Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

Last Night Party: Marc Almond + Toyah + DJ
2nd July | 8pm – site opens at 6.30pm | £32.00
Venue: Festival in the Field Marquee

Our Last Night Party will end Grassington 2016 off with pop and a fizz as internationally acclaimed icon Marc Almond headlines – by arrangement with Satellite Agency. Almond has sold over 30 million records Worldwide with a solo career which sprang from his success with Soft Cell and the classic Tainted Love which broke all records and continues to be an iconic hit. Renowned for his high profile collaborations with artists such as Bronski Beat and Jools Holland, Almond also worked with Gene Pitney with a number one hit, Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart in 1989. We are delighted he will be helping us celebrate our last night. So get ready for a night to boogie and let your hair down.

The legendary Toyah is supporting Marc Almond. From punk princess to high priestess of TV, Toyah Willcox is a uniquely gifted performer. 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 actress and music composer.

• Continue reading at www.grassington-festival.org.uk.

The Four From Toyah EP, Toyah’s sixth UK single, was released this week in 1981. This was Toyah’s chart breakthrough release after almost three years of albums, singles and tours. Toyah can be seen performing the lead song, It’s A Mystery on Top Of The Pops on BBC Four tonight at 7.30pm and again at 11pm. It will also be available to watch online at BBC iPlayer after airing. Click below to view Dreamscape’s 30th Anniversary feature on the EP, from 2011.

Toyah will play the Grassington Festival in Yorkshire this Summer, an event she previously performed at in June 2008. This year’s festival takes place between the 17th June and 2nd July.

Punk princess Toyah Willcox joins this year’s Grassington Festival line-up

More acts have been announced for this year’s Grassington Festival, which runs from June 17 to July 2. Supporting the inimitable and iconic Marc Almond for the Last Night Party on July 2, will be 80s punk princess Toyah Willcox.

Toyah rose to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s, quickly becoming a household name as a result of her distinctive style, and memorable top ten hits; It’s a Mystery, I Want to be Free and Thunder in the Mountains. The award-winning outdoor theatre company, Illyria, will return to Grassington Festival for the sixth consecutive year, with a magical outdoor performance at Bolton Abbey Priory on Friday, July 1.

• Continue reading at the Craven Herald & Pioneer. Visit the Grassington Festival website here.

Tons of new dates have been added to Toyah’s Official Gigs page, including a number of acoustic and electric concerts and a handful of festival appearances. Browse the list by clicking below.

Kavanagh Q.C.: ITV Encore: Tuesday 16th February: 12.55pm
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.

Toyah has been confirmed as a panel guest at the forthcoming Shakespeare 400 at The V&A: A One Day Festival, taking place on 22nd April 2016.

‘O brave new world!’ – The Tempest

Celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with the stuff that dreams are made on. Hosted by the V&A and led by Shakespeare scholar John Pitcher (St John’s College, Oxford), we invite you to a festival of art, poetry, music and on-stage discussions devoted to his final, and most magical play, The Tempest. It will be a day, in the words of Caliban, of ‘sounds,’ ‘sweet airs’ and ‘a thousand twangling instruments’, as represented in the V&A’s collections.

Prospero’s art – the imaginative world of wizards, spells and demigods banned by the Elizabethan church but alive in people’s fears and fantasies – will be looked at alongside the physical realm of windmills, water power, and sailing ships. The poetry of the play, and the way it lives on stage and in film, will be discussed by poets Alice Oswald and Alicia Stallings, the novelist John Lanchester and the actress Harriet Walter. The many mental states The Tempest evokes and occupies – revery, stupor, frenzy, vengefulness, and wonder – will be explored and experienced by you, the participants.

• Further information/Book tickets at the V&A website. More details also at toyahwillcox.com.

Available Now! Listen to the People’s History Of Pop, presented by Toyah, online at BBC iPlayer.

Stories include a fan of the Beatles who as a teenager collected as much memorabilia as she could – only to lose it all in a house fire.

A Madonna superfan, who’s even turned her downstairs loo into a shrine of the queen of pop. We’ll hear about the brilliance of David Bowie, playing to just 2000 people at Birmingham’s Que Club. And hear how a Smiths fan from Solihull has come to own a piece of Morrissey’s shirt.

Quadrophenia – 1964 is back for February 2016 in London

Relive the sights and sounds of 1964 as British movie classic Quadrophenia‘s full on theatrical performance takes place at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith on 11 February 2016.

The cinematic presentation is sure to plunge mod fans young and old into the sights and sounds of the swinging sixties, capturing the spirit of an era that fuelled a cultural revolution.

Many of the original film’s key stars will be taking part in the event including the star of the film, 1960’s Mod teenager Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels). Joining Daniels will be other major names from the cast including Phil Davis (Chalky), Mark Wingett (Dave), Toyah Willcox (Monkey), Trevor Laird (Ferdy), Garry Cooper (Peter) and Daniel Peacock (Danny).

Director Franc Roddam and cast are set to share their memories in a special one off Q&A to start off the night.

• Continue reading at The Mod Journalist. Win tickets for Quadrophenia: The Immersive Experience 2016 at clashmusic.com (entry closes 9th February).

Out Now: Quadrophenia – A Way Of Life by Simon Wells for Kindle with bonus downloads

What does a couple of quid get you these days? Not a lot. But it does get you Quadrophenia – A Way Of Life by Simon Wells for the Amazon Kindle, which also comes with a few bonus extras.

It’s the same book we flagged up back in May 2014, which is when the print version landed. That is still available if you prefer print. But if you don’t and have a Kindle, you can opt for this version.

It’s just the same in terms of the book, a look at the making of the cult mod movie and its subsequent influence on popular culture. There are interviews with principal cast members, director Franc Roddam, scriptwriter Martin Stellman and other involved in the creation of the film, coming together as a good overview of the movie and the background to it.

It doesn’t say so on the listing, but according to author Simon Wells, the e-book contains a link to download 49 continuity Polaroids from the making of the film. That’s got to be worth the modest price tag alone. £2.10 is that price and the Kindle book is available now.

• Continue reading at Modculture.

Thanks to Angus (pictured below with Toyah – and also featuring a cameo from Mr Robert Fripp!) for these great photos from Toyah’s first Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date of 2016, which took place at Camberley Theatre, Camberley, Surrey on Friday night. Please click on each photo to view larger versions. (Photos © Angus Turner)

Toyah’s blog for February 2016 is now available to read at toyahwillcox.com.

More new gigs for this year have been confirmed at The Official Toyah Willcox Wesbite. These include Acoustic, Up Close & Personal dates; Proud, Loud & Electric gigs, and a variety of music festivals (Rewind, Let’s Rock Leeds), There’s also a new Toyah t-shirt for 2016, which will be available to buy at gigs, featuring the Bird in Flight single sleeve emblazoned on the front. Click below to view the full t-shirt and here to browse Toyah’s Gig Diary.

Stars talk to Len Goodman about their childhood holidays in North Wales

Toyah Willcox and Melanie Sykes revisit Llangollen and Llandudno respectively in BBC One’s Holiday of My Lifetime

A new series of Holiday of My Lifetime has begun this week on BBC One when Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman travels with celebrities to revisit the places of their childhood holidays. And two of them talk about the fond memories they have of visiting North Wales.

In episode 10 to be shown on Friday, February 12, Len takes singer, actress and presenter Toyah Willcox back to the Llangollen Canal to reminisce about a wonderful narrow boat holiday she had back in 1968. First up Len surprises Toyah by picking her up in the Golden Lark – a narrow boat similar to the one she would have holidayed in back in 1968.

As they drift along at a very civilised pace they start chatting about how her time on the canal was very different to her home city of Birmingham. For Toyah the holiday meant “freedom and fun”.

• Continue reading at Wales Daily Post. (Photo © BBC)

Toyah’s iconic first Top Of The Pops performance aired on Thursday night on BBC4. Watch the full episode at BBC iPlayer. TOTP is repeated late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, at 1.45am.

Expect an announcement on March 1st from Toyah and Simon Darlow…

Toyah presents People’s History Of Pop this Sunday on BBC WM 95.6. A one-hour special for the radio station, airing at Midday.

The programme will be available to listen to live online or post-broadcast at BBC iPlayer.

People’s History Of Pop: BBC WM:
Sunday 7th February: 12pm
Toyah Willcox presents a special show about listener’s music memories and memorabilia.

• Visit the BBC WM People’s History Of Pop webpage here. Browse all of Dreamscape’s People’s History Of Pop here. See Toyah’s tweet about recording the programme here. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Thursday 4th February: 7.30pm/11.30pm
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 7th February: 1.45am
Mike Read presents. Duran Duran (Planet Earth), Talking Heads (Once In A Lifetime), Adam & The Ants (Kings Of The Wild Frontier), Toyah (It’s A Mystery), Shakin’ Stevens (This Ole House), Motorhead & Girlschool (Please Don’t Touch), Phil Collins (I Missed Again), Kool & The Gang (Jones Vs Jones), Teardrop Explodes (Reward), The Who (You Better You Bet), Joe Dolce (Shaddap Your Face). This originally aired on BBC1 on 5th March 1981. Toyah’s appearance is a repeat of their first studio performance which aired two weeks previously on 19th February 1981.

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Thursday 11th February: 7.30pm/11pm
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 14th February: 1.40am
Peter Powell presents. The Jacksons (Can You Feel It?), Sharron Redd (Can You Handle It?), Shakin’ Stevens (This Ole House), Dave Stewart & Colin Blunstone (What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?), The Who (You Better You Bet), Stevie Wonder (Lately), Phil Collins (I Missed Again), Bucks Fizz (Making Your Mind Up), Visage (Mind Of A Toy), Duran Duran (Planet Earth), Toyah (It’s A Mystery), Roxy Music (Jealous Guy). This originally aired on BBC1 on 19th March 1981 and was Toyah’s second studio appearance/performance (pictured above).

Last Thursday’s repeat of Top Of The Pops on BBC4 included Four From Toyah in “The Charts” rundown. The EP had climbed into the Top 30 for the first time. Click here to view larger versions of the screen caps and below to watch the programme at BBC iPlayer.

Top Of The Pops: 26/02/1981: Peter Powell introduces the pop programme, featuring Status Quo, Kim Wilde, Madness, Kiki Dee, Coast to Coast, the Passions, Roxy Music and Joe Dolce, and a dance performance from Legs & Co.

More detailed info on the forthcoming Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman featuring Toyah, which airs on Friday 12th February at 3.45pm on BBC1. (Photo © BBC)

Len Goodman takes celebrities back in time to recreate their childhood holidays. Len takes singer, actress and presenter Toyah Willcox back to the Llangollen Canal in North Wales to reminisce about a wonderful narrow boat holiday she had back in 1968. First up Len surprises Toyah by picking her up in the Golden Lark – a beautiful narrow boat similar to the one she would have holidayed in back in 1968. As they drift along at a very civilised pace they start chatting about how her time on the canal was very different to her home city of Birmingham. For Toyah the holiday meant freedom and fun. Along the way they test their artistic side by painting trays just like ones that adorn the sides of the narrow boats, they tuck into a vintage picnic with the all-important pork pie and they visit an antiques shop like the ones her father would have taken her to whilst on holiday. One of the highlights is Toyah manning the tiller to negotiate the boat across a 127 feet aqueduct. (Duration: 45 minutes, Series 2 Episode 10)

As TV favourite Len Goodman celebrates the return of his nostalgic travel series Holiday Of My Lifetime, Gemma Dunn finds out about his latest batch of celebrity guests and why the lively host thinks staycations will never lose their appeal.

If you’re struggling to think of a holiday partner, why not try former professional ballroom dancer Len Goodman out for size? He’s humble, fun, proactive – “This morning I’ve put the washing on, got a bit of salmon out of the freezer, and now I’m putting the kettle on” – and, above all else, he’s picked up some top tips from his BBC One series, Holiday Of My Lifetime.

Returning for a second season, the daytime show, which sees the popular TV personality lead a line-up of willing celebrity guests down memory lane, to relive their favourite British childhood summer holidays, will air a total of 25 episodes over a five-week run.

• Continue reading at the Gloucester Citizen.

Another retro Top Of The Pops appearance from 1981 for Toyah, airing 35 years later on BBC4 in February. There’s more info at the BBC website.

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC4:
Thursday 11th February: 7.30pm/11pm
Peter Powell introduces the pop programme, featuring Sharon Redd, Bucks Fizz, Colin Blunstone and Dave Stewart, Toyah, the Who, Phil Collins, Shakin Stevens, Visage, Roxy Music and Duran Duran, and a dance performance from Legs and Co.

• Look out for further retro Toyah on Top Of The Pops appearances this year on BBC4 – In 1981 Toyah guested in the Top Of The Pops studio six times, performing ‘It’s A Mystery’ (three times), ‘I Want To Be Free’, ‘Thunder In The Mountains’ and ‘Good Morning Universe’.