Toyah guested on Sky News this morning just after 8am, discussing dyslexia.
Presenter Eamonn Holmes tweeted: “DYSLEXIA. Singer Toyah Willcox suffers and fears that it’s used by parents who fear their children branded stupid or lazy. Agree / disasgree?“.
She stays / She goes / She sways / She glows / She hums / She ahhs / She strums / She begs / She screams / She acts like a dream – This Is Not Retro are telling tale #4…
TOYAH ANNOUNCES NEW THE HUMANS ALBUM ‘STRANGE TALES’ + EXCLUSIVE AUDIO PREVIEW
TOYAH has announced that her collaborative project THE HUMANS will digitally release a new album on March 1st. ‘Strange Tales’ is the band’s third album… We are very proud to be able to bring you an exclusive audio preview from the album.
• Continue reading at This Is Not Retro.
The title, cover art, tracklist and release date for The Humans’ third album was revealed last night.
Strange Tales, featuring seven new songs, will be released digitally, worldwide, on Saturday 1st March 2014. The highly anticipated album was recorded in Seattle and is produced by Bill Rieflin. The tracklist is:
1. Slow Descent, 2. She’s Fast, 3. Get In Your Car, 4. Amnesia, 5. Bedhead, 6. Improbable Thing, 7. Sleep Tight
A selection of “Tell Tale” previews of songs from the album are being made available via Toyah related websites and social media. The first, the full version of Get In Your Car, was uploaded to Soundcloud last week, and the second, a preview of Improbable Thing, was released last night. The third “Tell Tale”, a preview of Bedhead is also now at Soundcloud , after premiering at The Humans’ Sugar Rush fansite.
The Humans are also playing live dates in Seattle in April, with further concerts expected to be announced.
• View further details on this release here. Stay updated on all things Humans by visiting thehumanofficial.com for news, gig details, videos, gallery, audio and biography information. Visit soundcloud.com/thehumansofficial for track previews. (News Source: Breaking Through: The Official Toyah Newsletter – Sign up here)
Mark Evans, has, once again taken some amazing photos of Toyah in concert, and has also again kindly shared some with Dreamscape and our readers. These are from Saturday night’s Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits…Live! gig at Queens Hall, Nuneaton. Click below to view the full versions at Dreamscape Gallery. (Thanks again to Mark | All photos © Mark Evans)
Stevie Bray’s band Jelly are hoping to play EssexFest 2014, and you can help them! Simply click below and like their video at You Tube. Jelly are a great band, it’s a great song (‘Say Hello’), and the animated video is pretty cool too. I’m sure many would agree it’s the least we can do to support someone who helped give us Toyah’s first three albums (and ‘Bird in Flight’).
• Browse all of Dreamscape’s Jelly news here. Visit their Official Website.
Sugar Rush: The Humans fansite is telling tale #3 today. Visit to hear an exclusive audio preview clip from the forthcoming new album by The Humans.
A new page at Dreamscape Gallery for photos from Toyah’s 2014 tours, PAs and festival appearances. Thanks to Angus, Jill, Alyson and Jeff who have already given me amazing photos from a couple of this week’s dates. If anyone would like their photos included get in touch. Click below to visit the new page.
• Toyah by Simon Harrison: A fantastic polaroid of Toyah from 1983 was shared by Toyah’s Official Facebook on Friday, as the Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits… Live! Tour got underway. The jewellery Toyah is wearing in the photo is also designed by Simon who was responsible for the Love Is The Law armour and original headpiece – View a larger version of the photo here… (Photo © Simon Harrison)
• Official Instagram: Toyah has shared some great photos over the last week, from on top of the Pennines, to her dressing room in Nuneaton – View at Instagram here…
• Acoustic, Up Close & Personal: ‘Jungles of Jupiter’ live at Lowther Pavilion on Thursday. Listen/watch here… (Thanks to Glyn Whelan)
• ITV Player: Splash! 2014: Public vote winners and losers revealed: If there hadn’t have been a “spalsh off” Toyah would have been in the semi finals – View here…
• The Hollywood News: Celebrate Derek Jarman With A Series Of UK Screenings: What do you get if you cross Shakespeare, ’70s punk, a liberal dose of theatrics and um, gardening? It’s Derek Jarman of course, perhaps one of the most subversive and visionary British film-makers of the last forty years – Continue reading…
• Pointless Celebrities: This repeat aired again last night on BBC1 and is now available to watch at BBC iPlayer…
• The Lee Mack Show: This re-aired last night on BBC Radio 4 Extra and is now available to listen to at BBC iPlayer…
• This is it Philly: Film Screening: Jubilee at Galleries at Moore – This has already taken place (on Thursday evening) but thought I’d give it a mention anyway – View here…
A short interview with Toyah, from the BFI, discussing Jubilee, Jarman and her character in the film, Mad: “I wanted to be a tidal wave.” Actor Toyah Willcox discusses her role as pyromaniac punk Mad in Derek Jarman’s Jubilee (1978). Click below to watch.
Only Toyah could launch two UK tours within days of each other… My favourite workaholic (and singer) premieres Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits…Live! tonight at the Holmfirth Picturedome. Celebrating the wonderful 2008 album In The Court Of The Crimson Queen and other fan favourites too. Click below for full details on the tour, including dates and ticket booking links. Sending best wishes to Toyah for another successful opening concert tonight.
“Toyah Unplugged!” The Acoustic Album is now on sale at iTunes. This is the first time the album, originally released on CD in October 1996, has been available in digital format. Availability via other digital music stores will follow soon. Great vocals on this, by Toyah (and Tayce).
More great shots of Toyah, Acoustic, Up Close & Personal, on the opening date of the tour in Buxton, at the Pavilion Arts Centre on Wednesday night. Please click below to view the full versions at Dreamscape’s Gallery. (Photos © Angus Turner)
My Vintage with The Fripps airs again tonight on Vintage TV. A great hour of chat and classic music choices from Robert and Toyah. Toyah also pops up as a presenter on Vintage this evening, hosting The Vintage TV Sessions, a show which she has also recorded performances for. That show is set to air sometime in March. Here’s the full Fripp Playlist from My Vintage:
Salisbury Hill – Peter Gabriel, Rapture – Blondie, Heroes – David Bowie, Fashion – David Bowie, Imagine – John Lennon, Bridge Over Troubled Waters – Simon & Garfunkel, Angels – Robbie Williams, I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston.
The Vintage TV Sessions: Vintage TV: Thursday 20th February: 8.00pm
The Vintage TV Sessions: Vintage TV: Sunday 23rd February: 10.00pm
New! We are proud to present our third Vintage TV Sessions, live from the Bedford pub in Balham, with Alvin Stardust, Leddra Chapman, Newton Faulkner, Gabrielle and The Jar Family. Hosted by Toyah Willcox.
My Vintage: Vintage TV: Thursday 20th February: 10.00pm
Toyah and Robert. New! Husband and wife team, punk princess Toyah Willcox and guitarist and record producer Robert Fripp, invite My Vintage viewers into their home for their top record picks.
A few screen caps from the promo advert for the third show of The Vintage TV Sessions series. This airs this evening on Vintage TV and is hosted by Toyah. Guests include Gabrielle and The Jar Family. View larger versions of the screen caps and click below to watch the advert.
Toyah began her Acoustic, Up Close & Personal tour last night at Buxton Pavilion Arts Centre. The tour continues tonight at Lowther Pavilion. Here are a few photos of Toyah taken last night. Click on these for info on the Acoustic… tour at Toyah’s Official Website. (Photos © Jill Perlstrom)
• I hear, on good authority, that the very wonderful ‘Dreamscape’ was included in last night’s opening gig set. Tickets for The Duchess, York Acoustic… gig are also now on sale, here.
Toyah’s first Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date takes place tonight; there’s been news of the digital reissue of The Acoustic Album; a great collection of acoustic rarities has just been gifted to fans by Toyah; and there’s even an acoustic Live Track Of The Month… So there’s definitely a nice acoustic feeling in the air (I’ve been playing The Acoustic Album and the rarities collection while readying Issue Two of my fanzine for the printers).
Toyah tweeted yesterday: “Photoshoot for Mail then I head up north. Running set for Acoustic show….it sounds fresh and exciting. Guitar arrangements r so clever“. She also mentioned recently that ‘Obsolete’ was sounding “great unplugged”.
Here’s some interesting details on Acoustic, Up Close & Personal from the latest Breaking Through newsletter: Without giving the full set list away the show will feature unplugged versions for the first time ever of… Bird In Flight, Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), Broken Diamonds, Love Is The Law, Dawn Chorus, Latex Messiah (Viva La Rebel In You) and Sensational, amongst others.
The show is acoustic but is intentionally very lively and uptempo! The set list for this show is likely to also alternate throughout the year. It’s a show not to be missed so do try and make it along to hear these unique versions of classics from Sheep Farming, Love Is The Law, Anthem, Crimson Queen, The Changeling and more.
• News Source: Breaking Through: The Official Toyah Newsletter. (Image by Dreamscape, inspired by the recent acoustic artworks by toyahwillcox.com – View a larger version here)
I thought I’d share this fantastic “Thank You” image Andrew, of In The Fairground, posted on his Facebook page last night, in response to posts made celebrating his art website’s first year anniversary. I’ve also added the other birthday image I created (again inspired by Andrew’s art) and posted at Dreamscape’s FB yesterday. Click on each to view larger versions (Thanks Andrew)
Pointless Celebrities: BBC1: Saturday 22nd February: 6.15pm
Celebrities test the depths of their general knowledge in this special edition of the quiz. Stephen K Amos, Toyah Willcox and Katie Derham are among the stars trying to come up with the answers that no-one else could think of. Presented by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman. (First shown in December 2012)
To mark the 2014 acoustic concerts, Toyah’s unplugged recording The Acoustic Album will be available digitally for the first time from next Monday, 24th February. The release has the same track listing as the original album:
1. The Vow, 2. Moonlight Dancing, 3. Revive The World, 4. I Want To Be Free, 5. It’s A Mystery (Piano Version), 6. Danced, 7. Good Morning Universe, 8. Blue Meanings, 9. Jungles Of Jupiter, 10. It’s A Mystery (Up Tempo Version), 11. Ieya, 12. Angels And Demons, 13. I Am, 14. Thunder In The Mountains, 15. It’s A Mystery (String Version)
The digital version features new artwork. This kickstarts a digital release programme which will see Toyah’s non-Safari catalogue become available digitally.
• News Source: Breaking Through: The Official Toyah Newsletter.
To celebrate the acoustic gigs and to accompany The Acoustic Album a downloadable digital exclusive, available only to subscribers to Breaking Through, has also been made available. The Acoustic Collection compiles thirteen unplugged tracks spanning 1976-2006 with some previously unreleased archive live recordings.
• Sign up to Breaking Through: The Official Toyah Newsletter for further info on this and details of how to download The Acoustic Collection.
The latest “Live Track Of The Month” is also something acoustic: ‘We Are’ from one of Toyah’s trio of live, and acoustic, gigs at Bourbon Street, Glasgow back in early 1997. This track is also included in the aforementioned The Acoustic Collection.
• Visit The Official Toyah Gigs page to listen to ‘We Are’. The entire GLR interview with Toyah, which features the fantastic live versions of ‘Now I’m Running’ and ‘Invisible Love’, is available in Dreamscape Downloads. Look for “Leap! Interview 1993”.
• Smash Hits Archive: The latest issue of ‘Smash Hits’, February 16 – 29 1984, has recently been uploaded to the fantastic Like Punk Never Happened: Smash Hits Archive, 30 years to the day it was originally published. There’s just a tiny news piece, in “Bitz”, on Toyah but worth linking to as this was one of very few mentions for Toyah in the magazine throughout 1984, and it’s also significant as it’s about the first ever Toyah compilation – Visit here…
• Digital Spy: What did we see at the Splash final & wrap party? Anna Williamson’s blog: A couple of photos of Toyah in this article – Continue reading…
• DGM Live: Vintage Fripp: Was great to see Robert Fripp’s website using a screenshot from Dreamscape recently. He made last weekend’s My Vintage really watchable and interesting and seems like a very caring and humble gentleman – View here…
• Toyah’s Speech: Not sure when this is from but ‘Learning-Southwest’ have published a full transcript – Continue reading…
• Live 2014: 48 Hour Party!: Come and join over 1500 people as they rock the night away 80′s style – Continue reading…
• DEF: Donkaster Elektronische Freundschaft’s Jan Doyle Band Support Toyah!: Not only are this band supporting Toyah on her Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits…Live! date at Warehouse 23, Wakefield in April, but any tickets bought via them raises cash for a worthy charity – Continue reading…
There’s now a dedicated section at The Official Toyah Willcox Website for The Humans: With the great response to Get In Your Car, the third album just about to be released and live dates in America in April… it’s a busy time to be Human! Click below to visit.
