A new article at the Birmingham Mail, celebrating all that’s great about the city.
As our Pride of Birmingham awards are launched, we take a look at the city’s many achievements and claims to fame
11. MUSIC: Birmingham is the birthplace of heavy metal, with Black Sabbath and Judas Priest coming from the city. Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi – born and raised in Handsworth – shaped the sound when he learned to play guitar in a different way following an industrial accident that removed the tips of two of his fingers. He tuned the guitar down and relied on power chords, something guitarist Terry Butler also did – and together they produced the classic sound of metal. The later metal bands Napalm Death and Godflesh are also from Birmingham.
Also from the city are Dave Pegg (Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention), Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), and Blaze Bayley (Wolfsbane). Other music acts from Birmingham include ELO, Duran Duran, UB40, The Moody Blues, Fuzzbox, Ocean Colour Scene, The Move, Toyah Willcox, Joan Armatrading, Dexys Midnight Runners, Ruby Turner, Fine Young Cannibals, The Streets, Musical Youth, Jamelia and Pato Banton.
• Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail.
Lechlade Music Festival 2014 draws in visitors from all across the UK despite wet weather
Eager festival-goers donned their wellies and coats last weekend for three days of music and dancing in Lechlade.
Not put off by the rain and the mud, people travelled from as far as Scotland to enjoy this year’s eighties-themed Lechlade Music Festival at Riverside Park.
Punk princess Toyah Willcox headlined on Friday night to a packed crowd and was presented with an impressive birthday cake from Cotswold’s Finest Cakes, which she said she would rather take home to put on display than cut.
She said she was determined to “wake up Lechlade” as she played well into the evening.
• Continue reading at Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard.
A great venue, one that Toyah played at during the Love Is The Law & More tour last year, The Fleece in Bristol is under threat of closure. Please click below to view further info, from Chris Sharp, owner of The Fleece, and consider signing their petition (at change.org).
Dazzling photos of Toyah from last year’s Love Is The Law & More UK Tour, taken on the first date, 18th October 2013, at Legends, Newcastle. View these, and more, at Dreamscape’s LITL & More Gallery. (Thanks to Jo | All photos © Jo Oliver)
• Browse Dreamscape’s full Love Is The Law & More news and tour coverage here. Listen to Jo Oliver’s interview with Toyah at Soundcloud.
This decade-spanning film series, presented in partnership with Ikon Gallery on their 50th anniversary, moves on to the 1970s and Derek Jarman’s punk poem. Preceded by a video interview with Toyah Willcox and a short talk by Chris Phipps.
• Visit the Live Brum website.
Flatpack Film Festival: Jubilee: The 1978 film is showing at the Library of Birmingham Studio Theatre, Saturday 14th June at 7.30pm – Further info here… (<< Dreamscape’s previous news post related to this)
In The Fairground, Andrew York’s Toyah Art website, has been updated with a few new additions. Not a huge update this time but the site now has hundreds of Andrew’s exceptional creations to browse. Visit the site by clicking below. (full details on the Updates page)
• Plymouth Volksfest 2014 #1: Toyah onstage yesterday evening at the festival: Toyah gets the evening off to a thunderous start – View here…
• Plymouth Volksfest 2014 #2: Toyah being interviewed, by Siobhan Elise Robbie, before her live set – View here…
• Plymouth Volksfest 2014 #3: Toyah tweeted from Volksfest, saying it was “Huge! Fab! Muddy! Hurray!” – View her muddy photo here…
• Western Morning News: Sir Bob Geldof gets affectionate reception at Plymouth’s Volksfest: Other artists appearing over the Bank Holiday weekend event included The Feeling, Razorlight, Heaven 17 and Toyah – Continue reading…
Three films in which Toyah has prominent roles/appearances are showing in Canada in June and July, as part of the Queer Pagan Punk: The Films of Derek Jarman Season (June 12-July 5) at The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Glitterbug is screened on Friday 13th June, Jubilee on Saturday 14th June and The Tempest on Saturday 5th July. Further info by clicking below.
The thoughtful organisers of the Lechlade Music Festival presented Toyah with a fantastic birthday cake on Friday night, as her live set closed the first day of concerts and events. View larger versions of both photos below at Lechlade Festival Facebook and Cotswolds Finest Cakes Facebook. (Photos © Lechlade Festival/Cotswolds Finest Cakes)
Indie Film Focus: Director Simon Cox Shoots “Kaleidoscope Man” Star Lucy Drive’s First Scene
Kaleidoscope Man is an indie science fiction thriller — which involves an alien invasion of Earth — currently in production by its writer-director-producer, Simon Cox, via his UK-based Alphastar Productions company. This is a film that Simon has been working on for quite some time. He is currently in Phase 4 of shooting, having gotten about 35% in the can so far. The production is practically 100% crowdfunded — the current Indiegogo campaign aims to fund the remainder of production, including (if possible) scenes on an alien planet (to be shot on location in the Canary Islands).
• Continue reading at Frisco Kid At The Movies.
• OsFest 2014: Toyah has just been confirmed as playing another festival, OsFest, which takes place in Shropshire between 9th – 11th August. Toyah plays the first day, Saturday 9th – Visit the OsFest website…
• OsFest 2014: The official festival website say: Our last addition is the amazing Toyah Willcox who’s career has now spanned 3 decades and she’ll be playing some of her major hits including the anthemic “It’s a Mystery” – View a larger version of the promotional flyer/poster here…
• Shropshire Live: Paloma Faith to perform unique DJ Set at Osfest: Paloma Faith, The Hoosiers, From the Jam, Bay City Rollers and Toyah have been added to the Osfest lineup which recently swapped dates from May to 9-11 August 2014 – Continue reading…
• Daventry Express: Thousands expected for boat show: Thousands of visitors are expected to arrive in Crick over the bank holiday weekend for the annual boat show. The popular event, held at Crick Marina off the A428 south of the village, is expected to draw in 25,000. Toyah Willcox will be performing her ‘Acoustic, Up Close & Personal’ set at Crick as part of the show’s Saturday evening entertainment programme – Continue reading…
• Western Morning News: Bumper bank holiday weekend on the way as summer season gets under way: TOP TEN THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND: 3. Volksfest at Plymouth, the weekend long festival which this year will be headlined by Razorlight, The Feeling, Toyah and Heaven 17 – Continue reading…
The Wright Stuff: Channel 5: Thu 29th May: 9.15am
Lively magazine show in which Matthew Wright and guests discuss the topical issues of the day. Singer, actress and I’m a Celebrity contestant Toyah Willcox, one of the speakers at SohoCreate next week, is in the studio with the lowdown on this new three-day festival. (Also airing on Channel 5 +1 and will be available on Demand 5 after airing)
It’s another of those exceptionally busy Bank Holiday weekends for Toyah, with three festival concerts. Last night there was a full-band gig at Lechlade Music Festival 2014, which is taking place at Riverside Park, Lechlade-On-Thames, Gloucestershire. Over 70 bands are playing through until Sunday.
Tonight Toyah’s Acoustic, Up Close & Personal tour headlines Crick Boat Show, another three-day festival, in Northampton. 25,000 people are expected over the weekend at the annual boat show.
On Sunday Toyah plays another full-band gig at Plymouth Volksfest 2014 in Devon. Also playing at this festival, which has six stages (including a dance village and cabaret tent), are Razorlight, The Feeling, Heaven 17 and The Boomtwon Rats. Toyah is scheduled to be onstage between 6.30 -7.30pm on Sunday evening.
A new Toyah article, choosing her six favourite albums, is published in today’s Express.
David Bowie, Lou Reed and Muse: Rock singer and actress Toyah Willcox’s six best albums
Toyah Willcox, 56, is the singer and actress who had hits in the 1980s with It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains and appeared in the films Quadrophenia and Jubilee. She is touring throughout the year with The Humans and will be speaking at the new SohoCreate festival in London, June 4-6. Visit sohocreate.co.uk
DAVID BOWIE: Ziggy Stardust (EMI)
Bowie took the creative bull by the horns and steered a generation through problematic times. He went back to his rock ’n’ roll roots with this and it’s a gem. I saw him live and knew that I could only carry on living if I was a singer, writer and actress.
LOU REED: Transformer (Sony)
Bowie produced this. Reed could be off the wall but this honed and anchored him. I saw him in about 1978 and his transvestite lover was with him on stage so it was thrilling and different. It laughed in the eye of conservatism.
• Continue reading at the Express.
• The Herald: Revving up for Volksfest: There’s also Heaven 17, New Wave diva Toyah Willcox and Liverpool soul set The Real Thing. Joey The Lips, 3 Daft Monkeys, the Cooling Pearls, Hillhead and The Karabelas complete the main stage line-up – Continue reading…
• Northampton Chronicle: Pop icon Toyah to top Crick Boat Show festival: Pop icon, TV presenter and actress, Toyah Willcox, will headline the Crick Boat Show & Waterways Festival which takes place this weekend – Continue reading…
• The Herald: Heaven 17 among the Plymouth Volksfest treats: Sharing the bill with Boomtown Rats, Toyah Willcox and the Real Thing will be Heaven 17, the techno pop trio who shot to prominence with debut album Penthouse and Pavement in the early 80s – Continue reading…
• Analogue Boy In A Digital World: 50 Years Of Top Of The Pops: And now, it’s all about the one name female singers (But not Madonna or Beyonce) for a bit ……Toyah, the voice of The Teletubbies – Continue reading…
• Music Mafia: Sci-fi icon Jane Badler releases debut single Losing You: “Losing You” is a dark 80s, cabaret-style, synth-pop release reminiscent of Hazel O’Connor or Toyah in their heyday – Continue reading…
• Toyah attended the Ivor Novello Awards today, where her seat was on the top table next to Simon Darlow, Chairman of BASCA, who was giving a speech! (Info Source: Official Toyah Facebook)
• The annual music event was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, central London
• Contact Music: Toyah Willcox – seen at the Ivor Novello Awards 2014 in London, United Kingdom – (Gallery includes three photos of Toyah) – View here…
• Holy Moly: Ivor Novello Awards Red Carpet Arrivals. Starring Barbara Windsor, Olly Murs and Toyah: It’s the music awards ceremony that no one quite understands but acknowledges its quite important. The 2014 Ivor Novello Awards have been and gone. Having them in the daytime seems strange. It means most of the nominees are pissed before it’s even got dark – Continue reading…
• Getty Images: Also have three photos of Toyah at the event (different to Contact Music) – View here…
• Image Collect: Ivor Novello Awards Arrivals. Toyah Willcox arrives to the Ivor Novello Awards at Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London, United Kingdom. Thursday, 22nd May 2014 (Another three photos) – View here…
• Toyah tweeted this afternoon: “At IVOR NEVELLO AWARDS. On top table with Simon Darlow…..he is giving a speech……he’s nervous…..bless!“
Tickets are now available for Toyah talking at the event Inspiration and the Blank Page, with Helen David, part of SohoCreate.
The inspiration is the easy bit, turning it into something worth spending a chunk of our life working on is the challenge. How do we fan the creative flames to bring the tiny spark into a real idea that can build into a project of worth? How do we know which ideas will sustain and which do not have the legs to survive.
The risk of committing to a single idea above all others is huge, where does the bravery to make the choice come from? I can’t wait to hear Helen and Toyah talk about what they do when inspiration strikes.
Location: The House of St Barnabas | Time: Thursday 5 June 16:15 to 17:30
• Book now for Inspiration and the Blank Page with singer Toyah Willcox and designer Helen David at the SohoCreate website.
COMPETITION: 50 family tickets to the Crick Boat Show to be won
The 15th Crick Boat Show & Waterways Festival will be held at Crick Marina in Northamptonshire this weekend.
The annual event, which attracts over 25,000 visitors, is organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Marina. It will run from Saturday until Monday (May 24-26).
As well as showcasing the inland waterways industry with over 250 exhibitors from across the canal world, Crick Boat Show offers a fantastic day out for all the family with boat trips and live music including huge stars Toyah Willcox and Seán Cannon from The Dubliners both performing on Saturday evening in our real ale marquee. There is also a large variety of food and drink stalls.
• Continue reading/enter the competition at Northampton Chronicle & Echo. All entries must be received before noon on Friday, May 23.
A major outdoor music festival at the home of Fleetwood Town FC starring the Happy Mondays has been postponed.
The club today released a statement saying the concert on June 1 has been postponed after being contacted by Wyre Council to say the event had not got permission. Wyre Council leases Highbury Stadium to the club and it is understood the concert breaks the terms of their contract.
A statement on the club website said tickets will be refunded in full. The anti-fracking gig was announced following Happy Mondays maraca player Mark “Bez” Berry’s visit to the port earlier this year.
Toyah Willcox, Big Country, Bad Manners and Alabama 3 were all due to play at the 10-hour event, alongside a number of local bands.
• Continue reading at Fleetwood Weekly News.
• An Evening With Toyah Willcox: Tickets for Toyah’s appearance/talk at Say What?, Waterstones, Deansgate in Manchester on Tuesday 10th June are now on sale (via telephone booking or at the venue) – Official Page…
• SohoCreate: Toyah is also guesting at the first SohoCreate festival/event in early June – Further info here…
• Independent.ie: This Week’s Birthdays: Toyah Willcox, singer and TV presenter, is 56 – Continue reading…
• Salisbury and Stonehenge: This week in Salisbury history: 18th – 25th May: •18th May 1958 – birthday of Toyah. Toyah lived in Reddish House in Broadchalke for some time – Continue reading…
• Lechlade Music Festival: 2014 Programme: Toyah headlines the first night of this festival, at the Riverside venue, on Friday 23rd May (this Friday!) – Visit website…
• Namechecking!: Mentions for Toyah in a couple of recent online press articles: NME: Happy Mondays to perform at Bez’s ‘Frack-Free Sunday’ event next month – Toyah Willcox and Bad Manners also confirmed for all-day event at Fleetwood FC’s Highbury Stadium – Continue reading… Stourbridge News: Stourbridge Rock Choir raises £800 for cancer sufferers – They have a summer concert coming up at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on July 19 when celebrity guest Toyah Wilcox will join them – Continue reading…
A special upload at Fragments for Toyah’s birthday – My Big Year, a pilot show, filmed at BBC Scotland in 2000, which never aired. Toyah talks to Rory McGrath about her career, and 1981.
