Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Read Toyah’s moving tribute to Bill Rieflin.

Terrible news! Bill Rieflin of Nine Inch Nails, Swans, REM, Ministry, King Crimson, The Humans has died at the age of 59.

Toyah reads Brum and the Fire Engine from 1991. Transferred to digital from cassette.

Here are the rescheduled Electric Ladies Of The 80s tour dates – now taking place in September – due to all theatres and venues in the UK closing until further notice.

03 September: Edinburgh Queen’s Hall
04 September: Yarm The PAA
08 September: Southend Palace
09 September: Basingstoke The Anvil
10 September: Manchester RNCM
13 September: Swindon Wyvern Theatre
14 September: Milton Keynes Stables
15 September: Wimborne Tivoli Theatre
17 September: Holmfirth Picturedrome
22 September: Birmingham Town Hall
23 September: Guildford G Live
27 September: London Islington Assembly Hall
28 September: Buxton Opera House
29 September: Hull City Hall
30 September: Gateshead Sage

All tickets purchased for the original dates remain valid. Ticket holders have been asked NOT to contact venues or SEE Tickets. They will make contact with ticketholders in due course to explain the way forward.

Refunds are available if needed, but all theatres and venues around the country are asking the same – for the sake of supporting venues/theatres and their long term survival and financial security, they ask that ticketholders hold on to their tickets and not request a refund if possible, but understand if that’s not financially feasible.

• See Toyah’s video message on the Electric Ladies Of The 80s tour at Instagram.

The new compilation: Rare, Remixed and Revisited, released as part of the Toyah Solo box set, is now available as a digital download and to stream via Spotify.

The album includes previously unreleased songs, a number of demos, remixes and re-recordings (Revisited) and features 16 tracks:

1. Tears For Ellie (Demo), 2. God Ceases To Dream (Remix), 3. Poland (One Day On Earth) (Demo), 4. Now I’m Running (Remix), 5. It’s a Mystery (Whispered Elixir Mix), 6. Lust For Love (Demo), 7. Angel (Demo), 8. Rebel Run (Revisited), 9. Good Morning Universe (Revisited), 10. Be Proud, Be Loud (Be Heard) (Revisited), 11. Desire (Revisited), 12. Obsolete (Revisited), 13. Danced (Revisited), 14. We Are (Revisited), 15. Angel & Me (Revisited), 16. Believe In You (Demo)

As previously posted, Desire, Take The Leap! and Velvet Lined Shell are also now available in standalone digital Deluxe Editions – all featuring bonus songs. These albums are also available to stream via Spotify (click the links above for official links to streaming and more).

Following the release of five of Toyah’s solo albums on amazing colour/clear vinyl on Friday, is the news that the classic 1987 album Desire is to be released/reissued on 180 gram white vinyl next month (24th April 2020).

The album is released by Demon Records.

Featuring the original artwork, along with an inner sleeve (as with the Record Store Day Red Vinyl release of Desire in 2018) which will include the album’s lyrics and Toyah photographs. Click below for more info or to pre-order.

“Desire” was Toyah’s first album for the EG label, and features her hit single cover version of “Echo Beach” as well as a cover of Donna Summer’s “Love’s Unkind”.

Produced by Mike Hedges, the album features Robert Fripp (who co-wrote the title track) and Ronnie Wood. The LP is pressed on 180 gram white vinyl and the inner sleeve features the lyrics.

There’s just a month until the Electric Ladies Of The 80s tour, with Toyah and Hazel O’Connor joint-headlining 15 gigs, begins at The Anvil, Basingstoke.

At the time of writing, four of the dates – Swindon Wyvern Theatre, Milton Keynes The Stables, Wimborne Tivoli Theatre, and Southend Palace Theatre have Sold Out. With three others – Birmingham Town Hall, Gateshead Sage, Edinburgh The Queen’s Hall – only having a last few tickets remaining.

Post Punk and New Wave artists Toyah and Hazel O’Connor join forces to bring you their exciting new tour, Electric Ladies of the 80s.

Toyah is one of the most recognisable faces in UK pop culture, clocking up an impressive 10 hit singles and 8 hit albums including the gold selling Anthem and her 2019 chart success, In The Court of the Crimson Queen. Also an acclaimed actress, Toyah his performed on film and stages the world over including a role in the legendary Who film, Quadrophenia.

Hazel O’Connor set the benchmark high with her starring role in the legendary British film Breaking Glass for which she won the Variety Club Award and it’s accompanying soundtrack which saw her nominated for a BAFTA. Ever the prolific artist, Hazel continues to make new music and tour the world with her strong ethical message and recently released her acclaimed new album Hallelujah Moments.

Performing alongside their full electric band, each artist will perform their own set alongside some duets and surprises. This hit packed retro fest will include such classics as Thunder In The Mountains, Eight Day, It’s A Mystery, Will You, I Want To Be Free, D-Days and many more.

Toyah Solo also entered The Official Charts Independent Albums Top 50 at number 10.

Toyah Solo entered The Official Charts Album Sales Top 100 at number 34.

Missed this at the time! Earlier this month Toyah Solo charted on The Official UK Album Chart midweek Top 100 at number 51.

This follows In The Court Of The Crimson Queen charting on the Official Album Top 100 countdown last April. See screenshots of those charts here.

Toyah is playing numerous festivals through the Summer of 2020, including Middlewich Fab (Folk & Boat) Festival on Saturday 20th June, along with China Crisis and Electro 80s.

The Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival takes place in June in Middlewich, Cheshire, England. The festival builds on the town’s industrial heritage in which canal boats were used to move coal and other raw materials in the town for the production of salt, and then move the salt out of town, either for use directly, or as a raw material in the manufacture of chemicals such as chlorine and soda ash.

The Middlewich Folk and Boat festival is now firmly established on the folk circuit and it is estimated that 30,000 people visit the town during the festival weekend, along with 400 boats.

• Click below for further info/tickets at the festival website.

Toyah and Hazel O’Connor are interviewed in the latest issue of The Beat magazine, ahead of their upcoming joint Electric Ladies Of The 80s UK Tour.

Moving On From The Era: Toyah and Hazel – electric ladies of the 80s

On the eve of their first UK tour together for many years, we caught up with two true survivors of the punk era – Toyah Willcox and Hazel O’Connor.

• The Beat is available in selected newsagents or by suscription at their website. (Thanks to Min)

Velvet Lined Shell is released tomorrow for the first time on vinyl, and as if that isn’t enough of a treat already, the album isn’t on regular black vinyl, it’s on 10″ purple vinyl!

Click here and here to read how Dreamscape covered the original release – back in April and May 2003 – of the first new studio album from Toyah in almost a decade. Those were exciting times.

At the time of the album’s release Toyah was participating in the second series of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in Australia and there was no social media so info and promotion of Velvet Lined Shell was very much word of mouth and via fan sites like this one, along with details from toyahwillcox.com. Back to basics, punky and a whole lot of fun!

Great memories and still a great album – Little Tears Of Love sounds as incredible today as it did when first released in 2002.

Toyah was interviewed on Bernie Keith’s BBC Radio Northampton show yesterday. Talking the Toyah Solo box set, the new colour vinyl albums, Hazel O’Connor, her music collection, the Electric Ladies tour and much more.

• Toyah’s interview begins around 2hr 37m into the show and is available for the next four weeks at BBC Sounds. Read a full transcript of this interview here. (Thanks Min)

Just a couple of days until Minx, Prostitute, Ophelia’s Shadow, Take The Leap! and Velvet Lined Shell are released on colour/clear vinyl, and HMV have a great “Toyah LP Bundle” deal available at their website. Add all five of the albums to your basket and pay £79.99. A saving of over £20 compared to other online stores! Click below for HMV.

Last but certainly not least, the Velvet Lined Shell 10″ purple vinyl. Making its debut on the format, see Toyah reveal the album, originally released back in 2003, at Instagram. Click on the photos to pre-order Velvet Lined Shell purple vinyl. (Photos © Toyah Willcox)

This Friday sees the release of five Toyah solo studio albums on amazing colour/clear vinyl, including two – Take The Leap! (1994), in clear vinyl; Velvet Lined Shell (2003), in purple vinyl – which have never been available on any sort of vinyl previously.

The former is a double album and the latter Toyah’s first ever 10″ release.

Also coming on Friday are Minx (1985), in translucent red vinyl; Prostitute (1988), in translucent yellow vinyl, and Ophelia’s Shadow (1991), in translucent aqua vinyl.

In the lead up to their release, Toyah has been showcasing the gorgeous new vinyls via photos and video clips at Instagram, with just Velvet Lined Shell still to be previewed this week…

• Click on each or any of the photos below for further info or to pre-order the new colour/clear Toyah albums. (Photos © Toyah Willcox)

Iconic singing superstars Toyah Willcox and Hazel O’Connor bring tour to Islington

Iconic singing superstars Toyah Willcox and Hazel O’Connor will ramp up the retro when their pulsating new nationwide tour Electric Ladies of the 80s hits the capital next month.

The musical legends, who were at the forefront of post-punk and new wave, will evoke the era of neon brights and vintage beats as they each perform their own hit-packed set – and team up for some duets and surprises.

Between them, Toyah and Hazel have a combined back catalogue of 60 albums, plus several TV and film roles. Promising an uplifting show full of synth-spiked classics and more modern numbers, the 14-date tour will arrive in London on April 23rd.

The pair will be joined on stage at Islington Assembly Hall by a full electric band, with the set featuring much-loved tracks like Thunder In The Mountains, Eighth Day, It’s A Mystery, Will You, I Want To Be Free and D-Days.

Speaking of the tour, Toyah says: “I’m wildly excited for this. We’ll be doing some of our own repertoires, original arrangements, and new material. Expect it to be a very upbeat show, very musical and nostalgic, and above all, great to watch.”

Despite first meeting in 1980 at an audition, Toyah and Hazel’s careers have never collided – until now. Delighted to be hitting the road together at last, Hazel says: “It’s taken us 40 years, but we finally have this opportunity. I always love watching Toyah perform; her music is part of the roadmap of my life. The show is sounding incredible in rehearsals, and we can’t wait to get going.”

• Continue reading at the London Post. Book tickets for the tour here. NB: A number of the dates have already Sold Out, with more just about to!

Toyah guested on Tammy Gooding’s show on BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester on Tuesday afternoon.

Chatting about Hazel O’Connor, touring, Electric Ladies, future releases for 2020, making movies (including, soon to released, To Be Someone which has many of the Quadrophenia cast in but is “not Quadrophenia Two“), Kate Bush and more.

“We smuggled Kate Bush in to Pershore!”
Pershore’s punk rock legend Toyah Willcox catches up with our Tammy Gooding, talking the joys of living a secret life in Worcestershire and the moments that made her music what it is.

• Toyah’s interview has been made available as a seperate clip at the BBC website. Listen here.

In my spare time I’m slowly regenerating this website. The Features section has recently been updated (with more to follow) and currently the Press Archive is having a much needed overhaul. It’s taking a while as there are tons of past Toyah press interviews and articles in there.

Toyah’s March 2020 blog is available to read at toyahwillcox.com – Toyah talks Toyah Solo, the forthcoming new colour vinyls, great February gigs in Halifax, Holborn, Bacup, Selby, Stamford, Norwich and Scarborough, and more. She also pays tribute to Colin Hinds and Caroline Flack. Click below to read.