Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

• Toyah 1980 #1: An original copy of the eight-page fanzine Fagends, from 1980, recently sold on ebay for a tidy £77! It includes a review of Toyah’s Glasgow Tiffanys gig from the Ieya UK Tour. The fanzine is available to read online, via scans at the ‘Still Unusual’ website – You may have to scroll down, there’s no direct link – View here…

• Toyah 1980 #2: Three photos, two of which are previously unseen, of Toyah from The Blue Meaning era in 1980 are on sale at photographer Brian Griffin’s website (Photos © Brian Griffin) – View these fantastic photos here…

• Echo News: Clare Balding rambles in Leigh: In the 26 series of the show Clare has made, she has walked with Toyah Willcox in Worcestershire, with taxidermists in Boston, and with a bereavement walking group in Shrewsbury – Continue reading…

• Live 2014: Tickets for the Live Wyre Festival, which Toyah plays on Sunday 1st June, are now on sale – More info and buy tickets here…

• Namechecking!!: Mentions for Toyah in a couple of recent online press articles: Herald Express: South Devon Arts Centre is also hosting artists such as Toyah, The Wurzels, Beverley Craven and China Crisis later in the year – Continue reading… Northumberland Gazette: Some pretty big names in the music industry have graced the series, including Status Quo, 10cc, Marc Almond, Alison Moyet, Toyah and Midge Ure – Continue reading…

• 80s Heaven: Toyah – View here…

Following dates in Holmfirth, Nuneaton, Bury St Edmunds, Wimborne, London, Hastings, Clitheroe and Wakefield, Toyah played at the legendary Eric’s in Liverpool on Friday 2nd May, the ninth gig of the Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits…Live! UK Tour. Click below to view the full versions of these great photos of Toyah from Eric’s, and more, at Dreamscape Gallery. (Thanks to Myke | All photos © Myke Crombleholme)

There’s a new “Fan Of The Month” feature over at Sugar Rush: The Humans fansite. Click below to visit the site and check out their first fan.

A new article on Toyah, By Chronicle Live, published today.

Eighties pop star Toyah to play Phoenix Theatre in Blyth

Former punk princess Toyah will be performing all her greatest hits at the Phoenix Theatre in Blyth this Saturday

Eighties pop star Toyah will play the Phoenix Theatre in Blyth this Saturday.

It all began in her hometown Birmingham in 1977 when film director Derek Jarman offered her the role of ‘Mad’ in seminal punk epic Jubilee. She continued to gain strong roles, appearing alongside Katherine Hepburn in the film, The Corn is Green, as well as playing Monkey in the legendary Quadrophenia. She teamed up with Jarman again to play Miranda in his innovative version of The Tempest, which won her a nomination as Best Newcomer at the 1980 Evening Standard Awards.

Saturday’s show will see her play all her greatest hits plus her tracks from her album Crimson Queen.

• Continue reading at Chronicle Live.

Toyah’s May blog is now available at The Official Toyah Willcox Website. Click below to read.

Phil Spalding is playing Another Bass Night at Absolute Music’s superstore in Bournemouth on Wednesday 4th June. Phil says: “I’ll be sharing lots more juicy stories from my crazy life on the road…”. Buy tickets by clicking below.

• The Official Phil Spalding Website: Phil’s website, “Music + Mayhem”, has some great content to browse through, including “the inside stories” on recording ‘Anthem’ and ‘The Changeling’, with more Toyah memories to follow. Visit the website…

• What’s On North East: Toyah Willcox in Concert: Win a pair of tickets to see Toyah Willcox – Crimson Queen – Greatest Hits Live Sat 10th May. The Phoenix is very proud to announce “Toyah Willcox” in concert – Enter competition/Continue reading here…

• Crimson Queen @ Eric’s: “35yrs ago supporting the Damned now back at ERIC’S Liverpool…… headlining! Great atmosphere“, Toyah tweeted last night.

• EDP24: Six of the Best: Cultural highlights not to miss this Bank Holiday weekend: Music: Toyah Willcox, Aquarium, Claremont Pier, Lowestoft, May 3: The restless punk-pop performer returns to the region again – Continue reading…

• Toyah & John Shuttleworth: Toyah tweeted on Thursday: “In the studio with John Shuttleworth. He is just about to perform a medley of TOYAH songs” – View the photo at Instagram…

A host of top acts will join the Happy Mondays at a 10-hour outdoor music festival at the home of Fleetwood Town FC, it has today been announced.

The League Two club will host the anti-fracking gig, headlined by the Manchester legends, at its Highbury Stadium on June 1 – with fans and Fylde coast residents first in line for tickets.

The Gazette can reveal the former first lady of punk Toyah Willcox is among the names confirmed to play at the Live Wyre concert next month. Scottish rockers Big Country are also on the bill, alongside ska band Bad Manners. London-based Alabama 3 are set to play at the concert, as well as a selection of local bands.

• Continue reading at the Blackpool Gazette.

Jubilee is showing a couple of times this month at the National Media Museum, Bradford, on Wednesday 7th and Sunday 11th May.

Often referred to as Britain’s first official punk movie, Jubilee sees Queen Elizabeth I travelling through time to late ’70s Britain discovering a desolate and brutal wasteland where life seems pointless and is held to be cheap. Pop and cultural icons of the time including Toyah, Adam Ant, Suzie and the Banshees and Jordan appear in cameo roles and provide the soundtrack in this iconic piece full of vitriol and anger. With striking parallels to Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange it’s a tasteless and disturbing snapshot of society that was, at the time, genuinely shocking.

• View further details at the National Media Museum website.

The Power Of Three, in which Toyah plays one of the lead characters, is now available on DVD. Please click below for details on contacting, the film’s writer, Ann Cameron for purchase info.

Toyah is included on the new 2CD compilation Let’s Rock 80’s which was released on Monday. ‘It’s A Mystery’ is one of the songs on CD1 and ‘Thunder In The Mountains’ on CD2.

The full tracklist is: Disc One: 1 ABC – The Look of Love, 2 Tony Hadley – Gold, 3 Howard Jones – New Song, 4 Rick Astley – Lights Out, 5 Bananarama – Now or Never, 6 Nik Kershaw – Wouldn’t It Be Good, 7 Toyah – It’s a Mystery, 8 Go West – Call Me, 9 Kim Wilde – Kids in America, 10 Billy Ocean – When The Going Get’s Tough, 11 Dr & The Medics – Spirit In The Sky, 12 Modern Romance – Everybody Salsa, 13 Matt Bianco – Lost In You, 14 Owen Paul – Favourite Waste of Time, 15 ABC – When Smokey Sings, 16 Tony Hadley – True

Disc Two: 1 Go West – We Close Our Eyes, 2 Nik Kershaw – The Sky’s The Limit, 3 Billy Ocean – No Woman No Cry, 4 Tony Hadley – Take Back Everything, 5 Go West – Skin Deep, 6 ABC – Ride, 7 Toyah – Thunder In The Mountains, 8 Imagination – Flashback, 9 Brother Beyond – The Harder I Try. 10 Then Jerico – Big Area, 11 Modern Romance – Best Years of Our Lives, 12 T’Pau – China In Your Hand, 13 T’Pau – Heart And Soul, 14 The Real Thing – You To Me Are Everything, 15 The Real Thing – Can You Feel The Force

• Further info on the CD at the Let’s Rock 80’s website. There’s also a CD/Programme bundle. Toyah plays the Let’s Rock Bristol festival in June.

The edition of The Janice Long Review Show which featured a second guest appearance from Toyah, and a look back at the 1982 album ‘The Changeling’, is also being repeated later this month. This originally aired in August 2012.

The Janice Long Review Show: Vintage TV
Wednesday 14th May: 10.30pm
Toyah and Sex Pistols. Broadcaster Paul Sexton returns, alongside producer Trevor Horn and 80s starlet Toyah, to discuss her 1982 gothic release ‘The Changeling’ and Sex Pistols’ ground-breaking ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’.

Iconic eighties bands The Blow Monkeys, Dr and the Medics and Toyah Willcox to headline Lechlade Music Festival next month

A group of iconic eighties bands have been announced as headliners for next month’s Lechlade Music Festival. Punk princess Toyah Willcox will headline on the first day of the festival, Friday, May 23 with Dr and the Medics as well as The Blow Monkeys headlining on Sunday, May 25.

“Toyah has had the biggest reaction so far,” said festival director Jennie Rainsford. “She’s the biggest act we have ever had play at the festival and is proving very popular. All these headliners will be giving the festival evenings a bit of a retro feel.”

• Continue reading at the Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard. Visit the Lechlade Music Festival website.

• Phoenix Theatre – Spring Into Summer: Toyah is included on the cover of the February – June 2014 issue of the Phoenix Theatre magazine. The Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits Live! Tour plays at the venue on Saturday 10th May – View/read here…

• Phoenix Theatre: Toyah Willcox – Crimson Queen – Greatest Hits Live: The Phoenix is very proud to announce “Toyah Willcox” in concert – Continue reading…

• Whitby Gazette: Goth weekend attracts thousands to town: The first Whitby Goth Weekend of 2014 saw thousands of visitors descend on the town as the event approaches its 20th anniversary. Punk princess Toyah Willcox and New Model Army were the headline acts at Whitby Pavilion and attracted huge crowds, while a variety of other events were held across Whitby at venues including The Met, The Brunswick Centre and Raw Nightclub – Continue reading…

• Sky News: Toyah guested on the Paper Review through yesterday morning’s Sky News show.

• Official Instagram: The Power Of Three DVD, a giant walnut whip, Sky News: Toyah has instagrammed photos related to all three over the last week – View here…

The Corn is Green: True Entertainment: Sunday 4th May: 1.00pm
The Corn is Green: True Movies 1: Wednesday 7th May: 3.00am
Academy Award winner Katharine Hepburn stars as a schoolteacher determined to help the people of a turn-of-the-century Welsh mining town. With Ian Saynor, Bill Fraser, Patricia Hayes, Anna Massey, Artro Morris, Dorothea Phillips, Toyah Willcox, Huw Richards, Bryn Fon, Dyfan Roberts and Robin John. Directed by: George Cukor (1979).

‘My motto is – never look back’

Toyah Willcox …is an English singer. She has had 13 Top 40 singles, including It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, and has released 20 albums. She is also an actress and has written a number of books. Toyah and her husband divide their time between London and Worcestershire.

What are you working on at the moment?
I am on tour all year with my band, Toyah. I am also touring an acoustic show with my American band, The Humans. I have three movies to shoot this year – in the first there’s no dialogue as we all ‘speak’ like apes… it will make sense in the end.

When were you at your happiest?
Why ‘were’? I am happy now. Happiness is an art form. I find it challenging at times but the past is gone. My motto is never look back – but my 40s were fantastic.

What is your greatest fear?
In the last five years I have lost my parents and the pain is overbearing. My great fear is losing my husband and our friends. I can’t imagine being happy without my hubby.

• Continue reading at The Lady.

Three iconic bands from the 1980s will headline next month’s Lechlade Music Festival, it has been announced.

Punk princess Toyah Willcox receives top billing on Friday May 23 while Dr and the Medics and The Blow Monkeys will be joint headliners on Sunday May 25.

The three day family-friendly festival takes place at Riverside Country Park in Lechlade over the bank holiday weekend, with camping from Friday to Monday.

The line-up features more than 80 bands which will perform on three stages.

• Continue reading at the Gloucestershire Echo.

The Janice Long Review Show, the first (of two), featuring Toyah as a guest is repeated next month on ‘Vintage TV’. This originally aired in July 2012.

The Janice Long Review Show: Vintage TV
Wednesday 7th May: 10.30pm
Earth, Wind and Fire and Seal. Prolific producer Trevor Horn, punk princess Toyah Willcox and music journalist Paul Sexton head to Boogie Wonderland to chat disco classic ‘I Am’ and UK No 1 ‘Seal II’, home to hit ‘Kiss From A Rose’.

The recent Chorley Guardian interview with Toyah has been slightly rejigged and published today by the Lancashire Telegraph.

No mystery that Toyah Willcox still rocks

Toyah Willcox has never been afraid to speak her mind, and, now she’s a 50-something, the former high priestess of punk doesn’t show any signs of putting the brakes on.

Toyah burst on to the pop scene with smash hits It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, and since then she’s also enjoyed a successful career as a singer, presenter and an actress, appearing in several films, stage plays and in numerous television dramas.

• Continue reading at the Lancashire Telegraph.

Top Of The Pops: The Story of 1976: Yesterday: Sunday 27th April: 11.30pm
Top Of The Pops: The Story of 1976: Yesterday: Monday 28th April: 1.25am/9.30pm
Documentary examining how the BBC’s flagship pop show reflected changes in British music and culture during 1976. As the popularity of glam rock faded, no dominant musical scene emerged to replace it, leading to chart success for bands including Abba, Showaddywaddy, the Brotherhood of Man and the Wurzels – while outside the mainstream, punk rock was rapidly growing in popularity. Featuring contributions by Tony Blackburn, Paul Morley, Toyah Willcox and David Hamilton.

Crick Boat Show needs no introduction. It is a hallmark of the waterways events calendar at the heart of the waterway network. Every year crowds of boaters, boats and lovers of the great outdoors flock to Crick in Northamptonshire for the renowned Crick Boat Show.

Pop icon, TV presenter and actress Toyah Willcox will headline this year’s Crick Boat Show & Waterways Festival entertainment programme. Toyah will be performing her ‘Acoustic, Up Close & Personal’ set at Crick as part of the show’s Saturday evening entertainment programme. Her gig will include renditions of her best loved hit singles, alongside stories from her colourful 35-year career.

• Continue reading at Canal & River Trust. Browse all of Dreamscape’s Toyah at Crick Boat Show news.