Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

Who’s Doing The Dishes?: Virgin Media Three: Monday 17th September: 10am
Toyah Willcox. Brian McFadden presents the dining challenge. Will it remain a mystery that Toyah Willcox is the celebrity host when she throws a dinner party for four complete strangers?

October marks the 35th Anniversary of the release of Toyah’s final studio album on Safari Records and final album release as a band, Love Is The Law. A wonderful album released in October 1983 and packed full of Toyah’s most melodic music, great lyrics and soaring vocals – Time Is Ours is such an underrated classic – Broken Diamonds and Dreamscape similarly. Stay tuned to toyah.net over the next few weeks for LITL related content and posts…

• America For Beginners 2018: Toyah tweeted: “Just heard 1st mix for AMERICA FOR BEGINNERS for the soundtrack album of @1985thefilm ….WOW! It’s totally different and very 1985!” – Continue reading…

• BBC Scotland: Barmy Aunt Boomerang: Richard Madden is currently earning fulsome praise for his portrayal of Sergeant David Budd in BBC Oneʼs Bodyguard, but itʼs far from the first time heʼs been on our screens. Back in 1999, 13-year-old Richard starred in Barmy Aunt Boomerang as Sebastian, a boy whose life is thrown into chaos by the arrival of his ghostly aunt, played by Toyah Willcox – Continue reading at BBC Scotland…

• Live 2018: Toyah still has Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gigs in Huddersfield, Evesham and two nights at Trading Boundaries in Sheffield Green, an Electric gig in Bedford PLUS those four #Toyah60/40 Years of Music concerts – More info/Ticket links here…

• Outside Org: Thousands of party goers join Rewind Festival’s sold out 10th Birthday celebrations in Henley-On-Thames: The blissful weekend was compered by Toyah Willcox and The Doctor of Doctor & The Medics with DJ Massaoke keeping the tunes and sing-alongs going strong between the main stage performances, getting everyone hyped with some of the biggest 80s hits – Continue reading…

• God’s Jukebox: Brave New World: Can’t have #HairWeek without Toyah. This was the lead single from her 4th album, The Changeling. The video was directed by David Mallet, who directed the Ashes to Ashes video for Bowie – Continue reading/watching…

Perhaps the first British singer to be known only by her first name, Toyah entertained the Corn Hall with a string of post punk hits from the early 80s, and while for those of us of a certain age it was a treat to revisit them, it was also a revelation to hear them reinvented for acoustic guitar and vocals.

Flanked by two superb guitarists, and backed by video and still images, Toyah Ann Willcox proved to be a slick and accomplished performer. Opening on Good Morning Universe, she mixed lesser known gems with some cosy chit chat as well as big hitters like Thunder in the Mountains. These stripped down versions of her extensive back catalogue revealed not only how good these songs are, but what a fine voice she has.

• Continue reading at The Corn Hall.

From punk princess to cult stage and screen actress, Toyah Willcox is a vibrant performer and an inextinguishable flame. Charismatic, outspoken and impossible to categorise, she is one of Britain’s iconic household names – an award-winning rock legend as well as a much-loved stage/screen actress and music composer. In a career spanning over 40 years Toyah has amassed thirteen top 40 singles, recorded twenty-four albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays, acted in twenty feature films and presented hundreds of television programmes.

The year 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of her music career as Toyah released her first ever single and album studio in 1979. This concert –with her full electric band– will be a celebratory retrospective including hit singles, album classics and fan favourites.

• Continue reading at Stockton Arts Centre.

Read Toyah’s September 2018 blog at toyahwillcox.com.

As previously reported, Toyah guested on Celebrity Eggheads on BBC2 yesterday evening. Watch the 45-minute episode for the next four weeks at BBC iPlayer. See larger versions of the screen caps from the programme by clicking on them.

Jeremy Vine hosts a special celebrity edition of the show where every day, a new team of challengers take on arguably the greatest quiz team in Britain – the Eggheads. Can a team from the world of arts and entertainment, featuring actor Simon Greenall, singer Toyah Willcox, arts correspondent Nick Higham, award-winning saxophonist YolanDa Brown and Proms presenter Katie Derham, triumph over the general knowledge goliaths and win the cash prize for their charity?

Unfortunately the Women Power concert, featuring Toyah, has been postponed by the promoters. See the official Facebook post regarding this by clicking below.

Issue 44 of Classic Pop magazine, which includes a six-page Toyah feature, is on sale now. See below for a (non readable) preview of this.

Get your copy in-store for just £5.99. Alternatively, you can buy a digital issue at the Classic Pop website. Available in-store from WH Smith, Tesco, Tesco Ireland, independent newsagents, Eason and selected McColls.

In the latest issue we speak to Soft Cell‘s Marc Almond and Dave Ball as they prepare for their farewell gig at the O2 in London and release a career-spanning boxset, Keychains & Snowstorms. We also take a look at their Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret LP in our Classic Album feature.

Elsewhere, we have an exclusive interview with the world’s biggest record producer, Mark Ronson, catch up with The Proclaimers who return with their politicised new album Angry Cyclist and talk to Level 42‘s Mark King about his life in pop’s funkiest band.

This month, we look back on the glory days of house music and Toyah tells us how she brought the punk aesthetic to the pop world.

• Visit the Classic Pop website or Twitter. (Thanks to Minna for the magazine scans)

Toyah has taken part in a new film – Afterlife – being produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Film Festival. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to help with finances for the film.

This is an independent, factual and investigative documentary, being made on a non-profit basis.

The Producer and crew are not making any money from this production; this is about getting this project made and getting it seen by the backers and public. Your donations will pay for the time of our contributors and will ensure we can travel to them for their interviews, plus donations to hospitals, research centres and other venues as a thank you for the hospitality and assistance.

We are also speaking to people who will relive unexplainable experiences including singer and actress Toyah Willcox who not only has a deep interest in the subject, but lives in what could be one of the most haunted homes in the UK which she describes as a “house of shadows”.

• See further info on Afterlife and how you can help via the crowdfunding campaign here or by clicking below.

Another chance to hear highlights from Toyah’s 1981 Christmas Eve Drury Lane concert, originally broadcast on The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC2 on Christmas Eve 1981, at the end of the month on BBC 6 Music’s Live Hour.

6 Music Live Hour: BBC 6 Music
Wednesday 29th August: 2.30am
Toyah in concert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London in 1981, plus a session recorded by the Quads on this date (29th August) in 1979 and one from Stereophonics (22/1/1997). Presented by Chris Hawkins. Duration: 1 hour. (Available at BBC iPlayer after airing)

Toyah and The Moondogs: Chris Hawkins presents recordings from the BBC’s archive of live music. Tonight including Toyah recorded at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London in 1981, plus The Moondogs in session.

Toyah is guesting on Celebrity Eggheads at the end of the month on BBC2, alongside Simon Greenall, Nick Higham, YolanDa Brown and Katie Derham.

Celebrity Eggheads: BBC2: Friday 31st August: 6pm
Series 9, Episode 15. Jeremy Vine hosts a special celebrity edition of the show where every day, a new team of challengers take on arguably the greatest quiz team in Britain – the Eggheads. Can a team from the world of arts and entertainment, featuring actor Simon Greenall, singer Toyah Willcox, arts correspondent Nick Higham, award-winning saxophonist YolanDa Brown and Proms presenter Katie Derham, triumph over the general knowledge goliaths and win the cash prize for their charity?

Check out all the latest news and happenings direct from Toyah at Twitter. Recent posts include: Backstage at Rewind South (Toyah was a Guest Presenter this weekend), Gary and Gemma Numan having tea with Toyah and Robert, playing Weyfest 2018 last night with The SAS Band, and re-recording America For Beginners for a forthcoming film. (All photos @ Toyah Willcox)

Look out for the next issue (44, September 2018) of Classic Pop magazine. It includes a six-page interview feature on/with Toyah. The magazine is published in around a week’s time, so not long to wait. In the meantime click below to browse our previous updates on Toyah in Classic Pop.

Toyah has recorded a new version of the song America For Beginners, which was originally a track on her 1985 album Minx. The song was written by Steve Skaith and Mike Jones of the band Latin Quarter. Toyah has recorded the 2018 version for inclusion in the forthcoming 1985 The Film.

Beautiful Britain: BBC Radio 4: Saturday 1st September: 10.30am
Over the sound of ripping wax-strips, nail drills, clippers and trimmers, Toyah Willcox invites us to eavesdrop on usually private conversations taking place in hair and beauty salons across the UK. Duration: 30 minutes. (Photo © BBC)

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, with Toyah and Tony Blackburn, which originally aired in October 2011 on BBC Two, is showing again next week on Really – Sky 142, Virgin Media 129, Freeview 17, Freesat 160, Sky (Ireland) 155 – Click below to view larger screen caps.

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip: Really: Friday 24th August: 7pm
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip: Really: Saturday 25th August: 12pm
Series 1, Episode 4. Tony Blackburn and Toyah Willcox take to the road with antiques experts Charlie Ross and Charles Hanson. Their journey starts in the historic town of York and ends up with an auction in Stansted, Essex.

Minder: ITV4: Wednesday 22nd August: 2.55pm
Minder: ITV4: Thursday 23rd August: 9.30am
Minder: ITV4: Friday 24th August: 2.05am
Minder: ITV4: Monday 27th August: 1.30am
All Mod Cons. Drama series about the shady dealings of a spiv and his reluctant sidekick. While Terry is trying to evict two squatters, Arthur decides to sell Terry’s flat without his permission. Meanwhile, Terry gets a job minding at a local club and ends up getting into more trouble than he had planned for when he realises the club’s manager is on the fiddle. Starring: George Cole, Dennis Waterman, Toyah Willcox, Simon Cadell, James Ottaway, and Tony Osaba. (Series 2, Episode 8, 1980). Also showing on ITV4 HD.

Read Toyah’s Blog for August 2018 at toyahwillcox.com.

Toyah guests on BBC Radio WM’s The Other Side Of… tomorrow at Midday, discussing her career, early years, the music of Kate Bush and more. The programme has a running time of 60 minutes.

Listen to a short excerpt from the show – “I was not scared of being disliked by men” says Toyah.

The Other Side Of…: BBC Radio WM: Sunday 5th August: 12pm
Celebrating 40 years in show business in her 60th year. She talks about growing up in Kings Heath, how Top Of The Pops helped her stay alive and the power of Kate Bush’s music.

• Listen to the interview live while it airs or post airing at BBC iPlayer Radio. (Photo © BBC)