Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

First trailer and poster for Steve Oram’s Aaaaaaaah!

The cult of personality would be enough to make Steve Oram‘s Aaaaaaaah! into an incredibly appealing prospect, and very possibly a cult hit; this thing is just jam-packed with favourite figures from British comedy and music.

Just to scratch the surface, there’s Oram himself; his former stage comedy partner Tom Meeten and Sightseers co-star Alice Lowe; both halves of The Mighty Boosh; Tony Way; Toyah Willcox; and the music is by Willcox’s husband, Robert Fripp and his current band, The Crimson Projeckt.

But the real draw is the concept of the film, previously pitched by Oram as “Romeo and Juliet meets Planet of the Apes.”

None of the cast of characters get traditional dialogue, all of them left to communicate through grunts and groans, and their often-animalistic actions. This poster pretty much hits the nail on the head.

• Continue reading at Film Divider.

Ooooh! It’s The First NSFW Trailer For Steve Oram’s AAAAAAAAH!

We have been chomping at the bit here at TwitchFilm to get a look at Steve Oram’s directorial feature debut, Aaaaaaaah! (that’s eight “As”) and now the first teaser trailer for the film has arrived.

Pitched as “Romeo & Juliet meets Planet of the Apes”, Oram’s debut is an insanely surreal concept, with all performers eschewing traditional dialogue in favour of simian-like grunts, roars and howls. Featuring a who’s who of British comedy talent, including Oram himself, Alice Lowe, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Noel Fielding, Julian Barratt and 80s punk princess Toyah Willcox to name just a few, Aaaaaaaah! is quickly becoming one of the most hotly anticipated films of the year. It doesn’t have a release date yet, but it better be soon!

• Continue reading at TwitchFilm.

The Humans six-date UK Tour, Telling Strange Tales, kicked off last night in Uckfield. Toyah tweeted this great photo yesterday: “Thank u 2 “TRADING BOUNDARIES” for inviting THE HUMANS to open our tour 2nite. Fab venue. Cant wait xxx“. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

A teaser, or as The Velvet Onion put it, a “Teaseaaaaaaaah!”, for Aaaaaaaah! has been made available at You Tube. Click on the screen caps below to watch.

Aaaaaaaah! is coming soon. Written/directed by Steve Oram, starring Julian Barratt, Toyah Willcox, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Steve Oram, Noel Fielding. Soundtrack by King Crimson ProjeKcts.

• Browse Dreamscape’s previous news and updates on Aaaaaaaah! here…

All Back To Our Place: Vintage TV: Saturday 11th April: 00.15am
Join us as we party into the wee small hours. The working week is over so it’s All Back To Our Place at quarter past midnight! Dance along to Toyah Willcox, Billy Ocean, Michael Jackson, Joy Division & more!

Toyah Willcox has been pushing the boundaries of creativity for over 3 decades. Whether it’s through music or performance, she has never shied away from following her instincts. Her current creative project with The Humans is about experimenting with storytelling through sound. Toyah tells me “sonically it’s like nothing you’ve ever heard before because we’re very bass driven. I absolutely love the bass as an instrument of tonal beauty. With this band I wanted to make sure there

was nothing competing with the frequency but the voice work. So the voice sits upon this very masculine bass.” The juxtaposition of a feminine vocal and dominant percussive instruments gives The Human their unique sound and breaks down musical boundaries.

• Continue reading at Photo Groupie.

Eighties star Toyah talks Fifty Shades of Grey, Seattle fairtytales and her upcoming concert in Carlisle.

Toyah Willcox in Fifty Shades of Grey shocker! When the singer saw the trailer for this blockbusting film at the cinema, something seemed familiar. “It was partly shot in an apartment I have been trying to buy in Seattle for the past two years!” she says.

“I just laughed when I saw it. My husband and I commute between Seattle and England. It’s always fun when you see Seattle on films and programmes.”

Seeing the apartment in a film about a sado-masochistic relationship has not put her off buying it. “I’m even keener on it,” she says. “It’s got good provenance!”

Toyah is coming to Cumbria this summer as part of Ultimate Ladies Night at Carlisle Racecourse.

• Continue reading at Cumbria Live.

• Toyah’s Blog: The Humans on Tour: “We’re going to perform all of STRANGE TALES. It takes such a crazy journey in sound” – Stay updated on Toyah & The Humans direct from Toyah at Twitter… (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

• DGM Live: King Crimson’s Bill Rieflin is working in the UK this month with his other band, The Humans – Continue reading…

• You Tube: Toyah Willcox & The Humans are coming to Trading Boundaries, Uckfield on Saturday 11 April. Watch this video to hear her talking about the gig – Watch here…

• Toyah @ Twitter: A very Humans lunch – View here…

• AGMP Concerts: The Humans: Next Saturday Toyah & The Humans will play a rare show at the beautifully intimate 100 Club, London – Ticket link here…

• Gloucester Guildhall: Not long until we welcome Toyah & The Humans – Ticket link here…

• Telling Strange Tales: Tickets for all dates here…

• Five Live!: The line-up for THE HUMANS: TELLING STRANGE TALES UK Tour which kicks off on Saturday 11 April at Trading Boundaries is Toyah, Bill Rieflin & Chris Wong with guest Humans Igor Abuladaze and Jake Wilson. (Info/Image Source: Official Toyah Facebook)

Toyah’s April blog is now available over at toyahwillcox.com. Toyah talks The Humans: “I hope you can make it to the gigs. The band is very different to when we last toured the UK. It is all very exciting. Don’t forget you can get the STRANGE TALES album CD hard copy at the gigs too“.

2015 is the 30th anniversary of Minx. One of the best songs on Toyah’s 1985 album was America For Beginners. Steve Skaith of Latin Quarter, who wrote and originally recorded the song, is just about to release a new version of the song on the album Bare Bones. More info by clicking below.

Toyah has tweeted a couple of photos of The Humans in rehearsals for their tour this afternoon: “YIPEEEE! We r back 2gether again and sounding awesome xxx“. View the full version of both at Twitter. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

Toyah and The Humans are practising the set for the upcoming UK Telling Strange Tales Tour. Kicks off 11th April in East Sussex at Trading Boundaries. Full dates & tickets by clicking below. (Info Source: Official Toyah Facebook)

Dreamscape’s Toyah news for January – March 2015 has now been “archived” – Not sure how I’ve found the time over the years, but there’s now over 15 years of press, interviews, releases, photos, TV, radio and much more in the News Archive. 1000′s of news posts to browse.

Toyah – pushing the boundaries as she visits next week

Toyah Willcox’s 38-year career in the spotlight represents something of a split personality. Either one of those personalities – the actress or the singer – is a success in their own right.

While some singers have tried their hand at acting and some actors have flirted with the idea of releasing songs, Toyah has been doing both in tandem, and somehow separately, for her entire career.

“I couldn’t break my career into parts,” she explained. “This year I’m singing three times a week and I’m writing a lot. I have to deliver at least 20 songs a year. That’s what I do. At the same time I’m starring in a British film called Extremis which finishes shooting in three weeks. I just like to always be doing something.”

Toyah’s latest music project, The Humans, combines her vocals with two bass guitars – and that’s it. There are no drums and no lead guitars, meaning Toyah’s voice has to effectively become another instrument.

“We’re pushing the boundaries,” she said. “I like the bass as an instrument. I like its whole timbre and what we’re doing is incredibly exciting. When you think about any classic rock song, it’s the bass as well as the drum that really makes the song. The Humans are really a homage to what a wonderful instrument the bass is.”

• Continue reading at the East Grinstead Courier.

A double-page from the forthcoming Flexipop! The Book. More info/Pre-order here.

• Sam FM: Win tickets to Toyah at The Talking Heads: The 80s legend Toyah Willcox is bringing her latest band The Humans to Southampton for one night only and you could be there, thanks to Sam FM – Continue reading/Enter competition here… (Entry closes 10th April)

• Nantwich Jazz: Toyah Willcox @ The Civic Friday July 10th: Toyah Willcox the original Princess of Punk hits the Civic Stage on Friday 10th July with her Close Up and Personal Tour – Continue reading…

• Official Toyah: Vale Park Aylesbury: I am thrilled to be playing Aylesbury Vale Park! It will be a wonderful, fun night with great music. It is only 34 years since I received the FA Cup for selling out Friars faster than any other artist in the history of the Friars…. so it is about time I come back! Toyah xx – View at toyahwillcox.com…

• Alex Veitch ‏@ Twitter: Was fabulous to work with Toyah Willcox on #Extremis. Was an astonishing and hair raising performance! @toyahofficial – View here…

• Extremis (2015): It’s the end of the world – at least their world – View the full cast and crew at imdb.com…

• Paul Nicholson ‏@ Twitter: Looking forward to mixing for The Humans on their UK Tour. See you there! – Browse the dates at ents24.com | Visit Paul’s Twitter here…

• Roger Dean: Trading Boundaries: Toyah and the Humans will be playing on Saturday 11th April. They have played there before and both Toyah and the band were absolutely brilliant! – Continue reading…

• GS Promotions: Catch Toyah unplugged, up close and personal at the Waterside Arts, Sale Fri 15th May – Further info here…

It’s April – Almost time for The Humans Live!

Six live UK dates, the Telling Strange Tales tour, for The Humans. Taking place between the 11th and 19th April.

11 APRIL: UCKFIELD | TRADING BOUNDARIES
14 APRIL: GLOUCESTER | GUILDHALL
16 APRIL: SOUTHAMPTON | THE TALKING HEADS
17 APRIL: SWANSEA | THE GARAGE (WHITEZ)
18 APRIL: LONDON | 100 CLUB
19 APRIL: CHATHAM | BRITANNIA THEATRE

In 2015, The Humans will not only begin work recording their fourth album but embark on a UK tour of five confirmed dates. Telling Strange Tales will kick off on 11 April 2015 at Trading Boundaries, Uckfield and close at The Britannia Theatre, Chatham on 19 April.

• View more details on the tour and links to book tickets here. View the news announcement on the tour here. (A CD of the Strange Tales album will be available exclusively at the gigs).

A great new interview with Toyah, published yesterday, by UK Music Reviews.

Toyah Willcox, singer, songwriter and lead vocalist with The Humans chats with Kevin Cooper about how The Humans got together, acting in Quadrophenia, her solo acoustic tour and the tour of the UK with The Humans.

Toyah Willcox, singer, songwriter from the 1980’s and actor, formed The Humans in 2007 after her husband, Robert Fripp was too busy to perform at the birthday party of the President of Estonia. Having written a forty minute set, and toured Estonia with it in 2007, The Humans have since released three albums.

We Are The Humans was released in 2009, with the follow-up Sugar Rush being released in 2009. The latest album, Strange Tales was released in March 2014. As they prepare for a six date tour of the UK to promote The Humans, Toyah is also busy with her own acoustic tour, she is heavily involved with The Flashback and Rewind Festivals, as well as working on a new Toyah Willcox album together with her successful acting career.

Taking time out from her busy life, she had a chat with Kevin Cooper, and this is what she had to say.

• Continue reading at UK Music Reviews.

Photos from Toyah’s Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gig at The Musician, Leicester, which took place last Thursday. View larger versions of these photos, and more, at the Live 2015 page at Dreamscape’s Gallery. (Thanks to Ray | Photos © Ray Sears)

Toyah recently tweeted about filming a new horror film, Extremis. Here is a little further info on the film, and a recent press report on the production…

Extremis, a GSP Studios feature production currently shooting in South Yorkshire and starring David O’Hara (The Departed, Braveheart), Isabelle Allen (Lés Miserables), Lisa Gormley (Home and Away) and Toyah Willcox. (Thanks to Paul Stephenson)

Huddersfield Examiner: Film crews back in Huddersfield to shoot thriller Extremis

A film company has returned to Huddersfield to shoot another thriller. Julian and Lionel Hicks worked with North Light Studios in 2012 on their feature film Scintilla and are now back in town for a second time.

They have teamed up with York-based GSP Studios to produce award winning director, Steve Stone’s second feature Extremis, which is shooting partly on location in Huddersfield.

The new psychological thriller, Extremis, centres on a business executive who returns home to his family for the weekend. Within hours of his return a cataclysmic ‘event’ takes place and the world they inhabit becomes deserted and toxic.

• Continue reading at The Huddersfield Examiner.

• Live 2015: Toyah is playing in Blackpool a couple of times over the next few months: A PA on 3rd May, and a full band concert at the North Pier on 12th July. More details on that and a larger version of the promo image at toyahwillcox.com…

• Here and Now – Party At The Gardens: Win a meet and greet with the stars of Party At The Gardens – Thanks to Here and Now and Tony Denton Promotions, you could be in with the chance of meeting the stars of Party at the Gardens, sponsored by Somersby! – More details here…

• Lowdham Book Festival 2015: Toyah plays this festival on 19th June. Join the festival mailing list to get the 2015 programme at the beginning of May for the festival – More info here…

• Toyah in Norwich: A great evening of live music with 80’s legend, Toyah Willcox at Epic Studios in Norwich – Great collection of live shots by Neil Fellowes at flickr…

• Birmingham Post: Gallery: BBC shows from yesteryear produced in Birmingham: Toyah Willcox and Chris Phipps, presenters of Look! Hear! in the early 1980s – A retro photo of Toyah is included in this new article…