The Corn is Green: True Entertainment: Sunday 2nd February: 6.00am
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).
A bumper update to In The Fairground: Andrew York’s Arternative Universe today, with 18 recently created Toyah artworks added to the website. All the details and direct links can be found on the Updates page. Don’t forget that earlier this month a Toyah 2014 Calendar Andrew put together, full of great Toyah imagery, was also added.
Toyah will be guesting on an upcoming edition of Sounds Of The 80s on BBC Radio 2. The programme, hosted by Sara Cox, airs each Saturday night at 10pm.
You can watch Sounds of the 80s on the Red Button from 10:20pm-11:20pm on Saturday night. You can access this by pressing the Red Button on your TV remote from any BBC television channel.
• Keep an eye on the Radio 2 website for further info and confirmation of when Toyah will be appearing. The programme will also be available post-broadcast at BBC iPlayer. (News Source: Breaking Through)
A new video interview with Toyah, by Red Carpet News TV, from Monday’s MediaSKIN event in London, has just been uploaded to ‘You Tube’. Click below to watch. (Thanks to Paul Lomas)
• There’s also a short article, including a namecheck for Toyah, about the MediaSKIN event at Just Celebrity Magazine: MediaSKIN bringing a little of LA to London.
More new CRIMSON QUEEN/GREATEST HITS… LIVE! dates have been confirmed over the last week, bringing the total gigs to 15.
LIVE IN CONCERT WITH FULL TOYAH BAND
21 FEB: HOLMFIRTH / PICTUREDROME
22 FEB: NUNEATON / QUEEN’S HALL
22 MAR: BURY ST. EDMUNDS / THE APEX
28 MAR: WIMBORNE / TIVOLI THEATRE
29 MAR: LONDON / JAZZ CAFÉ
5 APR: HASTINGS / ST. MARY IN THE CASTLE
19 APR: CLITHEROE / THE GRAND
26 APR: WAKEFIELD / WAREHOUSE 23
2 MAY: LIVERPOOL / ERIC’s
3 MAY: LOWESTOFT / AQUARIUM
10 MAY: BLYTH / PHOENIX THEATRE
6 JUN: CLACTON / CLIFF THEATRE
14 JUN: ISLE OF MAN / CENTENERARY CENTRE
21 JUN: KENT / ASTOR COMMUNITY THEATRE
7 SEP: DEVON / BUDLEIGH SALTERTON HALL
The Crimson Queen dates will run throughout 2014 as an extended series of gigs rather than in a single-month tour.
• View more details on the Crimson Queen… dates and links to book tickets here. View all of Toyah’s confirmed live dates for 2014 at The Official Gigs page. Browse all of our Toyah Live 2014 news here.
Dreamchild, Toyah’s 1994 album, will be released digitally for the first time in May of this year. There will also be digital EP releases for the album’s singles Now and Then and Out Of The Blue. These mark the 20th anniversary of the album’s original release, and will include some previously unreleased mixes and versions.
You can listen to the, also previously unreleased, ‘Anthemic Ambient’ mix of Out Of The Blue at The Official Toyah Willcox Discography by clicking on Dreamscape’s Dreamchild “advert” below. (News Source: Breaking Through)
The Humans’ forthcoming, and much-anticipated, seven-song third album is provisionally scheduled to be released in April of 2014.
One of the new songs is called Bedhead. There will be preview clips coming soon to toyahwillcox.com and thehumansofficial.com.
• The Humans are playing live dates in Seattle in April. Further US dates are expected to be announced, with UK concerts a possibility also. More info here. Stay updated on The Humans at the Sugar Rush fansite. (News Source: Breaking Through)
The latest Breaking Through, Toyah’s Official Newsletter, was mailed out to subscribers at the weekend. As always it was packed with Toyah news.
This included updates on Toyah’s live dates for 2014, Vintage TV, BBC Radio 2’s Sound Of The Eighties, The Tempest @ BFI, 3 Sides Of The Coin, Dun Punkin, One Voice at Rotherham, Rock Choir at Birmingham, The Humans and Dreamchild.
• Subscribe: For full info on all of the above, and to receive future issues of the newsletter, sign up to ‘Breaking Through: The Official Toyah Mailing List’ here.
Six new ACOUSTIC, UP CLOSE & PERSONAL Toyah dates have recently been confirmed, bringing the total shows, so far, to eight.
ACOUSTIC SET WITH CHRIS WONG & COLIN HINDS
19 FEB: BUXTON / PAVILION ARTS
22 FEB: LOWTHER / PAVILLION
24 MAY: NORTHAMPTON / CRICK BOAT SHOW
22 JUN: BISHOP’S CLEEVE TITHE BARN
25 JUL: SETTLE, N YORKSHIRE / VICTORIA HALL
2 SEP: NORWICH / MADDERMARKET THEATRE
3 OCT: SHOREHAM / ROPETACKLE ARTS
10 OCT: NR FLETHCING, E SUSSEX / TRADING BOUNDARIES
• View more details on the Acoustic… dates and links to book tickets here. View all of Toyah’s confirmed live dates for 2014 at The Official Gigs page.
• MediaSKIN: A photo of Toyah at the MediaSKIN NTA Gifting Lounge event yesterday at The Penthouse, London. (Thanks to Nathan Blake)
• The Blockheads: The single, Boys Will Be Boys, is now on sale. Toyah appears in the promo video – The single is available at iTunes…
• Rock Paper Photo: A selection of great live Toyah photos from the early 80s, by Martin O’Neill – View here…
• Random Photo: Toyah, “backstage in 2005”. Not sure where but a nice photo anyway – View here…
• Dreamscape @ Facebook: I think this current FB membership, the second or possibly third attempt for Dreamscape, is the longest we’ve lasted at the social network. Pay us a visit and if you can be bothered give us a “like” while you’re there. It’s mainly retro Toyah photos and fan art posts so lots of great visuals to browse through…
• 35 Years?: A few people have remarked that the above “35th year in music!” statement is incorrect. Toyah has, of course, been performing live and playing gigs since 1977 but 2014 is the 35th anniversary of her first record deal and the release of the first Toyah recordings…
Slow Music was formed in 2005 as a way to create live ambient/textural/environmental music in a live context. Rieflin describes how, “openness and stillness become a part of the musical vocabulary, as well as density and activity. It can be both beautiful and surprisingly intense. And, being improvisational in nature, you never know what will happen next, which makes it all the more exciting.” Innovators to the core, Slow Music has no website, no band photos, nor commercially available music. The best way to listen is to show up. It’ll be worth it.
Featuring: Bill Rieflin keyboards & percussion (Bill has played drums w/ R.E.M., Swans, and is a member of the newly reformed King Crimson); Robert Fripp guitar, guitar-like things, soundscapes (Robert’s guitaring is legendary, and is a founder of King Crimson): Peter Buck guitar and things (Peter’s guitaring in R.E.M. is singular; he’ll probably play some of these shows with a butter knife); Matt Chamberlain drums and drum-like things (Matt has played with almost everyone in the world, such as Pearl Jam, Edie Brickell, Critters Buggin, SNL house band; look him up – it’s impressive); Fred Chalenor upright bass (Fred is at home with both Hughscore & Hans Eisler).
The Humans making their first ever west coast performances!
The Humans are: Toyah Willcox – voice, voice loops; Chris Wong – bass, and occasional guitar; Bill Rieflin – bass, and loopy percussion stuff.
Toyah – a hugely successful English pop singer, film & stage actress, and writer – formed The Humans in 2007 after being invited by the Estonian ambassador to tour Estonia and to perform for the president. With both a strong pop sensibility and playful experimental streak, this creative formation marked a radical departure for Toyah. Eschewing the conventional rock band line-up, the core of The Humans focuses on her voice flanked by two bass players. Although the records & live shows include a wider range of instrumentation, Humans music centers around singing and bass. Their third CD, to be released later this year, is the most catchy and danceable record yet.
Monday April 14, Tuesday April 15: 7.30pm. Tickets: $25 advance // $30 day of.
• Continue reading at The Triple Door.
Just uploaded to Dreamscape’s You Tube channel, a short interview with Toyah from BBC Breakfast Time on the day that ‘Echo Beach’ was released as a single in 1987. Click on the caps below to watch and view larger versions of the screen caps here.
Over the last few years Dreamscape’s You Tube channel has grown into a great place to view retro Toyah television interviews, performances, dedicated specials and more. Click below to view info and screen caps of just some of what is available to view at You Tube.
• Acoustic, Up Close & Personal: Toyah plays Lowther Pavilion, Lytham St. Annes on 20th February. The venue has created a promo video for the acoustic version of ‘Angels & Demons’. Book tickets for the Lowther here…
• Birmingham Mail: The 80s was a golden era for Martin Fry: “It was a golden age of British pop,” he grins. “Pop was much more flamboyant. Now there is Lady Gaga and I can see 80s elements in her fashion, but back then there were 100 Lady Gagas with singers like Toyah and Annie Lennox and it was all normal – Continue reading…
• Saga: A diet revolution or evolution?: By the way – Toyah Willcox. Should anyone be watching Splash! you will have seen her in her swimming suit. And very trim she looks too. I’m not surprised – I interviewed her a few years ago at her home and she is not only into extremely healthy eating, supplements, natural remedies and the like, but also would walk for miles up and down the very, very steep sides of the Malvern Hills near her home at every opportunity – Continue reading…
• Jelly: The band with former Toyah drummer Stevie Bray on vocals have a new album out and it’s now available at iTunes – Troubadour, Wizard, The Queen and the Machine is a brilliant debut – More info here…
• Whitby Goth Weekend Spring 2014: Promo video, including Toyah, at You Tube: A taster of the bands playing at Whitby Goth Weekend in April 2014 – View here…
• Splash!: Someone has uploaded a recording of Toyah’s dive to You Tube, so if anyone missed it or is outside the UK and can’t access the various online players, this is a chance to see it – View here…
As promised, a few more screen caps from Toyah’s appearance on last Saturday’s Splash! on ITV. Click below to view larger versions, and browse all Dreamscape’s news on the programme here.
Toyah’s Gig Diary for 2014 is packed full of concerts, PA’s, festivals and appearances. There are also live US dates for The Humans in April.
The first Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date is at the Pavilion Arts Centre, Buxton on Wednesday 19th February, while the opening Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits… Live! gig is at the Holmfirth Picturedome on Friday 21st February. The Crimson Queen dates will run throughout 2014 as an extended series of gigs rather than in a single-month tour.
Toyah’s first festival appearance of the year is on Sunday 30th March at The Great British Alternative Music Festival, Minehead. Also playing at that are The Damned, Buzzcocks, Bad Manners, The Blockheads, The Rezillos and many more. View the promo image for that here.
• Further info, ticket links and the full confirmed list of live dates is available at the Official Toyah Gigs page. Find out where the nearest gig to you is taking place here…
• Dark Night Of The Soul With Julie: Toyah and Fripp’s ‘The Discourager of Hesitancy/The Encourager of Precipitation’ from The Lady Or The Tiger was included in Julie’s playlist last night on WFMU – View the full list here…
• The Fripps at Christmas: Great festive photos of Toyah. Robert and Willyfred in the Christmas Day entry at Robert Fripp’s Diary – View here…
• My World Of Music: Toyah – It’s A Mystery: This track formed part of an E.P called Four From Toyah. Released early in 1981 it was Toyah’s breakthrough hit single after several years of building up a large fan base. It wasn’t like anything she had released before – Continue reading…
• Three Sides Of The Coin: Toyah’s new film had its first screening last night. View our recent news on the film here.
• Lytham St Annes Express: Lowther all set for a new look: Lowther Pavilion is set for a new look when the curtain goes up again at the Lytham theatre after its three-week winter break… Toyah Willcox and Ruby Wax are among a wide variety of attractions to follow – Continue reading…
• Metro: 60 Seconds – Paul Young: Paul mentions Toyah in this new article: It’s the same with Toyah Willcox’s hip – she could have damaged that – Continue reading…
Anna Williamson pays tribute to her Splash! pal Toyah in her “Showbiz Peek at the Week” column at Digital Spy.
…However, it was the lovely Toyah Willcox who after pulling off a spectacular inward dive tuck off the 5-meter board, gave me a run for my money for a place in the semi-finals.
By the skin of my teeth I ‘won’ the ‘splash-off’ and I’m incredibly grateful to have been put through to the next round, but I must say it was rather bittersweet as Toyah is not only a wonderfully talented and gracious lady, she was also my fellow girly training partner – I’ll miss her chirpy banter next week when it’s back to the swimming pool.
For a woman in her 50s with a hip replacement to have achieved what she did on Saturday night I think is truly inspiring. Toyah, I salute you!
• Continue reading at Digital Spy. (Photos © Digital Spy)
The biggest music event that Tring has ever seen is returning for a second year with the very best sounds from the 1980s and contemporary pop.
July’s event saw 11,000 people flock to see some of the biggest names in the industry – and judging by the line-up – this year will be no different for Chilfest music festival. And the advice for this year’s three-day concert is to book early in order to avoid disappointment.
…While on Saturday, July 5, Chilfest presents Jason Donovan, Toyah, Imagination, Bad Manners, Go West and Bony M featuring Maizie Williams.
• Continue reading at the Leighton Buzzard Observer.
Tales Of The Unexpected: Sky Arts 2: Tuesday 28th January: 1.30pm
Tales Of The Unexpected: Sky Arts 2: Wednesday 29th January: 2.30am/6.30am
Blue Marigold. Series 5, Episode 1. Dropped by her agency for her diva-like behaviour, supermodel Marigold’s mental health deteriorates. Years later, she plots a comeback. Director: Giles Foster. Starring: Toyah Willcox, Ralph Bates, Sharon Duce, Helen Fraser, Billy Hamon, Edward Jewesbury.
• The Tempest @ BFI: Tickets now on sale for this event, which includes a live Q&A by Toyah at the BFI Southbank Cinema on Wednesday 12th February 2014 : Derek Jarman’s terrific third feature is brooding and darkly laden with heavily symbolic imagery – More info here…
• Digital Spy: Splash!: Toyah Willcox makes her way to the board – View here…
• The Fashionatress: My first ladies of Punk!: One of alternative fashions true style chameleons, You just didn’t know what Toyah would be wearing next! Bold and brash she did her own thing with her wardrobe. ‘Outlandish’ was the word Toyah Willcox and her style statement making costumes – View here…
• Classic Rock: Blockheads ask fans for chart help: Last year the band ran a successful crowd-funding campaign to cover the cost of making three videos for Same Horse Different Jockey. They used the money to create a series of spoof soap opera episodes called Dun Punkin, featuring old friends Toyah Willcox and Topper Headon – Continue reading…
• Liverpool Sound & Vision: Hue And Cry, Big Country And Toyah Willcox Amongst The Highlights Of New Season Of Music At Eric’s – Continue reading…
• The Garstang Courier: Some Grand Nights Out: Toyah brings her band to the Grand for the first time on Easter Saturday, April 19 – Continue reading…
• Chilfest 2014: Tickets for this Hertfordshire festival are now on sale. Toyah plays a full-band gig on July 5th – More info here… (Thanks to Kev Tucker)
