walk Of Fame star in King’s Heath (July 2012), 11: Walk Of Fame @ Hare & Hounds, King’s Heath (July 2012), 12: The Humans – Sugar Rush UK Tour, at The Public, West Bromwich (October 2011).
Toyah is getting set to run wild, run free again over the next seven weeks as ‘The Changeling Resurrection II’ begins tonight. The first gig of the 11-date UK Tour is at The Middlesbrough Theatre. Have a great night to all who are going (especially you, Gareth, with all that travelling :)). Check out our pre-tour news, the Spring ‘Changeling Resurrection’ news and visit the Gigs and ‘The Changeling Resurrection’ page at Toyah’s Official website.
A couple of news updates, direct from Toyah at Twitter.
• Toyah returned to the UK yesterday, from The Humans’ recording sessions in Seattle: “Just landed in UK. Raring to get going! Changeling Resurrection here I come :-)”
• Robert & Toyah will appear in the third episode of BBC4’s Love and Marriage series. This will air on Tuesday 2nd October (two weeks today) at 9pm. Toyah said: “It should be lovely“. The first episode premieres tonight.
… of Toyah’s finest space-agey, other-worldy, sci-fi related songs. I put this together as a playlist and, despite being recorded/released over a span of 29 years and eight studio albums, the songs really flow and work well as a collection. Please click below to view a larger version of the imaginary artwork (Thanks to Anji for her “Wow” at Facebook, it made me think maybe the design and title isn’t as bad as I initially thought ;))
Another quite rare, retro, Toyah article… this one from early 1981. I’m not sure which magazine but it was most likely to be one of the Sunday supplements, possibly ‘The Telegraph’ or similar: Toyah! Toyah! burning bright in the forests of the benighted acting and rock music industries. Illuminated by her twin talents for performing words and music, and fired by a scorching ambition, her dyed red hair dancing around her impish face like flames, Toyah Willcox is blazing parallel meteoric trails to exalted positions in both spheres (phew!). Click below to read. View all of our recent retro Toyah press articles & interviews here. (Thanks again to Andi)
Yet more articles and reviews for the recent Blu-ray (Region A/1) release of Quadrophenia.
• The Criterion Collection: A Whole New Quadrophenia: In this clip from a new interview on our release, Bob Pridden discusses the restoration, for which many tracks were painstakingly reconstructed from scratch, and the excitement of working in multichannel sound.
• Scene Stealers: Criterion ‘Quadrophenia’ Blu-ray Something To Scream About: What a difference a hi-definition reissue makes.
• WhatDVD.net: Quadrophenia: Criterion Collection: Quadrophenia has never looked better on this top notch Blu-Ray transfer. The print is pristine yet still retains the texture of film.
• HollywoodChicago.com: Blu-ray Review: Perfect Criterion Package for Essential ‘Quadrophenia’: “Quanrophenia” is a film that needs to be re-discovered, discovered and savored by all generations, and The Criterion Collection provides the Blu-ray and DVD package that is an honor and tribute to both The Who and the cinematic interpretation of their time-honored rock opera.
• DVD Snapshot: Quadrophenia: The Criterion Collection: Quadrophenia has been on DVD for years, but now it gets The Criterion Collection treatment, fully restored and jam packed with bonus features. The film looks incredibly good restored. For a film this old, the restoration is almost flawless.
• View all of our previous Quadrophenia on Blu-ray 2012 news here.
• Record Press: Five Murder Mystery Films & Songs to Celebrate Agatha Christie Week: And to celebrate this year’s “Agatha Christie Week”, here is a Top 5 Murder Mystery Songs: 1) Tavares – Whodunit?, 2) Sophie Ellis Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor, 3) Toyah Willcox – It’s a Mystery, 4) Technotronic – Move that Body, 5) Beatles – Paperback Writer.
• It looks like a Facebook page dedicated to the, now defunct, North American Toyah Fanclub may be up and running soon. More details to follow if it happens.
• 10th Planet: There’s a signed photo of Toyah for sale at the 10th Planet website. I’m not sure why as I can’t recall Toyah ever appearing at a 10th Planet convention or event, but it’s there all the same!
• The New Zealand Doctor Who Fanclub: ‘More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS: A Clip-Spotter’s Guide’ article. It identifies, and lists, all the footage and guests (including Toyah) who appear in the BBC 1993 documentary.
• Middlesbrough Theatre is ready for Toyah and ‘The Changeling Resurrection II’.
If anything should definitely be considered “Classic Toyah” then surely it’s these two 1981 concerts? At The Rainbow, from February 1981, and Good Morning Universe – Live at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, from December 1981. Both were broadcast by the BBC and subsequently released on “BBC Home Video”. Here are a couple of Dreamscape tributes to two amazing gigs… Such a shame that The Changeling Tour the following year wasn’t similarly preserved! Please click on each to view larger versions. View another Rainbow mini feature here.
Screen caps from The Humans: Live, Up Close & Personal, recorded at the HMV Institute, Birmingham last October, and recently uploaded to You Tube. The footage is comprised of the gig, an interview with The Humans plus comments and opinions from fans who attended the special concert. Click on the caps to view larger versions. (Thanks to Sanctuary Music)
• Setlist: Sugar Rush, Titanium Girl, Labyrinth, Love In A Different Way, This Reasoning, Fragment Pool, Sea of Size, Quicksilver, Telekenisis, These Boots, Twisted Soul, Pebble, Put A Woman On The Moon, Small Town Psychopath/Playing In The Dark, Demigod.
• Immerse yourself in more of The Humans at thehumansofficial.com, the brilliant Sugar Rush fansite and Toyah @ Twitter (a fortnight of updates from the recording sessions in Seattle).
THE HUMANS: TOYAH WILLCOX vocals, BILL RIEFLIN guitar/bass, CHRIS WONG guitar/bass, IGOR ABULADZE percussion: were LIVE, UP CLOSE & PERSONAL: Recorded at HMV Institute, Birmingham, Monday 10 October 2011. Sound: PAUL NICHOLSON
The albums SUGAR RUSH and WE ARE THE HUMANS available from iTunes & thehumansofficial.com.
• Check out Toyah’s Official Twitter for regular updates and photos from The Humans third album recording sessions, direct from Toyah in Seattle.
The Marlowe Theatre certainly know how to promote their panto. This was spotted in Canterbury today. View more info on Sleeping Beauty here. (Thanks to Brian Marsh)
A couple of Toyah/’Echo Beach’ related press clippings, from yesterday’s ‘Evening Standard’ and today’s ‘Daily Mail’ newspapers. Even though it was included in the article I’ve blocked out Toyah’s address. (Thanks to Lärwi for both of these)
The Love and Marriage series that Toyah and Robert Fripp participate in begins airing on ‘BBC Four’ next Tuesday.
This three part series follows the ups and downs of marriage in Britain from the 1900s to the present day using the deeply moving personal stories of couples, and their children, from all walks of life. This first film looks at the period between the 1900s and the late 1950s, an era when the ideal of romantic love in marriage had to withstand the harsh realities of a world very different to today.
Love and Marriage: A 20th Century Romance: BBC Four: Tue 18th September: 9.00pm
Three part series. This first episode considers the strengths and weaknesses of the Victorian marriage ideal. Despite mass unemployment and the tragedy of two world wars, most marriages not only survived, some became even stronger. Denise Robertson, Hetty Bower, Diana Athill and others tell their stories.
Toyah tells The National Trust about her favourite walk at Croome Park in Worcestershire. Why not tell ‘The National Trust’ about your favourite walk? Watch Toyah’s walk by clicking below, and view all of our Toyah related ‘Great British Walk’ news here.
There’s also a brief Toyah article on Toyah’s Great British Walk at the National Trust website: It’s the setting of Croome Park that appeals to Toyah Willcox, the multi-talented singer, performer and writer. ‘We tend to forget the fabulous countryside we have all around us, and it’s there for us to discover’, she said. There’s also a PDF file available with details of Toyah’s walk.
The full transcript of last month’s great Toyah interview from The Dave Llewellyn Show on ‘BBC Radio Tees’ is now online at The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive.
Possibly Toyah’s most iconic song? ‘Ieya’ was, of course, originally released as a single on Safari Records in 1980 and included on the album ‘The Blue Meaning’. It was also re-recorded and released again, as ‘Ieya ’82’, in the Summer of 1982, with Toyah performing it on various TV shows, including Hold Tight and the 6.55 Special. The single even charted. Here’s to the 30th (and 32nd!) anniversary of an absolute classic… Ieeeeeeeeeeyyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
• Vinyl Dreams: Toyah – Thunder In The Mountains/Street Addict: The one with the Mad Max Vid (thanks to Godley and Creme), a gem from 1981. Lots of operatics and bombast with main track, Lady Ga Ga borrowed a lot from her! “Street Addict” is a slower, much darker track and a rare, fan favourite. (Thanks to Andrew)
• From Sheep Farming To Anthem 2011: We Are at the 02 Islington, London in June 2011. View at You Tube. (Thanks to Mark Evans)
• Jelly, featuring Stevie Bray, are playing more live dates. Further details on where and when is available at their Facebook page.
Over the last, almost, 13 years Dreamscape has been sent thousands of photos of Toyah from the numerous live gigs, tours and PA’s of the late 90′s, through the Noughties and into this decade (the Teenies?). Welcome to Fotofriends, an occasional feature focusing on the fans who took some of those photos.
Longtime Toyah fan Ray Sears has taken some stunning photos of Toyah over the years (give up the day job, Ray, and become a photographer!). Not only that but he has generously let Dreamscape feature many of them in our Gallery.
Photos from: 1/6/11: From Sheep Farming To Anthem Tour, Assembly, Leamington Spa (November 2011), 2/8: Blackpool Pride (June 2012), 3/12: Walk of Fame @ Hare & Hounds, King’s Heath (July 2012), 4: New Foresters, Nottingham (September 2010), 5/7: The Changeling Resurrection Tour, Robin 2, Wolverhampton (April 2012), 9: New Foresters, Nottingham (September 2011), 10. The Humans – Sugar Rush UK Tour, The Flowerpot, Derby (October 2011). That’s Ray with Toyah, bottom right.
