Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Toyah is playing Weyfest Music Festival 2018 next month, as one of the special guest vocalists with The SAS Band. The festival takes place from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th August in Tilford, Surrey. The SAS Band headline the closing night of the festival.

Weyfest is a premium boutique-style festival which has been held in Tilford, Surrey in August each year since 2007. At Weyfest you will experience fine foods, wines, ales, ciders and lagers, cocktails and champagne bars – all at reasonable prices.  There are plenty of posh clean toilets that are topped up with supplies all weekend, a beautiful camp site with wonderful hot showers and great sound quality from the 4 stages, all set in 10 acres of stunning woodland of the Rural Life Centre museum – home to 40,000 fascinating artefacts of country life. There’s plenty to entertain all ages, quite apart from the fabulous music!

A music festival without mud. Weyfest is more like a mini-holiday than a music festival. It is a stress-free weekend in the country, with over 30 hours of the finest music… Where people open gates for you, say “excuse me” and move aside to let you to the bar. Where the tantalising aromas of great food mix with the nostalgic smell of steam from the resident railway, conjuring up memories of a bygone industrial age.

• Further info/Book tickets at the Weyfest Music Festival 2018 website.

Toyah is playing Nottinghamshire Pride 2018 on Saturday, with a stage time of 4pm. There are further details about the day’s events at the West Bridgford Wire.

Full details for Nottinghamshire Pride 2018 revealed

This year Nottinghamshire Pride will take place on 28th July in Nottingham City Centre. Nottingham City Centre will be awash with colour and wrapped in rainbow flags this Saturday as Nottinghamshire Pride takes place in the city.

• Continue reading at the West Bridgford Wire. Visit the Nottinghamshire Pride 2018 website here.

Emma Goswell remembers the weekend that was

Similarly, punk priestess Toyah was in her element and thrilled to be at L Fest. Before she went on stage, I asked her if she thought there was a need for lesbian festivals and she really did. “I think its really important,” she told me. “I think it’s community. People who live in a hostile environment need to know there is somewhere they can go and be safe and included and they can express themselves. It’s so important that things like this exist!”

As well as her hits, Toyah treated the crowd to singalong versions of rock classics like Sweet Child Of Mine, Rebel Yell and I Love Rock N Roll. It’s so wonderful, having seen her at Pride events too, to know that someone I was a fan of when I was in the closet is now such a supporter of the LGBT community. Jumping up and down singing Toyah songs with hundreds of other sleep-deprived lesbians filled my little-exhausted heart with glee and it was hard not to feel – at least for a moment – that everything was right with the world.

• Continue reading at Diva.

There’s only a few weeks until Toyah plays the Jack Up The 80s Festival and the Isle Of Wight County Press have made her the cover star of their Weekender supplement (Friday July 20, 2018 issue), with a one page interview feature inside.

In the court of the crimson queen
Eighties music remains popular because it tells relevant and grounded stories everyone can associate with.

That’s according to Toyah, one of the decade’s most iconic stars, who is returning to Jack Up The 80s this Summer.

The 80s revival started in around 2000 and has kept a lot os artists busy ever since, such is the appeal of the 80s sound, which arks back to a time before grunge, rave and grime.

Toyah does four shows a week, all year round, and this will be the second time she has been at the island’s most fluorescent summer event. “Jack Up The 80s has grown since I was last there and I’m looking forward to coming back,” she told the County Press.

• Continue reading here. Many thanks to Official Jack Up The 80s. Browse our Jack Up The 80s news. Visit the festival’s Official Website.

Hold on to your ‘80s ra-ra skirts for a little while longer and don’t chuck your roller boots away just yet, as the Isle of Wight is once again gearing itself up for the ultimate feel-good festival!

Jack Up The 80s is a two-day retro pop festival which takes place on August 11 and 12, and provides a family weekend of musical entertainment from household chart names, food, attractions, kids arts and crafts and stalls.

The 2018 artist line-up includes Grammy Award-winning and international chart-topping music legend Leo Sayer, British pop rock group T’Pau, punk princess Toyah Willcox, soul star Jaki Graham, Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, the one and only Chesney Hawkes and many more.

Special guests from the noughties Phats & Small will be helping to mix things up a bit, along with boy band Five.

The event is fast making a name for itself as the most fun festival on the South Coast. It offers an unbeatable atmosphere and is completely safe, inclusive and affordable for all.

• Continue reading at the Daily Echo. Browse our Jack Up The 80s news. Visit the festival’s Official Website.

The Fairkytes Live stage will be back at The Havering Show again in August, and the headliner this year is none other than Toyah! As always, admission to the show is free, and the Fairktyes Live stage will be running from 11am to 5pm each day.

• See further info on The Havering Show here.

Nottinghamshire Pride 2018 – when, where, tickets, times, prices, parade route, weather, stages, line-up and everything else you need to know

80s pop star Toyah will be entertaining the crowd along with a Britney tribute

An eighties pop star, an X Factor finalist and a Britney Spears tribute act are among the entertainers lining up for the city’s most fabulous festival, Nottinghamshire Pride.

Taking place on Saturday, July 28, this year’s annual LGBTQ+ celebration promises to be jam-packed with free comedy, live music and theatre shows from 11.30am until late, late, late.

So who can we expect to see on the main stage?

Performance Times: 12.15pm – Sheriff of Nottingham speech, 12.30pm – Michaela Weeks Britney Spears Tribute, 1pm – The Scream Queens, 1.30pm – Amrick Channa from The Voice and X Factor, 2pm – Tash Bird, 2.30pm – Nicki French, 3pm – Kitty Tray, 3.30pm – Intro from Charity Shop Sue, 4pm – Toyah Willcox, 4.30pm – Rob Green, 5pm – The Half Eight, 5.30pm – Titty Bon Bon, 6pm – Co-op Arts Theatre Group.

• Continue reading at Nottinghamshire Live at the Nottingham Post.

Punk icon Toyah Willcox, wife of Robert Fripp and now long-time Wiltshire and Dorset resident, comes to Strode Theatre in Street on Friday 6th July for an intimate evening of music and memories.

Since the late 1970s, when she was the flame-haired idol of the pop punks, Toyah has expanded her repertoire, presenting on television and acting on stage and screen, including cult films Jubilee and Quadrophenia.

At Street she will be performing an unplugged set of her best-loved hits and classic songs, and recalling stories from her colourful 35-year career.

In this entertaining and revealing show, musicians Chris Wong and Colin Hinds accompany Toyah on melodic acoustic versions of hits like It’s A Mystery, Thunder In The Mountains, I Want To Be Free and Good Morning Universe; and with anecdotes about adventures like filming pop videos on horseback at 5am in the morning, or acting alongside Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier.

The show starts  at 7.30. For more details, telephone 01458 442846 or visit the website, www.strodetheatre.org.uk

• Continue reading at The Fine Times Recorder.

A Toyah first! She’s playing live in Finland for the very first time. Women Power features Toyah, Liz Mitchell of Boney M, Suzi Quatro and Finnish singing legend Muska Babitzin.

The closest Toyah ever previously got to playing a gig in Finland was on the Good Morning Universe European Tour tour when the band played Stockholm on 1st December 1981.

There are two Women Power concert dates in Finland but Toyah is playing in Helsinki only on 28th September. The others also play Oulu – in North West Finland – the next day.

The venues are big in both towns, the Helsinki one Jäähalli (literally Ice Hall) is a massive ice hockey arena which is used for the big name concerts.

Toyah Willcox has been called The Princess Of Punk for good reasons. In her 40 year career she has released 13 Top 40 singles, recorded 24 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays, acted in over 20 feature films and been in hundreds of TV programmes. Toyah’s hit singles are It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Brave New World. During this year she celebrates her 60th birthday as well as 40 years in the show business.

• Further info here. (Many thanks to Keijo Seppänen and Min Kay for the info)

The biggest 80s festival to rock the Isle of Wight is back for a sixth year!

Hold on to your 80s ra-ra skirts for a little while longer and don’t chuck your roller boots away just yet, as the Isle of Wight is gearing itself up for the ultimate feel-good festival!

Jack Up The 80s is a three-day retro pop festival in its sixth year and provides a family weekend of musical entertainment from household chart names, food, attractions, kids arts and crafts and stalls.

The event is fast making a name for itself as the most fun festival on the South Coast. It offers an unbeatable atmosphere and is completely safe, inclusive and affordable for all. In excess of £20,000 has been raised in the past 2 years for local charities and good causes.

Pop punk princess, Toyah Willcox joins Jack Up The 80’s line up. Toyah is one of the most iconic artists of the decade with a career spanning over 35 years. She has had 13 top 40 singles, recorded 24 albums and toured live across the world.

• Continue reading at Visit South East England. Visit the Jack Up The 80s website. Browse our Jack Up the 80s news.

Toyah is celebrating her 40th year in music and her 60th Birthday later in the year with four special gigs, one of which takes place at The Fleece in Bristol on 1st November. Click on their promo image below for full details of all four gigs at Toyah’s Official Gigs page.

A previously unpublished photo of Toyah is included on the new official promo image for the Acoustic, Up Close & Personal concerts.

The Acoustic… gigs are now in their fifth year of playing venues around the country, having debuted in February 2014, and show no sign of ending anytime soon!

Many thousands of people have enjoyed hearing Toyah talk about her career, and perform songs from her vast discography acoustically via these gigs.

An update today from Official Toyah on Toyah’s Acoustic… date(s) at Trading Boundaries in October:

Toyah will now be doing two nights at Trading Boundaries, in East Sussex, LIVE this October.

Both evenings will feature a three-piece acoustic band and feature unplugged version of Toyah classics including the recently added Angel & Me, Race Through Space and We Are.

Dining tickets have sold out for 13 October but are now available for 14 October.

• Further info/Book tickets at Trading Boundaries Music. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

Headliners announced as town prepares to host L Fest

The UK’s only lesbian festival has revealed its two headline acts for the event in Llandudno next month.

Katrina Leskanich and Toyah Willcox will headline a long list of performers at L Fest which will be held in Bodafon Fields between July 13 and 16.

Best known for signing in Katrina and the Waves, Katrina Leskanich won the 1997 Eurovision song contest with Love Shine a Light after rising to prominence with her 1985 hit Walking on Sunshine.

Willcox is an award-winning rock legend as well as a much-loved stage/screen actress and music composer. She has had 13 top 40 singles, recorded 24 albums, written two books, appeared in more than 40 stage plays, acted in 20 feature films and presented hundreds of TV programmes.

• Continue reading at the North Wales Pioneer. Visit the L Fest 2018 website.

Sparkling set from Toyah closes Devizes Arts Festival

The stage of the Devizes’ Corn Exchange was set for a spectacular performance on Saturday night and Toyah didn’t disappoint. She took the audience, many of whom were lifelong fans, through her back catalogue of hits, including ‘It’s a Mystery’ and ‘I want to be free’. Toyah was 60 earlier this year but you wouldn’t have thought it as she danced and jumped around, wearing a gold dress which sparkled as she moved.

Her performance was even more impressive when she revealed that this was her second gig of the day!

Many of Toyah’s fans have a connection with her which goes back nearly 40 years and they loved every minute of the gig.

It was a night to remember and a fitting end to the main programme of this year’s Devizes Arts Festival.

• Continue reading at the Gazette & Herald.

Absolutely stunning photos of Toyah from her gig on Saturday at Devizes Arts Festival. Please click on them to view larger versions. (Thanks to Angus | Photos © Angus Turner)

• Take a look at just some of the great Toyah Live photos Angus has contributed to Dreamscape over the years… Amazing! Thanks again to Angus.

A fab weekend of concerts for Toyah: “THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! to everyone who made Minehead, Lets Rock Leeds, Devizes and Bognor the best weekend ever! 4 concerts in 3 days…..bring it on xxx photos courtesy Gail Foster“. Click below to visit Toyah at Twitter.

Two great photos of Toyah onstage at Let’s Rock Leeds yesterday afternoon (below right) and at Devizes Arts Festival (left) last night. (Photos © Devizes Arts Festival / Let’s Rock Leeds Official)

Another busy weekend of concerts for Toyah, with a pair of 80s Weekender shows last night and on Sunday, a visit to Let’s Rock Leeds this afternoon and a band gig on the penultimate day of Devizes Arts Festival this evening. The festival runs from 31st May – 17th June. Toyah’s gig takes place at Devizes Corn Exchange.

Toyah & her Full Electric Band

Saturday 16th June: Corn Exchange: 8:00pm | £20 Standing only

From punk princess to cult stage actress and high priestess of TV, Toyah Willcox is a uniquely gifted performer and an inextinguishable flame. Charismatic, outspoken and impossible to categorise, she is one of Britain’s iconic household names – an award-winning rock legend as well as a much-loved stage/screen actress and music composer. In a career spanning over 35 years she has amassed 13 top 40 singles, recorded 24 albums and toured live across the world.

In this lively and energetic concert with her full live electric band you can expect to hear hit singles Good Morning Universe, Thunder In The Mountains and It’s A Mystery alongside classics Neon Womb, Danced and Ieya.

• Continue reading at the Devizes Arts Festival website.

Toyah Willcox and Katrina from Katrina and the Waves to headline world’s biggest lesbian festival

Toyah Willcox and Katrina and the Waves will be headlining “the world’s biggest lesbian festival” in July. L Fest, which takes place in Llandudno, north Wales, is going back to the Eighties to provide entertainment for its queer female audience.

“ONE MONTH TO GOOOOO and we have something to shout about, we are sooo excited at HQ. Here are our headliners for L Fest 2018 and as we know how so many of you love your 80’s, we have not one but two GLOBAL 80’s ICONS for you!” wrote L Fest on its Facebook page.

• Continue reading at Pink News.

A review of Toyah’s gig at The O2 Academy, Newcastle on Saturday, by Northeast Music Guide.

Toyah emerged covered in gold. Good Morning Universe was the opening number, an ageless classic. Toyah had a sparkle in her eye and energy that belies her 60 years. Next, from album Anthem: We Are. Toyah’s introduction suggested it should have been a single. Very in the vein of 8th Day, by Hazel O’Connor.

Her cover of Echo Beach was, in our opinion, better than the Martha And The Muffins original.

Inroducing Thunder in the Mountains, Toyah mentions the mad 80s videos. This song got some early audience participation. Toyah told us about Neon Womb, which was written 40 years ago whilst filming with Katherine Hepburn. Being lonely in hotel rooms as a young woman inspired this claustrophobic track.

Next was Rebel Run and then a song for those who got into trouble with their mothers for dying their hair pink:  Be Proud Be Loud ( Be Heard). Toyah is wonderfully eccentric and loved by the appreciative audience as she twirls and takes a bow at the end.

• Continue reading at Northeast Music Guide. (Words and photos: Joanne Oliver for Jowheretogo and Carliol Photography)

Here’s our 22nd round-up of 2018 of concerts, plays and other shows on in the north east over the next seven days, including gigs by the Wedding Present, a version of Yes, Public Image Limited and Belly.

Pop veteran Toyah Willcox is playing at Newcastle’s O2 Academy tomorrow, June 9. The West Midlands-born 60-year-old is best known for her 1981 EP, a No 4 hit featuring the track It’s a Mystery, and the single Thunder in the Mountains, also a No 4 that year.

Tickets to see the band, together from 1978 to 1992 and since 2009, cost £30.35. Stephanie Clift and Larry Love and Special Sorta Beat will be supporting. For details, go to academymusicgroup.com/o2academynewcastle.

• Continue reading at News Guardian. NB: Not quite sure about those band dates quoted above!!