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.
As mentioned, Toyah guested on Eleri Sions show on BBC Radio Wales yesterday afternoon.
Toyah’s interview begins at approximately 2 hours 15 minutes into the programme. She talked about her tours for 2015, The Humans, Valentines Day, King Crimson, appearing on Top Of The Pops in the 80s, imagery, current female singers, and more. There was also a play of It’s A Mystery from The Acoustic Album.
• The interview runs for around 15 minutes and can be listened to, for the next 29 days at, BBC iPlayer.
Another radio interview with Toyah today. She is guesting on Eleri Sions show on BBC Radio Wales this afternoon.
Eleri chats to Toyah Willcox ahead of her brand new tour and has her mind read live on air by a master magician.
• The programme can be listened to live at the BBC Radio Wales website, or after it airs at BBC iPlayer.
As mentioned, Toyah was interviewed on The Afternoon Show with Claire Cavanagh on BBC Radio Bristol yesterday.
Toyah’s interview begins approximately 42 minutes into the programme. She began by recounting the story of how her Mother and Father first met in Weston-Super-Mare. Toyah also discussed her Acoustic, Up Close & Personal tour, the origins of her name, a future trip to Japan with the King Crimson tour, reality TV in general and the recent series of Celebrity Big Brother, using full cans of hairspray in the 80s, her diet, cookery programmes, unfulfilled ambitions, and more.
There was also a play of Good Morning Universe from The Acoustic Album.
• The interview runs for around 15 minutes and can be listened to, for the next 27 days at, BBC iPlayer. Browse the full schedule of forthcoming Acoustic, Up Close & Personal tour dates.
Toyah is guesting on The Afternoon Show with Claire Cavanagh on BBC Radio Bristol (also airing on BBC Radio Somerset) today at 2.40pm. The show begins at 2pm and can be listened to live at the BBC Radio Bristol website or at BBC iPlayer after it airs.
Toyah will be talking about the forthcoming Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gigs in Frome and Cardiff, taking place later this week.
A new page Toyah Live 2015 has just been added to Dreamscape’s Gallery. Following on from a busy live 12 months for Toyah last year – see Toyah Live 2014 – it looks like this will be another. Hopefully the new page will be added to over the coming months. There are already photos from the first two Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gigs (thanks Angus & Paul), including this great shot from Bilston on Thursday. (Thanks to Paul | Photo © P A C Photography)
• View more of Dreamscape’s Gallery pages – Almost 40 years of Toyah’s career in photos – Browse the full Acoustic… UK Tour schedule. The next dates are at Sub 89, Reading on Thursday, Cheese & Grain, Somerset on Friday and Cardiff Globe on Saturday.
Toyah is interviewed today at Monocle Radio, www.monocle.com, in a music magazine special of The Stack.
A music magazine special with Tony Herrington, the Editor-In-Chief of underground music magazine The Wire and music journalist and author Andrew Mueller. Also Toyah Willcox shares her experience as one of the 80s most featured musicians on the front cover of magazines.
The Stack – Essential listening for anyone who cares about what they read – and how they read it. The Stack is Monocle’s take on the world of print, focusing on everything from the glossiest fashion title to the grittiest newspaper.
• Listen to the programme, which runs for just under 35 minutes, at Monocle Radio. A podcast of the programme will also be available.
Toyah hosting The Personality Test, the radio quiz that’s all about her, airs again later this month on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
The 30 minute radio show, originally broadcast on BBC Radio Four in 2007 and again in 2009, with guests including Sue Perkins and Robin Ince, will be available at BBC iPlayer post-broadcast.
The Personality Test: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Thursday 18th February: 9am/6pm
The Personality Test: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Friday 19th February: 1am
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.
The first series of The Older Woman, the six-part radio drama which was originally broadcast in 1993, has been airing again on BBC Radio 4 Extra over the past few weeks.
Toyah plays Elsa, alongside Martun Clunes and Zoë Wanamaker as Roy and Jane. Episodes 5 and 6 air this week and next.
The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra
Wed 11th Feb: 7am/5.30pm | Thu 12th Feb: 5.30am
Episode 5 of 6. In a rare moment, Miss Callaghan apologises to her ex, lovestruck pupil Roy. Stars Zoe Wanamaker, Martin Clunes and Toyah Willcox. From February 1993.
The Older Woman: BBC R4 Extra: Wed 18th Feb: 7am/5.30pm | Thu 19th Feb: 5.30am
Episode 6 of 6. A letter and phone calls lift the lid on Jane’s chaotic love life. Stars Zoe Wanamaker, Martin Clunes and Toyah Willcox. From February 1993.
• Listen to episodes 1 – 4, which are currently available at BBC iPlayer. Episode 1 has less than a week left though!
Amazing photo from Toyah’s Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gig at the Robin 2, Wolverhampton last night, by Paul of P A C Photography. The set-list included: Bird in Flight, Jungles of Jupiter, Soul Passing Through Soul and Danced. Please revisit over the weekend to see more photos from the concert at our new “Live 2015” gallery page. (Thanks to Paul | Photo © P A C Photography)
Toyah is Acoustic, Up Close & Personal at the Robin 2, Bilston, Wolverhampton tonight. It’s going to be a great gig (and “Come” from the amazing In The Court Of The Crimson Queen has been added to the set-list!). Toyah has played this venue several times over the last decade. Click below for gig details and ticket link at toyahwillcox.com. (Thanks to Alyson for the photo)
Toyah guested on Afternoon with Alison Fearns on BBC Radio Sussex yesterday.
She chatted about her career, The Humans, Bill Rieflin, the forthcoming (Humans) gig at Trading Boundaries in Uckfield, her childhood, keeping healthy and more.
• The interview begins approximately 2 hours 38 minutes into the programme and runs for around 10 minutes, ending with a play of These Boots Are Made For Walkin’. It’s available at BBC iPlayer for the next 27 days.
Toyah’s Electric Ladies: Vintage TV: Sunday 8th March: 6pm
Those switched-on female artists who’ve electrified, inspired and very much strutted their own stuff through the decades, as presented by our own princess of punk. How illuminating.
Toyah Willcox has announced details of two rare club show with her band, The Humans.
The new wave star, with R.E.M drummer Bill Rieflin and Chris Wong, will head to London’s 100 Club on April 18, before a show at Chatham Dockyard’s Britannia Theatre the following day. Tickets are on sale now, priced at £22.00 in London and £16.50 in Chatham, plus fees.
Having formed in 2007, the trio released their most recent album, ‘Strange Tales’, in spring last year.
Toyah And The Humans Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sat April 18 2015 – LONDON 100 Club
Sun April 19 2015 – CHATHAM The Britannia Theatre
• Continue reading at Stereoboard.com. View the complete Telling Strange Tales UK Tour schedule by clicking below.
The brilliant edition of Choccywoccydoohdah, starring Toyah, Nigel & Gina Glockler and a Changeling-inspired cake, is repeated later this month on Watch.
Choccywoccydoodah: Watch: Wednesday 18th February: 4.30pm
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.
Toyah guested on Philip Solomon’s Music and Memories show last night on WCR FM, chatting about her forthcoming Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gig at the Robin 2, Bilston in Wolverhampton. She also talked about her early life in Birmingham, husband Robert and more.
• The full show, and interview, is available at the WCR FM website on their Listen Again page. Toyah appears at approximately 17 minutes into the programme.
As previously mentioned a new t-shirt will be available at Toyah’s 2015 gigs, and here’s the reverse which features all of this year’s dates. Click below to view the full photo.
Toyah’s February blog is available at The Official Toyah Willcox Website. Click below to read.
