The Vintage TV Sessions: Vintage TV: Friday 27th February: 11pm
Bringing you all the atmosphere, excitement and intimacy of a live gig for your viewing pleasure are our Vintage TV Sessions. And we are very proud to present, from the brilliant Bedford pub in Balham, five more awe-inspiring acts performing two songs each. Taking the stage are singer songwriters Leddra Chapman and Newton Faulkner, Gabrielle of ‘Dreams’ fame, northern indie collective The Jar Family and our dear friend, the late glam rocker Alvin Stardust. Our own Toyah Willcox is your host.
The Vintage TV Sessions: Vintage TV: Friday 6th March: 11pm
Five great acts sing two songs apiece at our Vintage TV Sessions: indie rockers The Struts, punk princess Toyah Willcox, singers Judie Tzuke and Josephine, and Nik Kershaw.
• Visit the Vintage TV schedules here. (Photo 3 © Vintage TV/Roger Goodgroves)
Big Country and Toyah Willcox perform at the Kick Up The Eighties night at the Pavilion Theatre, performing all their hits from back in the day, along with DJs playing classic eighties tunes, a night not to be missed for any 80s music fan.
The colourful, dynamic and unique Toyah Willcox brings her full band to performing a lively and exhilarating set. Toyah delivers a dose of high energy in every gig, including the iconic hit singles It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains.
• Continue reading at Worthing Theatres.
Toyah, along with Altered Images, Rick Astley and many more, plays Here and Now Northampton, taking place at The Saints Stadium, Northampton Rugby Football Club on Spring Bank Holiday Monday 25th May.
• Tickets went on sale on Thursday, and are available to buy here.
Toyah plays Eastbourne Bandstand on 14th August: Toyah is very much looking forward to performing at Eastbourne Bandstand for the first time ever in 2015! This charismatic, outspoken and much love musician will be performing a 1.5 hour live concert which promises a selection of music that will span her career and include her hits ‘It’s A Mystery’, ‘Brave New World’ and ‘I Want To Be Free’. Don’t miss your chance to see this legend live at Eastbourne’s iconic Bandstand.
• Continue reading/buy tickets at eastbournebandstand.co.uk.
Rewind Scotland returns to Scone Palace, Perth in July. Toyah plays the festival on its final day, Sunday 26th July.
• Visit Toyah’s page at the Rewind Festival website. Buy tickets at Ticketline.
Choccywoccydoodah: Watch: Friday 6th March: 7.30pm
Choccywoccydoodah: Watch: Monday 9th March: 1.30pm
Show Business. Another morsel from the ultimate chocolate shop. Tom and Christine make their live TV debut on Sunday Brunch, and Dave creates a chocolate replica of Toyah.
A previously unreleased acoustic version of Toyah’s exuberant 1982 hit single Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard) is currently available to listen to at toyahwillcox.com.
You can also check out Toyah’s full live gigs schedule for 2015, which includes the Acoustic, Up Close & Personal Tour, Toyah and The Humans Telling Stange Tales UK Tour plus a variety of full band concerts and festival appearances.
Thanks to the Acoustic… gigs there is a renewed interest in The Acoustic Album, Toyah’s 1996 re-working of a selection of previous recordings, including Blue Meanings, Angels & Demons, The Vow and Moonlight Dancing. The album has been made available again recently with new artwork, and it is also available digitally. Visit the album’s dedicated page at Toyah’s Official website.
“The acoustic gigs have been so successful that I really need to consider doing another acoustic album.” said Toyah in an interview with The Argus last year. It would be interesting to hear which songs would make The Acoustic Album Two.
• Browse Toyah’s Official Gigs page. The Acoustic Album is available at iTunes.
Tickets are on sale for the Here and Now concert at Burghley House, Stamford.
80’s Greatest Hits Show at Burghley House: 7th June 2015
Live Promotions bring the 80’s Here and Now Greatest Hits Show to concert at Burghley House on the 7th June 2015.
The nostalgic line-up features Bananarama (Hits include Cruel Summer and Venus), Midge Ure (Lead singer of Ultravox, famous for Vienna), Toyah (It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free), Odyssey (Use It Up and Wear It Out & Going Back To My Roots), and Curiosity Killed The Cat (Singles include Misfit and Down To Earth).
• Further info, and links to buy tickets, at Live Promotions.
Toyah Willcox and The Humans Hit The Road on 2015 UK Tour
Toyah Willcox & The Humans is a transatlantic contemporary three piece rock band, which comprises Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin of REM fame and Chris Wong. They are embarking upon a UK tour of six intimate concert dates to promote their album, Strange Tales.
The band is the brainchild of renowned singer, actress and household name Toyah Wilcox and brings together three lifetimes of musical experience, experimentation and craftsmanship. She needs very little introduction having been a household name since the early 80s.
… They will be aided and abetted in these live concerts by returning guest Igor Abuladze and for this tour by Tim Rose. Alongside Wong, Tim Rose has played in Toyah’s live touring band since 2005. The tour will see the first UK live performances of material from 2014’s Strange Tales album which was met with much praise from fans old and new. Get In Your Car and Amnesia have already become firm favourites.
• Continue reading at UK Music Reviews.
It’s a mystery solved: Singer Toyah’s swing-ing time in Shropshire
It’s a mystery – why was Toyah Willcox sitting on a swing in Shropshire?
The diminutive pop star from the 1980s, still packing out concert venues today, sprang a very special surprise for guests at a wedding in the county by performing for the bride and groom.
But no-one was more surprised than Toyah herself when she came across the swing in a hotel bedroom.
She was so taken aback she tweeted a photo of the red padded swing to her 8,000 followers on Twitter.
She sent fans a cryptic message asking them to guess where she was. Toyah had travelled to the region from Cardiff where she had performed to thousands of fans on Saturday night.
And despite a lifetime in the music industry, the “pocket rocket” admitted to being surprised herself when she walked into her hotel room – to find a swing hanging from the ceiling.
• Continue reading at the Shropshire Star.
Excellent photos of Toyah from last Thursday’s Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gig at Sub 89, Reading. Included in Set One were Thunder In The Mountains, Neon Womb, Sensational and Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard). and in Set two were Come, Danced and Ieya. View larger versions of these photos, and more, at the Live 2015 page at Dreamscape’s Gallery. (Thanks to Ian | Photos © Ian Davis)
Just received some great HQ photos from Thursday’s Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gig at Sub 89, Reading. Here’s a preview. I’ll be adding the photos to the Gallery asap. Tonight Toyah plays Cardiff Globe. (Thanks to Ian | Photo © Ian Davis)
A slightly strange, but interesting, article about Steve Strange: The day I met Steve Strange – after he invited me to his birthday party, has been published by the Mirror. The article includes a selection of photos of Steve, including this one of Toyah and Steve at the British Rock & Pop Awards in 1982. (NB. The post title isn’t a quote by Toyah, they just include a photo of her!)
Exactly 34 years ago today, Valentine’s Day 1981, Four From Toyah entered the UK Singles Chart. Toyah’s sixth single and second EP eventually peaked at number four and spent 14 weeks on the chart. The rest, as they say, is history…
There have been a number of radio interviews with Toyah over the last few weeks. Some have been converted to text articles over at The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive, with more to follow. Click below to read the transcripts.
Steve Strange, lead singer of 1980s pop band Visage, has died aged 55 following a heart attack, his record label says. The Welsh New Romantic icon – best known for the hit Fade To Grey – died in hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Ex-Visage bandmates Midge Ure and Rusty Egan said they were “devastated” to hear of his “untimely passing”, adding: “Steve was a major face of the 80s.”
In this archive footage from 1980, Toyah Willcox interviewed Strange, from Newbridge, Caerphilly, about his band and clubs.
• Continue reading/watch the clip at BBC News Wales.
Toyah onstage last night at Sub 89, Reading. Tonight the Acoustic, Up Close & Personal tour plays the Cheese & Grain in Frome, Somerset. View a larger version of this photo, and more, at the new Live 2015 page at Dreamscape’s Gallery. (Thanks to Angus | Photo © Angus Turner)
As previously mentioned there’s a new t-shirt for the 2015 live dates. Toyah tweeted a brilliant photo of Robert Fripp modelling it today… “Superstar super fan xxx“
Toyah has paid a touching tribute to New Romantic/BLITZ club pioneer Steve Strange who died yesterday aged 55. “My darling steve strange…….never fade to grey. Just shine bright in the heavens xxx”. Below is a photo of Steve and Toyah taken last Summer. (Photo Credit: V&A)
This year Toyah has so far played two Acoustic, Up Close & Personal dates, in Beccles and Wolverhampton. This evening she performs at Sub 89, Reading. There are plenty more dates over the forthcoming months, although two, Selby and Cumbria, have already sold out:
ACOUSTIC SET WITH CHRIS WONG & COLIN HINDS
12 FEB: SUB 89 | READING
13 FEB: CHEESE & GRAIN | FROME, SOMERSET
14 FEB: GLOBE | CARDIFF
26 MAR: THE MUSICIAN | LEICESTER
1 MAY: HAVERHILL ARTS CENTRE | SUFFOLK
2 MAY: SOUNDSTOCK FESTIVAL | CHELMSFORD
9 MAY: TOWN HALL | SELBY **SOLD OUT**
15 MAY: WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE | SALE
30 MAY: CORN EXCHANGE | HERTFORD
5 JUN: BABBACOMBE THEATRE | TORQUAY
6 JUN: CARNGLAZE CAVERNS | CORNWALL
12 JUN: OAKENGATES THEATRE | TELFORD
19 JUN: LOWDHAM VILLAGE HALL | NOTTINGHAM
27 JUN: LOWER HOLKER VILLAGE HALL | CUMBRIA **SOLD OUT**
10 JUL: NANTWICH CIVIC HALL | EAST CHESHIRE
16 OCT: BEWDLEY FESTIVAL | BEWDLEY
22 OCT: THE BRINDLEY | RUNCORN
6 NOV: PETERBOROUGH | THE CRESSET
21 NOV: HAILSHAM PAVILLION | EAST SUSSEX
Toyah also plays at the London Palladium on 28th June, performing acoustically with Chris Wong, as part of John Shuttleworth & Friends charity concert. The Acoustic, Up Close & Personal dates run throughout 2015 as an extended series of gigs rather than in a single-month tour.
• View more details on the Acoustic… dates and links to book tickets here. View all of Toyah’s confirmed live dates for 2015 at The Official Gigs page.
Mysterious girl: Make a date with pop icon Toyah
As part of the ’80s post-punk New Wave scene, Toyah Willcox had considerable chart success with hits such as It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Brave New World and starred in movies such as Jubilee and Quadrophenia before turning to television and musical theatre.
Lisa Evans spoke to iconic colourful character before her Up Close And Personal tour comes to Frome’s Cheese and Grain on Friday, February 13.
“I’ve never performed in Frome before so I’m really excited to visit,” said Toyah. “I’ve heard it’s a brilliant venue and a stunning place I love coming to new places so this will be a treat.”
Her current show is a unique chance to experience Toyah up close and personal. A lively unplugged/storytellers style gig, it will include Toyah performing an acoustic set of her loved hit singles and classic songs, alongside recalling stories from her colourful, 35 year career with projections onto a big screen showing clips of films and videos that she has appeared in as she discusses the many famous people she has worked with and the anecdotes with the audience.
“I’ve always loved music and have always felt inspired to do it – it feels like it’s in my genes.”
• Continue reading at the Somerset Guardian. Also available at the Frome Standard: Toyah Willcox gets Up Close And Personal at Frome’s Cheese and Grain.
This Saturday we will be welcoming English singer & actress Toyah Willcox for a very special Cardiff performance, followed by a free live screening of Wales’ 6 Nations match against Scotland on Sunday afternoon. And then on Monday teenage rising-star and X-Factor sensation Bailey McConnell will be performing live.
• Continue reading at The Globe.
Head over to The Official Toyah Facebook page for the latest opportunity to “Ask Toyah” a question.
From FB: New questions invited for Toyah to answer directly in video messages for www.toyahwillcox.com. Post your questions in the comments on this post. All “when are you playing live in my town” won’t be answered! There is also a signed copy of The Acoustic Album (2014 re-press) up for grabs for the most original question or question which Toyah likes the most from this batch! Ready, steady ASK!
Living With The Dead: Pick: Tuesday 24th February: 10.05pm
Toyah Willcox (Celeb Special). Singer Toyah Willcox invites the Living with the Dead experts to her hometown nearby Pershore Abbey to exorcise paranormal activity connected to 15th-century criminal monks. Also airing on Pick +1.
