More big music acts and festivals are heading to Exeter this year – here’s everything we know so far
Festival season will soon be upon us and if you haven’t decided on which music gigs you want to go to this year – then here is a little help. Once again there are plenty of festivals to choose from in and around Exeter for 2017, with big named artists that are guaranteed not to disappoint.
Let’s Rock, Powderham Castle: 80’s festival Let’s Rock is back again this year bringing with it Tony Hadley, Howard Jones and Jason Donovan. The festival will once again take place at Powderham Castle on Saturday, July 1, and the acts that will be heading to Exeter this year include, Belinda Carlisle, Chesney Hawkes, Imagination, Big Country, From the Jam, Hazel O’Connor, Katrina, Jaki Graham and Toyah.
How do I get tickets and how much are they?: Tickets are now on sale here. General tickets cost £47.30. VIP tickets are also available priced £132.
• Continue reading at the Exeter Express & Echo. Visit the Let’s Rock Exeter website (Toyah is also playing Let’s Rock London this year). See the dedicated pages for both Let’s Rock festivals at toyahwillcox.com here and here.
There are just six weeks to go until the start of the 80s Invasion Tour 2017, with the first date taking place at Rhyl Pavilion on Thursday 2nd March.
The tour, with Paul Young, Martika, Toyah and China Crisis plays 15 dates all over the UK: Rhyl, Leicester, Stoke, Edinburgh, Shrewsbury, Chatham, Malvern, Basingstoke, Birmingham, Guildford, Aylesbury, London, Huddersfield, Newcastle and Liverpool.
• Click below for all of the venues, further info and ticket booking links at toyahwillcox.com. Browse Dreamscape’s 80s Invasion Tour news here.
Prince’s Park, Salford is now home to what organiser’s describe as “a boutique music festival”, also known as Irlam Live.
Taking place from Friday 2 June to Sunday 4 June, Headline acts include Jason Donovan, Alexander O’Neal and Odyssey. The weekend will consist of ‘Legends Friday’, ‘Soulfest Saturday’, and ‘Retro Sunday’ with up to 5,000 visitors per day finishing at 9pm each night.
Toyah Willcox is set to perform and Bob Marley’s Wailers will also be flying in from Jamaica!
• Continue reading at ITV News. See also the Irlam Live 2017 website, and dedicated gig page at toyahwillcox.com.
There’s a great selection of past Toyah at BBC Radio 4 content currently available to listen to at BBC iPlayer Radio; Great Lives: Toyah Willcox on Katharine Hepburn (originally aired in September 2015), Ramblings: Toyah takes Clare Balding for a walk in Worcestershire (February 2013), Woman’s Hour: Toyah on being a punk (February 2012), A Good Read: Book reviews (March 1998), and Saturday Live: Toyah’s shares her secret life (August 2011).
Quadrophenia: Sky Select HD: Sunday 29th January: 2.15am
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. (Sky Select HD is on Sky Channel 312)
Welcome to our first “Newsy Bits” of the year!
• Punx: Rebellion Festival: Great to have Toyah back again. And great that a famous ‘name’ bothers to put a piece on her website! So many bands play the festival, but not all of them update their websites to say so! Respect to those that do – thank you! – Continue reading…
• Rebellion Festival 2017: Toyah returns to Blackpool’s punk festival later this year. Visit the page “Punx” are referring to above at toyahwillcox.com…
• Concert Posters 2011 – 2017: See two new promotional posters for Toyah’s forthcoming live dates this year, plus others dating back to 2011…
• Warrington Worldwide: Meet Kim Smith the new face of the WI: The last thing you would expect from your local WI Chairman to be involved in would be promoting a pop concert featuring 80’s icon Toyah! – Continue reading…
• The Sun: Granarchy in the UK: We hear from the pioneers of punk 40 years after they unleashed havoc on polite society. (Not strictly Toyah related but includes an interview with the wonderful and inspiring Jordan/Pamela Rooke) – Continue reading…
• The Shields Gazette: When South Shields man had stars in his eyes: It was a quirky bonus to have a Toyah impersonator in my group as the real Toyah and I were good friends – Continue reading…
Check out a new collection of scans of Toyah in Smash Hits – “the 80s Pop Bible” – All of the magazine’s Toyah features, songwords and clippings published between 1979 and 1985 – brought together by The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive.
Toyah plays the Upton House Music Festival 2017 this Summer, as part of an 80s Extravaganza with Kim Wilde and Billy Ocean. The time schedule for the concert – taking place on Friday 9th June – has now been announced:
Event Timings for the 80’s Extravaganza
• 5.00pm – Hospitality gates open
• 5.30pm – Public gates open
• 7.30pm – Concert commences – Toyah on stage
• 8.00pm – 8.15pm – Interval
• 8.15pm – 9.00pm – Kim Wilde on stage
• 9.20pm to 10.30pm – Billy Ocean
• 10:30pm – Depart
Toyah Willcox: From punk princess to cult stage actress and high priestess of TV, Toyah is a uniquely gifted performer and an inextinguishable flame. In a career spanning over 35 years she has amassed 13 top 40 singles, recorded 29 albums and toured live across the world. Expect to hear hit singles,”Thunder In The Mountains”, “It’s A Mystery”, “I Want To Be Free”, ”Echo Beach”, and many more!
• NB: All timings above are currently approximate. Further info/Book tickets at the festival website. See also the festival Facebook page and dedicated gig page at toyahwillcox.com.
Toyah’s first gig of 2017 is Loving The 80’s at Parr Hall, Warrington on Saturday 28th January. A headlining full band “Classics, Hits & Surprises” performance.
The 80’s-fest, which also features Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Tight Fit, Electro 80’s, Jennie from The Bellestars, LaLa Shockette, DJ Caz Matthews and much more will also pay tribute to Steve Strange.
Come and join the most exciting lineup of iconic bands from the 80’s. Loving The 80’s – The Ultimate 80’s Night.
If you are an 80’s music and fashion lover don’t miss this show.
After the resounding success of our January gig we want to bring the 1980’s back to the Parr Hall once again! If you love the music, the makeup, the fashion and the vibe of this fantastic decade, join us for a fantastic night on 28 January 2017.
Headlining our gig is the amazing Toyah – we just know you’ll be “Loving the 80’s” once again!
• Further info/Book tickets here. See also the dedicated gig page at toyahwillcox.com.
Screen caps from Toyah’s 1982 guest appearance on Pop Quiz on BBC1. Meanwhile, 2016’s Pop Quiz: The Comeback, also featuring Toyah, is still available to watch online at BBC iPlayer…
New photos and new, confirmed, live dates – Acoustic, Up Close & Personal; Classics, Hits & Anthems; and a number of festivals – are now online at toyahwillcox.com and official Toyah social spaces. Click below to visit the website. (Photo © Official Toyah)
Breaking Through, Toyah’s official newsletter, announced details this week of a great new tour t-shirt and two posters which will be available to buy at Toyah’s live dates this year. Sign up to Breaking Through – for regular official Toyah news updates and info – by clicking below.
Dreamscape’s Toyah news for December 2016 has now been added to our comprehensive News Archive. In less than two month’s time this website will enter it’s 18th year online…
Toyah hosting The Personality Test, the 30-minute radio quiz that’s, essentially, all about her, airs again later this month on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
The 30 minute radio show was originally broadcast, 10 years ago, on BBC Radio Four in 2007, with guests including Sue Perkins and Robin Ince. It will be available at BBC iPlayer post-broadcast.
The Personality Test: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Thursday 26th January: 9am/4pm
The Personality Test: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Friday 27th January: 4am
Toyah Willcox chairs the comedy quiz in which all the questions are about the guest host. Panellists are Sue Perkins, Caroline Quinlan, Robin Ince and Will Smith.
Repeat airings for “Toyah’s episode” of Kavanagh Q. C. – A Family Affair – this month on ITV Encore.
Kavanagh Q.C.: ITV Encore: Wed 18 Jan: 1.30pm
Kavanagh Q.C.: ITV Encore: Thu 19 Jan: 6.50am
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. Also airing on ITV Encore HD and Plus 1.
Toyah’s first blog of 2017 is available to read at toyahwillcox.com.
Maigret: ITV Encore: Thursday 26th January: 5.45pm
Maigret: ITV Encore: Friday 27th January: 4.55am
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 headlines the opening night of Whitby Goth Weekend 2017 – with a full-band “Classic Hits & Surprises” performance – on Friday 21st April. Click below for more info.
Toyah Willcox’s colourful career has taken her from Punk Princess to Splash, Teletubbies and I’m a Celebrity. She never ceases to surprise…
There is something very endearing about Toyah Willcox. She is one in a long tradition of creative, sometimes downright cussed, free spirits who mellow into a kind of national treasure with the passing years. Say what you like about Toyah, you could never pigeon-hole her. The original wild-child punk princess is credited with starting the Goth movement, has voiced the Teletubbies, champions the National Trust and survived the Celebrity Jungle. And this multi-talented ball of energy has now been officially honoured by her home city with a star on Birmingham’s Walk of Stars.
Being Toyah, she challenges the word mellow. “I don’t think I’m mellowing,” she says, “though I do find things that freaked me out in the past don’t bother me anymore. And I’m working harder than ever.” No kidding! This is a one-woman phenomenon with a record company, six movies on the go and a touring band. A typical day starts at 6am, involves driving across the country, gigging, presenting and writing before final getting into bed at 4. Not that she’d change a thing.
• Continue reading at Birmingham Living.
Toyah is the cover star of the January 2017 issue of Birmingham Living magazine, with a three-page interview feature inside. Read the feature by clicking below, and the full magazine here.
• The Comeback: The original Pop Quiz returned to the BBC last night with a great episode.
• Bring it Back!: Reaction to the first of two new episodes has been overwhelmingly positive, with some already calling for a full series. There’s also been a a number of press reports on the revival.
• ITV/Good Morning Britain: Mike Read and the pop quiz comeback: Mike Read was live in the studio this morning talking about bringing back his iconic Pop Quiz with a host of 80s pop stars. Mike looked back on his 40-year career as a DJ on Radio 1, host of the 1980s Saturday morning children’s show Saturday Superstore and the original 1980s music panel game Pop Quiz which he’s bringing back – Continue reading…
• Classic Pop Magazine: Toyah thought last night’s Pop Quiz was a whole heap of fun. Hopefully BBC Four will commission a full series – Continue reading…
• Scottish Daily Mail: Music Show Revived: Pop Quiz – The Comeback, 9.30pm, BBC4: The delight of Mike Read’s Eighties series was that it brought together so many famous musicians who loved talking about music. The delight is intact for this revival, for which Read returns as host along with former conteestants Toyah Willcox, Nick Heyward and Cheryl Baker.
• BBC Four: Episode One is repeated tomorrow night, late – at 1.05am on BBC Four…
• Pop Quizzing at Dreamscape: Browse all of our news on PQ here…
