Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

Toyah didn’t release any new music in 1984 but ‘Smash Hits’ still included her in their special extra issue – The Smash Hits Christmas Party, published in association with Woolworth – in December 1984: Will You Be Watching The Queen’s Speech? When you jump up after the Christmas Top Of The Pops, is it to stand to attention for Her Majesty or a mad dash to switch off the TV? We asked a selection of pop stars if they’d be tuning in to that speech… Click below to view a larger version – Read the full issue here. (Thanks to Like Punk Never Happened – Smash Hits Archive)

The Digital Advent at The Official Toyah Willcox Website has started today. Check every day in the lead up to Christmas – “Surprises in store”.

The Breaking Through newsletter has today confirmed more live dates for Toyah. These are in addition to the Acoustic and Humans tours and includes festivals and multi-artist concerts.

• Subscribe: For full info on all of the above, and to receive future issues of the newsletter, sign up to ‘Breaking Through’ here.

Welcome to December! It’s the first of our build-up/countdown to Christmas posts. There’s no particular theme this year, other than each entry will be Christmas/Toyah related. Beginning with a look back at some of Dreamscape’s previous Christmas “cards” posted on the site on various Christmas Eve’s over the years. Ah the memories. I particularly enjoyed updating Dreamscape at Christmas… December was always a ridiculously busy month and updating each day seemed to add to the excitement of the countdown to the 25th!

More upcoming air times/dates for Toyah’s Vintage TV festive special.

Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Wednesday 3rd December: 5pm
Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Sunday 7th December: 1am
Cosy up with family and friends as Toyah Willcox brings you a selection of fine Christmas songs and a sprinkling of festive stories, surrounded by a variety of creatures great and small.  (This originally aired as a two-hour special. These are cut-down one hour programmes)

FM: 4Music: Thursday 4th December: 10.30pm
System Addict. Jane dares Dom to quit drinking, he challenges her to stop smoking and Lyndsay is set the task of finding a girlfriend. Including guest appearances by the Toyah Willcox and the Wombats, who perform My Circuitboard City. Comedy, starring Chris O’Dowd, Kevin Bishop and Nina Sosanya.

• Toyah Live 2015: As well as the Acoustic, Up Close & Personal and Telling Strange Tales (The Humans) tours in 2015, Toyah already has a number of other live dates in her gig diary – View the full schedule, so far, at toyahwillcox.com…

• Toyah TV: An update, from Toyah, on the awesome WillyFred – View here…

• Longridge & Ribble Valley News: ‘I said: ‘I want a record deal! How do you do it?’: Hazel O’Connor mentions Toyah in another new interview – Hazel was among those guesting for The Stranglers over two nights at London’s Rainbow Theatre, alongside her friend Toyah Willcox. “They asked a few of us to do a couple of Stranglers songs, and I did (Get a) Grip (On Yourself) and Hanging Around, while Toyah did Duchess and something else. Toyah and myself also did backing vocals for Ian Dury, and lots of singers and guitarists played” – Continue reading…

• Get Reading: Bracknell Memories: Christmas lights switch-ons past: 2007: 80s star Toyah Willcox performed to a bustling Charles Square. The highlight was her cover of the Guns N Roses classic ‘Sweet Child O Mine’. At one point, the crowd performed an impressive Mexican wave – Continue reading…

• Never Mind The Buzzcocks: An episode of the, once great, quiz from 1998 – with Toyah guesting – View at You Tube…

• Toyah Live 2012/2013: Watch The Changeling Resurrection at Bush Hall, London and Love Is The Law & More at Concorde 2, Brighton. (Thanks to Lärwi, of The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive, for taking the time to film, compile and upload these).

• Record Collector Mag @ Twitter: “RC starting the day with Toyah’s Anthem. Now there was a band!” – Visit the magazine’s Twitter feed…

It will soon be December, which for me is the start of the Christmas season. This is Dreamscape’s 15th Christmas so look out for (or avoid if Christmas isn’t your thing) lots of Toyah related festive updates throughout the month in the lead up to the 25th. Content from Christmasses past of course but some new additions too…

Wednesday 3rd December, 5.00pm – Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo

Presenter Toyah Willcox wraps up warm for a trip to London Zoo, where she gets up close and personal with the animals, tells Christmas stories and introduces a host of favourite festive songs. Take a wander with our punk princess and bring a little creature comfort to your celebrations.

• Continue reading at Vintage TV. Check out Toyah’s full, so far, Vintage TV schedule.

Choccywoccydoodah: Watch: Thursday 11th December: 8.30pm
Choccywoccydoodah: Watch: Sunday 14th December: 8pm
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. (Part 6, New Episode) – Thanks to Gina Glockler.

Some excitement at Facebook over the last couple of days, as one of the contestants on the latest I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! sang the opening lines of Toyah’s Good Morning Universe in an episode. It did make me wonder what on earth would have happened had there been a FB back when Toyah actually was a junglemate herself :) I haven’t watched this cruelty-fest for many years, it was all a bit less contrived and sensationalist in its first few series.

Exciting!! – The Humans’ acclaimed third album, Strange Tales, which was released digitally in April will be available on CD in 2015 on the Telling Strange Tales UK Tour. Great news for those who, like me, still prefer to have their music piled on a shelf (old fashioned or what?).

Soundstock Festival tickets on sale tomorrow at launch party

Tickets are set to go on sale for a new family-friendly festival coming to Roxwell next year.

Soundstock Festival, a two-day music and comedy event, will be held on the weekend of May 2 and 3 and could see thousands of people through the gate. Music acts confirmed so far include former X Factor contestants Next of Kin as well as Toyah Willcox, Ultimate Eagles, the Johnny Cash Roadshow and the Simon and Garfunkel Story.

• Continue reading at the Chelmsford Weekly News.

What did you do last Thursday? Watch TV? Eat pizza? Read a magazine? Take a bath?

That’s my usual Thursday regimen, too – yeah, I’m wild – but last Thursday was a little bit different. I’d been invited to take part in a Twitter Q&A with the legend that is Toyah Willcox in association with the team behind The Sun’s online bingo show! You can’t get more modern than that when it comes to interviewing a celebrity, can you?

• Continue reading at More Than Toast. (Photo © More Than Toast)

Amazing photos of Toyah from Saturday’s final Songs From The Intergalactic Ranch House date at the O2 Academy, Islington. Click below to view larger versions of these, and more, at Dreamscape’s Gallery. (Thanks to Damon | Photos © Damon King)

Celebrity Fantasy Homes: BBC Lifestyle (Sweden)
Tuesday 9th December: 8.45am
Tuesday 9th December: 1.20pm
Toyah Willcox. Series 2, Episode 2. Toyah Willcox is looking for her fantasy home in a dream location. The original punk girl has set her heart on moving to Richmond.

Toyah’s Acoustic, Up Close & Personal tour is continuing in 2015, with a number of dates confirmed by the Breaking Through newsletter yesterday.

ACOUSTIC SET WITH CHRIS WONG & COLIN HINDS

17 JAN: BECCLES PUBLIC HALL | BECCLES
5 FEB: ROBIN 2 | WOLVERHAMPTON
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
8 MAY: STAMFORD CORN EXCHANGE | STAMFORD
15 MAY: WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE | SALE
5 JUN: BABBACOMBE THEATRE | TORQUAY
6 JUN: CARNGLAZE CAVERNS | CORNWALL
12 JUN: OAKENGATES THEATRE | TELFORD
19 JUN: LOWDHAM VILLAGE HALL | NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
27 JUN: LOWER HOLKER VILLAGE HALL | CUMBRIA
28 JUN: ACOUSTIC GUEST APPEARANCE TBA | LONDON (not full Toyah show)
6 NOV: THE CRESSET | PETERBOROUGH

• View more details on the Acoustic… dates and links to book tickets here.

Five live UK dates, the Telling Strange Tales tour, for The Humans in 2015 have been confirmed by toyahwillcox.com.

11 APRIL: UCKFIELD | TRADING BOUNDARIES
16 APRIL: SOUTHAMPTON | TALKING HEADS
17 APRIL: SWANSEA | THE GARAGE (WHITEZ)
18 APRIL: LONDON | 100 CLUB
19 APRIL: CHATTAM | 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).

Longtime Toyah fan David Morgan, also known as Digital Ghost, has just released his excellent debut five-song EP Supernova, via Reverbnation. Better still it’s available completely free.

Digital Ghost, a collaboration between David and Johnny Icon, draw inspiration from Toyah’s career and songwriting and fans will no doubt notice the references: Digital Ghost loves music. His songs stay with you. Uplifting, dark anthems that aim straight for the heart but move to the beat of the dancefloor; songs of love and loss, where vocal and melody are sovereign.

EP Tracklist: 1. Supernova; 2. Tattoo; 3. Nightmares; 4. This Universe; 5. In 2

• Further info can be found at the Digitial Ghost website and Facebook page. For specific details on Supernova please visit here, where you can also download the EP.

Fantastic photos of Toyah from Saturday’s final Songs From The Intergalactic Ranch House date at the O2 Academy, Islington. Click below to view larger versions at Dreamscape’s Gallery. (Thanks to Mark | Photos © Mark Evans)

Watch Mark’s video footage from Saturday’s gig at You Tube. Lärwi, of The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive, has also uploaded almost the entire concert too.

More upcoming air times/dates for Toyah’s Vintage TV festive specials.

Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Tuesday 25th November: 11.30pm
Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Thursday 27th November: 9pm
Cosy up with family and friends as Toyah Willcox brings you a selection of fine Christmas songs and a sprinkling of festive stories, surrounded by a variety of creatures great and small.

A Very Vintage Christmas: Vintage TV: Saturday 29th November: 11pm
Presenters Toyah Willcox and Wizzard’s Roy Wood are cosying up by the fireplace with two guest artists on our new show as they talk Christmas and sing favourite festive songs. (Part 1)

A Very Vintage Christmas: Vintage TV: Sunday 30th November: 11pm
Snuggling up by the fireside with Toyah Willcox and Roy Wood for some Christmas chat and festive songs are pop rock act The Feeling and Imagination’s Leee John. (Part 2)