Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

The Quadrophenia celebrations continue! Toyah will take part in the Skamouth Weekender Event on Saturday 23rd November doing a Q&A and a few songs (playback). On stage at 10am. Tickets are available by clicking below. See the official tweet about this here.

I was barely familiar with Toyah from seeing a review of “Anthem” in the pages of “Dogfood,” our local New Wave newspaper that was published by Record Mart chain in Orlando in the late 70s/early 80s. The positive review piqued by interest as it was written by Robin Shurtz; a guy I knew from teaching English at my junior high school. Robin had interesting music tastes.

Then, in 1981, I bought an issue of Flexipop that had an ad for Toyah’s “Thunder In The Mountains” single. The extreme styling and pose of the photo was sort of like a femme take on “Aladdin Sane” but the eerie calmness of the singer’s pose looked interesting.

• Continue reading at Post Punk Monk.

Toyah played two further dates of the Crimson Queen Tour this weekend, in Manchester on Friday and Nottingham last night. There’s just one more Crimson Queen gig this year, in Brighton on Saturday 2nd November, with two final dates in January.

Here’s a selection of shots from last weekend’s Southampton and Bristol gigs. The set list includes songs from Sheep Farming in Barnet, in celebration of it’s 40th Anniversary this year. Click below to view more photos at Dreamscape’s Toyah Gallery. (Photos © Ian Davis)

A great photo of Toyah – an outtake from Take The Leap 1993 – posted at Instagram this week. (Photo © Official Toyah)

Apparently this didn’t air a couple of Saturday’s ago. It was pulled last minute from the schedules for some reason. There’s a repeat showing next weekend.

Celebrity Mastermind: BBC1: Sat 2nd Nov: 5.20pm
Series 13, Episode 2. John Humphrys ushers comedian Joe Pasquale, Newsround presenter Ricky Boleto, singer Toyah Willcox and Olympic sprinter Jeanette Kwakye to the black chair to be put to the test on their chosen specialist subjects, which are werewolf films, number one singles of the 1990s, Boudica, and Disney animation respectively. The second round sees them tackling general knowledge questions in a bid to carry off the commemorative trophy.

Toyah performing, the awesome, We Are – from Anthem – on the Crimson Queen Tour at The Fleece in Bristol on Saturday night. Thanks to John.

Quadrophenia is showing at the Sherbourne Cinema, Gloucester with four chances to catch the all time classic on the big screen. Airings begin this Saturday (26th October).

Birmingham music icon Toyah has a hand in Symphony Hall redevelopment

“I want the caption to be: I demolished it,” said Birmingham punk star Toyah Willcox, as she was photographed alongside local musician Rosie Tee outside the redevelopment of Symphony Hall’s foyer this week.

The Birmingham musicians were at the world-renowned music venue in the city centre to witness progress on the Making an Entrance redevelopment, which will create a performance space for talented local artists as part of a daily programme with free and affordable performances.

After the viewing of the Symphony Hall foyer redevelopment, Toyah met Town Hall Symphony Hall members and patrons to answer questions about her career, her current activities – including a performance as part of Electric Ladies of the 80s with Hazel O’Connor at Town Hall on April 25 – and her ambitions for the future.

Kings Heath musician Toyah has amassed 13 top 40 singles, recorded 25 albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays, acted in more than 20 feature films and presented hundreds of television programmes.

• Continue reading at the Shropshire Star. (Photo © Shropshire Star)

Toyah Willcox, the high priestess of punk, is looking forward to returning to the “hot steamy” gigs of her youth.

She is playing a gig at Brighton’s Chalk Live – formerly The Haunt – on November 2 and thinks it will be a blast. “I’m very fond of Brighton,” she said. “When I came here in the Sixties it was a quiet sleepy seaside town, slightly invaded by hippy culture.

“What I like about the venue we’re playing is it goes right back to the punk days, it’s a hot, steamy, stand-up venue, it goes back to the punk ethos.”

Toyah, actress, author and rebel, was a key part of the Seventies/Eighties’ punk scene and starred in cult films Quadrophenia and seminal punk epic Jubilee. Now 61, she was born in Birmingham to a family she describes as remarkable and recalls the potential privilege of her childhood – her grandfather built many of the city’s landmarks.

Despite that, she calls herself the “child from hell” and says she had a violent relationship with her mother.

• Continue reading at The Argus.

Toyah’s Crimson Queen Tour officially premieres this weekend, with two dates. The first is at The Brook, Southampton tomorrow night and the second at The Fleece, Bristol on Sunday. The tour continues next weekend, with dates at Night People, Manchester on Friday 25th and Rescue Rooms, Nottingham on Saturday 26th October.

Toyah plays 80s “Would You Rather” with Tammy Gooding, which ones would you choose? Click below to listen to the short clip at Facebook.

It was like Toyah Christmas came early on prime time BBC1 last night, with a double helping of appearances. Early evening there was the repeat airing of Toyah winning her episode of Celebrity Mastermind, while later she was in the audience at Strictly Come Dancing.

Look out for Toyah again this evening in, the pre-recorded, Strictly Come Dancing – The Results on BBC1 at 7.15pm. Watch last night’s show at BBC iPlayer.

Dreamscape’s Toyah news for May to September 2019 has now been archived. Numerous interviews, press clips, official news, Toyah’s tweets, live gig info, radio appearances, releases, television listings and much more. Including lots of coverage of the Quadrophenia 40th Anniversary celebrations. Click below to visit our News Archive, where you can also explore almost 20 years of Toyah news… news… news – dating all the way back to March 2000!

Toyah’s Sack The Stylist?! Top 30: NOW 80s: Monday 14th October: 1pm
Pop legend Toyah brings 30 memorable videos featuring a cavalcade of clothing calamities from superstars including Bowie, Madonna, Adam Ant and many more in this crazy countdown!

Tonight Toyah plays, a penultimate of 2019, Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date at Helmsley Arts Centre – The gig is Sold Out. The final Acoustic… date of the year is in Birmingham on 23rd November. Info and ticket link available on that here, and the first Acoustic… date of 2020 is in Havant, Hampshire on 17th January. Details here.

Toyah has two tours and a selection of other gigs and dates to play before 2020 arrives! There’s the Crimson Queen Tour, Let’s Rock Winter arena tour, two Acoustic Up Close & Personal dates, an 80s Christmas Party and more… Click below to check out details on all of these, plus numerous confirmed gigs for next year, including the Electric Ladies UK Tour with Toyah and Hazel O’Connor.

Let’s Rock Scotland has announced the headliners and performers for next year’s festival at Dalkeith Country Park on June 13.

Headliner Adam Ant will be joined by OMD, ABC, Howard Jones, Tony Hadley, Sister Sledge, Go West, Nik Kershaw, Midge Ure’s Electronica, China Crisis, English Beat and Toyah.

Also performing at the festival are The Retrobates Party Live featuring Sydney Youngblood, The Gibson Brothers, Rozalla, Mari Wilson, Tenpole Tudor, Wang Chung and Black Lace’s Conga Party.

• Continue reading at the Midlothian Advertiser.

*SPOILERS* Okay, this is officially being kept under wraps currently and I don’t want to be a spoilsport, but as there have been set reports in at least half a dozen UK tabloids over the past few days I thought it made sense to include something…

Leslie Ash, 59, goes back in time on set of Quadrophenia sequel as she sports vintage houndstooth dress alongside co-star Toyah Willcox, 61

The stars of Quadrophenia celebrated the 40th anniversary of the cult classic last month at Coventry’s Comic Con. And now Leslie Ash, 59, was spotted on set of To Be Someone, a follow-up based on the original, in Stevenage earlier this week alongside her co-star Toyah Willcox, 61, who were both clad in threads inspired-by yesteryear. Men Behaving Badly star Leslie, who played Steph in the 1979 drama, slipped into a monochrome houndstooth mini dress and wrapped up in a padded black jacket in between takes.

Following Leslie’s lead, Toyah, who played Monkey in the original, looked chic in a maroon floral midi dress, which she teamed with a pink pointed pump. The eighties singer, who is set to play Bunny in the new installment, continued her retro-inspired appearance with a pair of cat-eye black shades and worked her shoulder-length hair into a sleek style.

Also filming on set was Mark Wingett, who played Dave in the original, while surprisingly Dr Alex George was seen on set, clad in his sixties-inspired wardrobe.

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail.

Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW 80s: Wednesday 9th October: 9pm
T’Pau’s Carol Decker brings a bit of Heart and Soul to a countdown of ’80s ladies who like to rock! With Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. (as well as Toyah via the Thunder In The Mountains video)

Toyah’s Crimson Queen Tour officially premieres in Southampton later this month. Alongside material from the 2019 re-imagining of Crimson Queen, classic singles and album cuts, Toyah has today revealed there will be inclusions in the set to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sheep Farming In Barnet.

Here is the flyer for the tour with all the confirmed dates. Click below for links to buy tickets.

Look out for exclusive new mugs and signed prints for sale on the Crimson Queen Tour dates – Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Sheep Farming In Barnet and Toyah’s 2019 double album In The Court Of The Crimson Queen. The 2019 Dance In The Hurricane T-shirt, CQ purple vinyl and signed vintage vinyl will also be for sale.