Welcome to Toyah’s 60th Birthday week… The amazing Brave New World was released as a single 36 years ago today. Accompanied by the greatest visual imagery by ANY pop star EVER! Happy Birthday to a truly iconic 20th Century pop moment. View Official Toyah’s Instagram post on this by clicking below.
Toyah’s amazing Brave New World was released as a single 36 years ago today. Read our interview with Melissa Mailer-Yates, discussing her Brave New World inspired painting of Toyah, by clicking below.
Listen to Beautiful Britain, presented by Toyah, at BBC iPlayer. (Photo © BBC)
Toyah Willcox and her band stop by Guildford’s Bonaparte Records shop
Take a trip back to the 1980s, when record shops were 10 a penny, and post-punk visited Guildford
Post-punk singer and actress Toyah Willcox and her band members paid a visit to the Bonaparte Records shop in Phoenix Court, Guildford, prior to playing a gig at the Civic Hall later that night, on May 29 1980.
Toyah, who was only 22 at the time, was signing copies of the band’s new single Ieya, from the album The Blue Meaning.
The shop was crowded with fans of post-punk, who who were pushing towards the counter, where Toyah and her band were signing albums and singles. Later, the band posed for photos outside, before heading off to sound check at the Civic Hall, where they were to play that night.
• Continue reading at Get Surrey.
One of Toyah’s most colourful photo shoots. These great photos were published in European magazine Pop Rocky and the UK’s Jackie in the Summer of 1982, at the height of The Changeling era. Toyah wears various Melissa Caplan designed outfits that were rarely seen anywhere else aside from a couple of television appearances.
• Kaleidoscope Man: Toyah was in the dubbing studio for K-Man last week – See her tweet…
• Kaleidoscope Man: Browse our K-Man news archive here…
• The Comet: Cameras roll in Stevenage restaurant for feature-length film: Voodoo Productions, based in Luton, have been filming feature-length psychological thriller Heckle at Misya in Stevenage High Street. The film, about a stand-up comedian who gets heckled during a performance and goes mad, stars Hollywood legend Clark Gable’s grandson, also named Clark Gable, Danny Dyer’s daughter – called Dani Dyer – Nicholas Vince of Hellraiser, and singer and actress Toyah Willcox – Continue reading at The Comet…
• Heckle: Toyah has a role in another new film, Heckle – See her tweet…
There’s just over a week until Toyah’s 60th Birthday – Dreamscape is counting up to the day with some retro content – Here’s a great Q&A with Toyah from Scotland On Sunday, June 2007. Click below to zoom and read.
If you missed out on the Record Store Day 2018 vinyl exclusive of Toyah’s Desire on red vinyl then fear not as a handful have been made available on Amazon UK while stocks last!
The Birmingham singer and actress will play The Slade Rooms on a tour celebrating her 40 years in music.
Toyah, from Kings Heath, is best known for songs such as It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Ieya. She will play the city centre venue on November 2.
• Continue reading at the Express & Star. More info on all four “Birthday” concerts here.
“My giraffe for @WorcStandsTall TALL in aid of ST. RICHARD’S HOSPICE and @WILDINART is now signed and complete. thank u Rachel Blackwell for bringing my design to life!” (Photo © Toyah Willcox)
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.
We drop in on appointments at Totally Polished in Blackpool, The Topiary Salon in Basingstoke, Smith Hair Studio in Edmonton and Not Another Salon in London’s East End.
From holidays and bingo wins, to hospital appointments and bereavements – customers relish the opportunity to swap stories, gossip and enjoy an hour’s escape from the stresses of daily life. Beauticians and hairdressers are trusted confidantes, privy to shocking secrets, but they also provide an independent ear and a comforting shoulder to cry on.
For Toyah’s friend and hairdresser to the stars, Keith Wainwright MBE, a trip to the salon is also an important source of physical and social contact in an increasingly online world.
According to industry reports, women and men of all ages and means are spending increasing amounts of time, and money, at hair and beauty salons in the UK. British consumers spent an estimated 1.89 billion pounds on salon services in the last quarter of 2017. We find out why. A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
• Continue reading at BBC Media Centre.
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4, presented by Toyah and produced by Victoria Ferran.
Beautiful Britain: BBC Radio 4: Fri 11th May: 11am
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)
There is now less than one month to go until Toyah’s 60th Birthday. It’s a landmark event, just as her 50th was too. This site went cuurrazzzzy with content and birthday posts in the lead up to, and on, 18th May 08 – As did The Official Toyah Willcox Website – Actually they brought us a brand new, and quite stunning, website. Full of colour, info and Toyah goodies… Just sensational!
About Toyah… Possibly! And only up to 1985!! Here’s a retro Toyah interview from the mid-80s, from The Beat magazine – Please click on it to read. We’re counting down to Toyah’s 60th…
Rita Ora will be sending temperatures soaring in Henley, Lionel Richie promises a mean time in Greenwich while Chris Evans revs up the crowds at Carfest. It’s Event’s guide to the HOTTEST festivals of summer – Rock & Pop
Audley End House and Gardens
The Heritage Live series at the Jacobean mansion in Essex hosts Jess Glynne, Toyah Willcox, 2Cellos, Ella Eyre, X Factor winner Louisa and more over three days.
Let the music wash over you as you take in the house’s handsome Capability Brown-designed gardens.
Day tickets from £39. Saffron Walden, Essex, Jul 13-15, ticketline.co.uk/heritage-live-concerts
• Continue reading at the Daily Mail. Browse our other Toyah at Here and Now Audley End 2018 news. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)
Following its inclusion on last year’s The 80s Pop Annual, Toyah’s classic 1981 pop anthem I Want To Be Free is featured on another double-vinyl compilation set to be released this Summer.
Eighties Alternative is released on Demon Records – the label who are also releasing Desire on red vinyl tomorrow – on 1st June 2018.
Available exclusively on vinyl – 4 Sides of Defining Eighties Hits.
The album also includes songs by Scritti Politti, Propoganda, Pixies, Dead or Alive, The Lotus Eaters, The Primitives, Adam & The Ants, Bow Wow Wow, Altered Images, John Foxx and numerous others, so Toyah is in great company.
• Further info on/Pre-order this release at Amazon.
Less than one day to go until Desire is released on limited edition translucent red vinyl for RSD2018.
Here are another couple of Desire related posts to finish the countdown…
• Splash: Toyah guesting on ITV’s, short-lived teatime pop show, Splash from 1987 – around the time of the release of Desire. Not great quality but worth a watch to see Toyah having some fun while discussing the album, Cabaret, her earlier career and more – Watch at You Tube… (NB: Not to be confused with this Splash!)
• Echo Beach: Watch/Listen to Toyah’s 1987 single, with remastered audio, at The Official Toyah You Tube channel – Desire, the album from which the single was taken, is also available digitally.
Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Wednesday 2nd May: 1am
22.09.1983. Simon Bates and Mike Read present the pop chart programme, first broadcast in September 1983. Featuring Toyah Willcox, David Bowie, Nick Heyward, The Alarm, Howard Jones and Hot Chocolate.
• Visit the BBC Top Of The Pops website. Click below for Dreamscape’s Rebel Run (and other Love Is The Law) lyrics.
“Only 3 days to go till limited edition red vinyl release of DESIRE. get your stylus ready“, Toyah tweeted today. (All photos © Toyah Willcox/Official Toyah)
I know it’s out of fashion, and a trifle uncool, but I can’t help it… – A couple of Dreamscape’s Desire designs from somewhere in the distance. There’s just three days until the album is released on red vinyl for RSD2018.
• Rock The Rec: Toyah Willcox headlines, on Saturday 21st July, with her full live electric band. You can expect to hear hit singles: Good Morning Universe, It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free, Thunder In The Mountains, Brave New World and Rebel Run – Continue reading…
• Derby City Council: Derby Film Festival 2018 – special guests, film previews and events in QUAD: Toyah Willcox will be in Conversation in QUAD on Saturday 5th May at 5:00pm. Both Jubilee (15) and The Tempest (15) will be screened as part of the festival on 8th & 9th and 9th & 10th May respectively – Continue reading…
• Lively and Late: Toyah appearing at Thoresby Hall Hotel on Saturday 20 October 2018: 80s Festival with the fabulous Toyah, plus And Finally… Phil Collins, Jayne Middleton as Annie Lennox, Jasun Watkins is The Voice of Boy George and more, with a DJ both evenings – Continue reading…
• Bristol 247: Queer icon David Hoyle discusses Blackpool, BHS and binaries: In those formative years, Hoyle says he was influenced by contemporary performers like Siouxsie Sioux, Toyah, and David Bowie as well as classic stars like Bette Davis and Liza Minelli. He rose to notoriety in London in the ‘80s but since then, what changes has Hoyle noticed? – Continue reading…
• Visit Derby: DFF/Paracinema: Toyah Willcox In Conversation: It is hard to imagine a more perfect guest for the eclectic nature of Paracinema than Toyah Willcox – Continue reading…
