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Here’s who will appearing at the Upton House Music Festival

There’s less than two weeks to go until Upton House and Country Park in Poole becomes a showcase for some of the biggest names in the music business. The three-night festival kicks off with a Classical Spectacular on Thursday, June 8, followed by an ’80s Extravaganza on Friday, closing with internationally renowned singer-songwriter, Michael Bolton on Saturday, June 9.

Billy Ocean, the king of R&B is headlining the 80s Extravaganza on Friday, 9 June with Kim Wilde and Toyah co-starring.

The pop star and actress has close links with Dorset through her 30-year marriage to Wimborne born and bred King Crimson musician, Robert Fripp, and her time spent living in Witchampton.

She said: “Dorset is very close to my heart and I love returning there whenever I can. It will be great fun playing Upton House Music Festival as well as meeting up with a few old friends.”

Toyah, whose 13 top 40 hits included It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free, and Thunder In The Mountains also includes a starring role in the mod movie Quadrophenia and work with Sir Laurence Olivier on her 35-year CV.

She added: “I love the variety in my career – it keeps it all fresh and I’ll certainly be looking to put on a colourful, energetic and exciting show for the 80s fans at Upton House.”

• Continue reading at the Bournemouth Daily Echo. Visit the Upton Festival website.

Now celebrating its 21st year, the festival has emerged as one of the South West’s most important – and impressive – free community events.

A freewheeling fiesta of fabulous fun for all the family, it offers homegrown talent a brilliant opportunity to shine brightly in the spotlight. These included the Imperial Recreation Ground, the Bicton Inn and Exmouth Ceramic Group’s exhibition at Meeting Street.

On Sunday evening, the big headliners came into town. A huge crowd – perhaps as large as 6,000 people – filled the Imperial Rec’ Ground and enjoyed sets by Joey the Lips and 1980s punk princess Toyah Willcox. Joey the Lips put on a solid show of singalong dancefloor fillers. More poppy than their soul roots of some years back, the switch to more accessible material – with songs by Queen and Lulu – has done them no harm. The crowd – particularly the youngsters up the front – loved it.

Toyah Willcox bounded on stage an hour later. Her band sounded very tight as she blasted through a solid set of her hits – such as Thunder In the Mountains and Obselete – and 1980s covers, such as Martha and the Muffins’ Echo Beach.

Toyah was clearly delighted by the warm reception she got from the huge crowd, declaring that ‘Exmouth was cool’.

• Continue reading at the Exmouth Journal. (Photo © Exmouth Journal/Paul Strange)

Cannes 2017: How to Talk to Girls at Parties, review: Nicole Kidman channels Toyah Willcox in this lifeless sci-fi flick

Derived from a Neil Gaiman short story, this must have felt like an opportunity for provoc-auteur and queer cinema hero John Cameron Mitchell to let his hair down, by resurrecting the anarchic spirit of Derek Jarman’s Jubilee and then staging a Shortbus-lite sex romp with added polymorphous perversity. If this film’s an acquired taste, so is kidney sorbet, or a sponge cake seething with live eels. You get to see Nicole Kidman, in a white electroshock wig, grapple with the part of an angry punk matriarch and yell “shut your gaping gob” at one of her minions. A substitute for Toyah Willcox she’ll never be for the life of her, but the silliness of the casting sums the film up, for good and bad.

• Continue reading at The Telegraph.

Kavanagh Q.C.: ITV Encore: Saturday 3rd June: 8.40am
Kavanagh Q.C.: ITV Encore: Sunday 4th June: 3.50am
A Family Affair (1995). Kavanagh finds himself caught up in a bitter family feud when he represents a frustrated father who has kidnapped his son in a desperate attempt to win custody. On the home front, Kavanagh’s daughter wants to let her boyfriend stay overnight. Directed by Renny Rye. With John Thaw, Holly Aird, Robert Ashby, Toyah Willcox and Lisa Harrow.

Maigret: ITV Encore: Wednesday 31st May: 11.40am
Maigret and the Hotel Majestic. Crime series featuring Georges Simenon’s celebrated Parisian detective. Maigret is called to the scene when a beautiful woman is found dead in the basement of the Hotel Majestic with a gun in her handbag. The Chief Inspector’s investigations initially centre around the staff at the hotel – until he discovers that the woman’s husband booked a trip to Rome that he never made. Starring: Michael Gambon, Geoffrey Hutchings, Michael Shannon, Toyah Willcox (1993). Also airing on ITV Encore HD and Plus 1.

Toyah played a Classics, Hits & Surprises concert at the McMillan Theatre, Bridgwater in Somerset on Saturday night. Thanks to Angus for the photo. (Photo © Angus Turner)

Trailblazers: Sky Arts: Monday 5th June: 4pm
Punk. Narrated by Noddy Holder, this eye-opening series turns its attention to the origins of punk music. With Toyah Willcox and DJ Annie Nightingale. (Episode, Series 1, Episode 5)

Wishing Toyah a faberoonie birthday. (Thanks to Mark Satchwill)

Read Toyah’s Blog for May 2017 at toyahwillcox.com.

Minder: ITV4: Monday 15th May: 1pm
Minder: ITV4: Monday 15th May: 3.55pm
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.

Trailblazers: Sky Arts: Monday 22nd May: 3am
New Romantics. Toyah Willcox and Billy Bragg are among those examining the New Romantic movement, from The Human League and Adam Ant, to David Bowie and Ultravox. (Series 1, Episode 16)

There’s a recently published new book on the legendary 1979 film, Quadrophenia.

Quadrophenia – The Complete Guide – The Film, The Music, and all things Quadrophenia. The book includes a foreword by Quadrophenia director, Franc Roddam.

What is the connection between Queen ElizabethII and the 1973 album? What character in the film was played by a Baron? Which actor had his part in the film cut, before going on to serve as a Conservative MP in Margaret Thatcher’s Government? The answers to these, and many more questions are all here! Including details of all known locations, and personnel involved with both the Album and Film, illustrated with in excess of 200 photographs over nearly 350 pages! This book will tell you all you will ever need to know about Pete Townshend’s masterpiece that is, Quadrophenia.

• Further info on Quadrophenia – The Complete Guide/Buy the book here.

Quadrophenia: Sky Greats HD: Thursday 4th May: 00.10am
The Who wrote and produced this energetic story of a young man disillusioned with his life in 1960s London. Phil Daniels excels as the alienated anti-hero Jimmy Cooper. Director: Franc Roddam. Starring: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Toyah Willcox, Philip Davis, Mark Wingett, Sting, and Ray Winstone.

Trailblazers: Sky Arts: Sunday 7th May: 3am
Punk. Narrated by Noddy Holder, this eye-opening series turns its attention to the origins of punk music. With Toyah Willcox and DJ Annie Nightingale. (Episode, Series 1, Episode 5)

Celebrity Fantasy Homes: Home: Wednesday 3rd May: 9pm
Celebrity Fantasy Homes: Home: Thursday 4th May: 2am
Celebrity Fantasy Homes: Really: Sunday 7th May: 5pm
Celebrities hunt for a new home. Gaby Roslin helps punk-pop princess Toyah Willcox search for a second home, in Richmond upon Thames, with a budget of £650,000.

More airdates for Top Of The Pops, featuring the Rebel Run video.

Top Of The Pops: BBC4 
Saturday 22nd April: 0.00am/11.20pm
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.

Praying to the silent man…

‘Rebel Run’, released in September 1983, was Toyah’s 13th single in the UK.

This was one of only two singles to be released by Toyah in 1983 and was the debut from the album ‘Love Is The Law’. It was written by Toyah and Simon Darlow and reached number 24 in the UK Top 40.

Toyah made a memorable video for the single and promoted it with numerous appearances and interviews on shows including TVAM’s Summer Run, Hold Tight, The Saturday Show, Saturday Superstore, and German TV show Jugendabend. The video was also played on Top Of The Pops – being repeated later this month on BBC tv for the first time since the 1980’s.

Toyah said of the imagery: “This is the Rebel Run look. I was into armour. A friend, Simon, made a bronze headdress based on the skeletal structure of American football players.”

• Download ‘Rebel Run’ at iTunes, view the promo video, and the airing on Top Of The Pops. Watch Toyah perform the single on Hold Tight and Saturday Superstore. Listen to the song live at Hammersmith Odeon on the ‘Rebel Run’ Tour in December 1983. Andromeda Rising covered the song in 2005. Listen to their version here.

Inheritance Tracks: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Saturday 22nd April: 2.10pm
Inheritance Tracks: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Sunday 23rd April: 2.10am
Toyah Willcox. Singer Toyah Wilcox has inherited ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and wants to pass on the track by Bjork, ‘Human Behaviour’.

Listen to The Reunion: Women of Punk at BBC iPlayer.

Sue MacGregor reunites five musicians who embraced the anarchy of punk music and created a unique style of their own.

For many young people, Britain in the late 1970s was a place without hope. Unemployment was high. The value of the pound was low and, despite the feminist activity of the early 1970s, the most many girls aspired to was to marry well and look good. Female role models were hard to fine – especially in music. The only all-girl troupes on Top of the Pops were Legs and Co. Then punk happened.

Women could dress how they liked, behave how they wanted and develop their own sound without being manipulated by the mostly male gatekeepers of the record industry. Young women who didn’t fit the traditional mould of femininity found a new tribe in punk. A place where they could finally be themselves. But the movement attracted fear and aggression from straight society. And few made much money from the short-lived scene.

Sue MacGregor brings together five female punk pioneers: Gaye Advert, bass player in The Adverts, was described as the first female punk star. But the industry focus on her looks caused animosity in the band. Toyah Willcox, an aggressive tomboy, found her emotional rebellion in punk and appeared in Derek Jarman’s cult punk film Jubilee. Gina Birch of The Raincoats played her first gig in November 1977 a few weeks after forming her all-female band. Tessa Pollitt abandoned her A levels to join all girl punk band, The Slits. Vivien Goldman was in the The Flying Lizards and Features Editor on the weekly music paper, Sounds. She is now a Professor of Punk in New York. The guests discuss the impact and legacy of their movement.

Burning Shed are now stocking the first four Toyah studio releases, Sheep Farming In Barnet (1979), The Blue Meaning (1980), Anthem (1981) and The Changeling (1982).

Featuring copious bonus tracks, these editions were pressed in 1999 and 2002 (N.B. These are not new pressings or remasters) and showcase Toyah’s adventurous and sophisticated fusion of Post-Punk and Art Rock at its very best.

The Changeling was produced by Steve Lillywhite and featured Be Bop Deluxe’s Andy Clarke on keyboards plus the formidable rhythm section of Phil Spalding and Simon Phillips (both soon to depart for Mike Oldfield’s band).

• Further info at Burning Shed. Pre-order for 21st April shipping.

The video for Toyah’s power-pop 1983 hit Rebel Run airs on a retro edition of Top Of The Pops later this month… You’ve got to get away…

Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Friday 21st April: 7.30pm
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.

See further information on The Reunion at toyahwillcox.com. (Photo © BBC)