Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Christmas 1981, Following an incredible year of huge hit singles, gold-selling album, tours, a multitude of images, hundreds of press interviews and numerous television appearances, Toyah closed her/their sensational 1981 by playing the final date of the Good Morning Universe European Tour, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London on Christmas Eve.

This was Toyah’s third, and final, tour of the year, following the College Tour at the beginning of 1981 and the Anthem Tour in the middle of the year.

The gig was broadcast live on BBC2  – and simultaneously in stereo on BBC Radio 1 – on The Old Grey Whistle Test – introduced by Radio 1/TOGWT legend, Annie Nightingale – as their annual Christmas Eve concert for 1981, in a schedule that also included everything from a festive All Creatures Great & Small, to an episode of Russell Harty At Home.

The band were: Toyah Willcox (Vocals|), Joel Bogen (Guitar), Adrian Lee (Keyboards), Phil Spalding (Bass Guitar, Vocals), Simon Phillips (Drums). The concert was released on regular VHS (and Limited Edition hardback cover VHS with an Introduction note by Toyah) by BBC Video in 1982.

As part of Cherry Red Record’s reissue schedule of Toyah’s complete Safari Records discography, Toyah Live At Drury Lane was released on double vinyl album and CD+DVD for the first time in May 2023, a fitting full-circle for this legendary and memorable concert.

Toyah was among a small number who received this not inconsiderable accolade during the 1970s/80s golden era of music. Others bands/artists who were gifted The Old Grey Whistle Test festive concert over the years included Elton John (1974), Queen (1975), Rod Stewart (1976), The Kinks (1977), 10CC (1978), Ian Dury & The Blockheads (1980), Elton John (1982), Paul Young (1983).

Toyah would later recall: “I spent one Christmas in complete euphoria after doing the Drury Lane Whistle Test. I can remember driving home to Birmingham that night and it was snowing. Everything was just wonderful and I remained on a high after doing that show for about ten days.“

Toyah’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane/The Old Grey Whistle Test concert has become an intrinsic and memorable part of Christmas. A legendary event that thousands attended and many millions watched, and remember as such a special moment in Toyah’s career as well as everyone’s Christmas – past, present and, no doubt, future!

Toyah’s legendary Live At Drury Lane concert, which aired on Christmas Eve 1981 as The Old Grey Whistle Test‘s annual concert, is now available to watch at BBC iPlayer – after being repeated for the first time by BBC Four last Friday.

The BBC website broadcast dates confirm that this is the first full repeat of Toyah’s legendary Old Grey Whistle Test Christmas Eve concert from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, since December 1981…

Toyah: Old Grey Whistle Test: BBC Four: Saturday 8th July: 00.35am
Annie Nightingale presents a Christmas Eve performance by the punk princess at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, with a band including acclaimed drummer Simon Phillips. Songs include the hits It’s a Mystery and I Want to Be Free.

Toyah: Old Grey Whistle Test: BBC Four: Saturday 8th July: 00.35am
Annie Nightingale presents a Christmas Eve performance by the punk princess at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, with a band including acclaimed drummer Simon Phillips. Songs include the hits It’s a Mystery and I Want to Be Free.

NB: I could be wrong but is this the first ever full repeat by the BBC? This has a running time of 1hr, 10m.

Out Now! Toyah – Live At Drury Lane. Packaged as a special CD/DVD edition or a semi-transparent pink 12″ double vinyl, these editions mark the first time the stereo audio has been released. Find out more at Cherry Red.

Out Now! Toyah – Live At Drury Lane. Packaged as a special CD/DVD edition or a semi-transparent pink 12″ double vinyl, these editions mark the first time the stereo audio has been released.

A slideshow video with the previously unreleased vintage concert performance of the song Urban Tribesmen live in Milan, 15 Dec 1981. This is a bonus track is from the forthcoming live CD+DVD Live At Drury Lane, released on 12 May by Cherry Red.

A new taster of the remastered Toyah Live At Drury Lane is out now… the mighty “We Are”!

• Stream/download now by clicking below. Pre-order LADL on CD+DVD or 2LP vinyl at Cherry Red.

Out now digitally, the newly remastered Jungles Of Jupiter / Live At Drury Lane ahead of the 12 May release of the full legendary Christmas Eve ‘81 concert. Listen now by clicking below.

Released digitally this Friday (14 April), the first taster of the newly remastered Live At Drury Lane live album. Catch Jungles Of Jupiter on streaming and digital download, ahead of the 12 May release of the full legendary Christmas Eve ‘81 concert.

Meanwhile pre-order the live album on CD+DVD or 2LP vinyl at Cherry Red by clicking below.

To the delight of fans old and new, comes the long-awaited ‘Toyah Live At Drury Lane’ – Toyah’s legendary Christmas Eve 1981 concert released on 12 May 2023 by Cherry Red Records.

Toyah the band were invited by the BBC to play a special live concert on 24 December 1981 for broadcast live on BBC2 for The Old Grey Whistle Test Christmas Special. Simultaneously the concert was broadcast in stereo on BBC Radio 1. Previously, the concert footage was only ever available on a BBC VHS video cassette in 1982.

Following a year of top ten hit singles in 1981 plus the Gold-selling album Anthem, the band closed out the year with this fantastically energetic and celebratory concert. The band line-up for this concert saw Toyah Willcox (vocals), Joel Bogen (guitar), the late Phil Spalding (bass) and Adrian Lee (keyboards) joined by acclaimed drummer Simon Phillips. The much-loved Christmas Eve 1981 concert was watched by an astonishing 12 million viewers on BBC 2 television.

The 2LP and CD contains all 13 songs as performed at the momentous concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, as broadcast live on BBC 1 for Toyah In Concert.

The DVD contains all 13 songs as performed at the momentous concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with two songs from the broadcast reinstated following their cut from a 1982 VHS video release Good Morning Universe.

Exclusive to the CD in this package are 3 bonus audio tracks recorded live in Milan on the band’s Winter Tour, which culminated in the Drury Lane concerts on 23/24 December 1981. These three rarely performed tracks are Stand Proud, Urban Tribesmen and Pop Star and come from a previously unreleased sound desk concert recording, courtesy of Joel Bogen.

The 24-page colour booklet includes an introduction by Toyah to the concert and new sleevenotes by Craig Astley, Toyah’s archivist who compiled this release.

Brand new artwork includes photography of Toyah’s iconic stage entrance for the gig, 20ft above the band and audience. Rare and previously unseen photographs of the band’s Drury Lane concert the day before (23 Dec 1981) from the Safari Records archive also illustrate the CD booklet.

• Pre-Order Toyah Live At Drury Lane on CD+DVD, and semi-transparent pink vinyl at Cherry Red (The editions with postcards sold out almost immediately!). Read the news/press release and album page/full tracklist/Release Gallery at toyahwillcox.com. Watch Toyah announce the release on today’s Toyah At Home.

Tomorrow’s Toyah At Home – airing at 11am (UK time) on Toyah’s official You Tube channel and Facebook – is a Live At Drury Lane episode and will will include a special announcement related to Toyah’s legendary 1981 concert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Christmas 1981, Following an incredible year of huge hit singles, gold-selling album, tours, a multitude of images, hundreds of press interviews and numerous television appearances, Toyah closed her/their sensational 1981 by playing the final date of the Good Morning Universe European Tour, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London on Christmas Eve.

This was Toyah’s third, and final, tour of the year, following the College Tour at the beginning of 1981 and the Anthem Tour in the middle of the year.

The gig was broadcast live on BBC2  – and simultaneously in stereo on BBC Radio 1 – on The Old Grey Whistle Test – introduced by Radio 1/TOGWT legend, Annie Nightingale – as their annual Christmas Eve concert for 1981, in a schedule that also included everything from a festive All Creatures Great & Small, to an episode of Russell Harty At Home.

The band were: Toyah Willcox (Vocals|), Joel Bogen (Guitar), Adrian Lee (Keyboards), Phil Spalding (Bass Guitar, Vocals), Simon Phillips (Drums).

The concert was released on regular VHS (and Limited Edition hardback cover VHS with an Introduction note by Toyah) by BBC Video in 1982.

Toyah was among a small number who received this not inconsiderable accolade during the 1970s/80s golden era of music. Others bands/artists who were gifted The Old Grey Whistle Test festive concert over the years included Elton John (1974), Queen (1975), Rod Stewart (1976), The Kinks (1977), 10CC (1978), Ian Dury & The Blockheads (1980), Elton John (1982), Paul Young (1983).

Toyah would later recall: “I spent one Christmas in complete euphoria after doing the Drury Lane Whistle Test. I can remember driving home to Birmingham that night and it was snowing. Everything was just wonderful and I remained on a high after doing that show for about ten days.“

Toyah’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane/The Old Grey Whistle Test concert has become an intrinsic and memorable part of Christmas. A legendary event that thousands attended and many millions watched, and remember as such a special moment in Toyah’s career as well as everyone’s Christmas – past, present and, no doubt, future!

Live At The Rainbow was released yesterday, on CD/DVD and Double Vinyl. Watch Cherry Red’s promo video for the release by clicking below. Order Live At The Rainbow at Cherry Red.

One of the most long-awaited titles by Toyah fans finally comes home this November. ‘Toyah Live At The Rainbow’ will be released on CD+DVD and aqua-blue transparent vinyl LP by Cherry Red Records on Friday 25 November 2022.

Featuring the original 12-song concert film released for the first time ever on DVD, much requested and sought after by fans for decades.

The previously unreleased concert audio is released for the first time ever on CD with seven additional songs, all previously unheard and unreleased; restored exclusively for this release. These include ‘Bird In Flight’, ‘Mummies’, ‘Computer’ and ‘Love Me’.

For this release, the original Rolling Stones multitrack reels have been revisited and remixed from scratch by Nick Watson at Fluid Mastering to create a new full stereo mix of the gig for the first time in its history. All audio remastering was approved by Joel Bogen.

This newly remastered and expanded release is the fifth in the Toyah reissue programme.

Celebrating the much-loved February 1981 concert at North London’s legendary Rainbow Theatre, this hotly anticipated title marks the first time ever the concert audio has been released on vinyl.

At the time, the Toyah band had seen a new line-up with Willcox and Joel Bogen joined by Nigel Glockler, Phil Spalding and Adrian Lee. In February 1981, the lead track ‘It’s A Mystery’, from the EP ‘Four From Toyah’, rose up through the charts and following an appearance on BBC’s Top Of The Pops, saw the band ‘Toyah’ crossover to mainstream singles chart success. This concert, originally due to take place at the Lyceum, was upgraded to the Rainbow following the EP’s success and demand for tickets.

Safari Records decided to record this unique moment in history as the band were ascending to greater fame and recognition, and before they’d recorded an album to follow the success of ‘It’s A Mystery’.

‘Toyah Live At The Rainbow’ includes the classic tracks ‘It’s A Mystery’, ‘War Boys’, ‘Angels & Demons’, ‘Race Through Space’, ‘Danced’ and ‘Ieya’.

• Pre-Order “Toyah Live At The Rainbow” on CD+DVD and Transparent Aqua Blue Vinyl at Cherry Red, where you can also see the full tracklist for both formats.

37 years ago this very evening Toyah played their, legendary, At The Rainbow concert at The Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, London.

“The irrepressible Toyah Willcox is marching on, opening up new horizons in audio-visual entertainment… She is now number one in a field of one… An original.” London Trax

The Rainbow Theatre, originally known as the Astoria Theatre, is a former cinema which still stands today in Finsbury Park, London and is now a Grade II listed building. It closed as a music venue in December 1981 and lay derilict for many years but was restored in the 1990s and is now used as a church.

“Toyah – a great rock performer, an inimitable individualist of the music scene. The legendary Rainbow Theatre in North London is the setting for this spectacular show, among the laser beams, through clouds of swirly smoke, Toyah struts and strides – a truly spine tingling performance. “Toyah” – band and vocalist – frenzied, pulsating, mystical fabulous – an explosive experience.”

RAINBOW SET-LIST

A 30-minute edit of the gig was aired by the BBC in 1981 and a 55-minute version was released on BBC video and laser disc. Neither of these included the full set-list of songs played at the gig:

War Boys, Neon Womb, Waiting, Our Movie, Revelations, Danced, Race Through Space, Angels & Demons, Love Me, Mummies, Insects, It’s A Mystery, Computer, Indecision, Tribal Look, Ghosts, Victims Of The Riddle, Ieya. ENCORE: It’s A Mystery, War Boys , Bird In Flight, Danced

Toyah Willcox (Vocals), Joel Bogen (Guitar), Phil Spalding (Bass), Nigel Glockler (Drums), Adrian Lee (Keyboards). See the Discography page at toyahwillcox.com and read Dreamscape’s 2011 At The Rainbow mini-feature. Re-live the magical gig at You Tube.

Exactly 35 years ago this evening Toyah played their, now legendary, At The Rainbow concert, at The Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, London. Toyah Willcox (Vocals), Joel Bogen (Guitar), Phil Spalding (Bass), Nigel Glockler (Drums), Adrian Lee (Keyboards). See the Discography page at toyahwillcox.com and click below to read Dreamscape’s 2011 mini-feature. Watch the gig at You Tube and if anyone still has Breaking Through: The Official Toyah Newsletter #12 from July 2014 in their inbox, there’s a great At The Rainbow feature included in that also.