Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

The Official Toyah Facebook has posted intriguing lyrics updates over the last couple of days. Wondering if these are from a new song, or songs, on The Humans’ third album?

♫ all is not as it seems / stuck by the glue of destiny ♫

♫ Changing playmates, changing playgrounds / paint a better backdrop, submerged in city sounds / Stop your excuses, don’t you feel useless / Feel the attractions, start a chain reaction ♫

♫ sleep tight, dream a thousand dreams where you’re swallowed by the sea / sleep tight, dream a thousand dreams dancing on moonbeams ♫

Toyah’s February blog is now available to read at The Official Toyah Willcox Website. There’s news on The Humans, Derek Jarman and The Tempest, Splash!, Steve Oram’s new film, the upcoming live dates and more. Click below to read.

Splash!, Vintage TV, Kaleidoscope Man, Aaaaaaaah!, WillyFred, guilty pleasures, Derek Jarman, Bill Rieflin, hangover cures… just some of the topics Toyah has tweeted about recently.

Keep up to date with Toyah at Twitter – Regular tweets and photos directly from the Crimson Queen herself here…

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.

Toyah’s first blog of 2014 is available to read at The Official Toyah Willcox Website. She talks Seattle, Canne, Christmas, Splash! and more. Click below to read.

The bonus Christmas Eve Digital Advent gift was unveiled at Toyah’s Official Website today and it was Live Is The Law, a seven-track mini-album of songs recorded on the 2013 Love Is The Law & More UK Tour. There’s also downloadable artwork. Click below for Toyah’s final 2013 Christmas goodie, as well as a full Digital Advent summary. Merry Christmas to toyahwillcox.com!

Welcome to the final “Toyah Newsy Bits & Pieces!” of the year…

• Smash Hits Archive: Exactly 30 years to the day it was originally published, the December 22, 1983 – January 4, 1984 issue of Smash Hits. This includes various Toyah content: There’s a review of the Rebel Run Tour, Celebrity Squares article, and in the “Quotes Of The Year”. Toyah is also included in the 1983 Reader’s Poll, placing at number six in the Best Female Singer and Most Fanciable Female categories. View the full issue here…

• The Official Phil Spalding Website: Phil’s website, “Music + Mayhem”, is now live and has some great content to browse through, including “the inside stories” on recording ‘Anthem’ and ‘The Changeling’, with more Toyah memories to follow. Visit the website…

• Phil Spalding: Check out all of Dreamscape’s recent Phil related news here…

• Official Toyah Advent: The final door was opened earlier today BUT there will be a bonus gift for Christmas Eve tomorrow. Visit the advent here…

• Official Instagram: Toyah has been posting some festive photos over the last week. Take a look at her Instagram page…

Toyah’s Digital Advent for Christmas 2013 is almost complete, with the final door coming tomorrow. Yesterday’s gift was a selection of previously unseen outtakes from legendary Toyah photo sessions. Click  below to view.

• Toyah’s Digital Advent: The Official countdown to Christmas Eve reaches day eight today, and a very special gift – The Humans Live At Scala London 2010. A full digital live album for Christmas – Listen here… View the full Advent here…

• Rare Photos: Additional photos from the late 1970’s were also added to the Calendar yesterday – View these amazing shots here…

• A Very Vintage Christmas: Toyah is mentioned in Vintage TV’s December Podcast. She is also still pictured on the Home Page of their website. There are still numerous chances to catch both editions of A Very Vintage Christmas – View the full schedule here…

• Vintage TV: Both editions of A Very Vintage Christmas are also now available to watch online at Vintage TV’s website. Watch Part One here, and Part Two here.

• Dark Night Of The Soul With Julie: Toyah’s ‘I Believe In Father Christmas’ was included in Julie’s Christmas Special playlist last night on WFMU – View the full list here…

In the early 80s, every member of Toyah’s Fanclub – The Intergalactic Ranchouse – received a personally signed Christmas card from Toyah. She even mentioned in an interview at the time that she signed thousands of cards. Do you still have yours? Here are all four cards, send from 1981 to 1984. The card from 1983 was a postcard and the 1984 card came from the Toyah Fanclub, the IRH had closed earlier in the year.

Click here to read the messages, for 1981 and ’82. And click here for the cards, and messages, from 1983 and ’84.

The Official Toyah Digital Advent for Christmas 2013 began yesterday.

There will be Toyah goodies behind each door in a daily countdown to Christmas Eve. Already there’s been great live footage and a selection of highly rare band photos from the 1970s and we’re only on Day Two!!

• Check out the Official Advent at toyahwillcox.com.

The latest issue of Breaking Through, Toyah’s Official Newsletter, was mailed out to subscribers yesterday.

It features news on Toyah’s new ‘Winter in Wonderland’ EP, the re-design of the Official Toyah website, Toyah’s Digital Advent 2013, Live Track for December 2013, the new video by The Blockheads, Toyah’s Christmas at ‘Vintage TV’, and more.

• Subscribe: For full info on all of the above, and to receive future issues of the newsletter, sign up to ‘Breaking Through’ here.

Toyah’s Official Facebook made a selection of Play, Pause, Rewind… status posts recently, including a link to some interesting early info and a rare Sunday All Over The World photo:

<< REWIND: In the beginning………… Toyah performed live in a band with a less snappy name than ‘Toyah’ or Ninth Illusion! >> “When The Streets Were Dark With More Than Night” were a short lived Lou Reed-influenced punk outfit, playing youth clubs and pubs as well as a notorious gig at the Ford Youth club at the Ford Dagenham Car Plant – Continue reading…

STOP Toyah recorded a bunch of demos co-written with Robert Fripp in 1985 in advance of the release of the spoken word album The Lady Or The Tiger and before their marriage. On their 1991 album as Sunday All Over The World joined by Trey Gunn and Paul Beavis) the track “Freedom” includes the original 1985 demo vocal. Hear the song at Vimeo…

Toyah’s December/Christmas 2013 blog is available to read at The Official Toyah Willcox Website, including great photos from Vintage TV’s Live Sessions, where Toyah interviewed Gabrielle. There’s also a new live track on the Official Gigs page, ‘Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard)’ from the Love Is The Law & More Tour at The Brook, Southampton in November.

Toyah has released a new EP for Christmas/Winter, Winter in Wonderland, features four songs recorded 20 years ago and all making their digital debut. This is Toyah’s 27th single release.

Toyah’s atmospheric ballad Winter In Wonderland is released digitally this December

Marking twenty years since the track was recorded, the release is also the first ever digital issue of any material from the fan-favourite album Take The Leap!. The track is released just in time for the winter holidays and also also includes three same era-demos as digital b-sides, previously available only on CDs.

Tracklist: 01. Winter in Wonderland, 02. Angel (Demo), 03. Requite Me (Demo), 04. Invisible Love (Demo).

• View further info, including links to download at iTunes & Amazon, at toyahwillcox.com.

The Official Toyah Willcox Website has been completely revamped: New look, new format, new images… There’s lots to explore – Pay a visit by clicking below.

There has been speculation and rumours a-plenty since Toyah first mentioned the possibility in her blog earlier this year. Breaking Through has now confirmed Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits… Live!

The news which many Toyah diehards have been waiting for. The 2014 gigs will focus on Toyah’s most recent solo album alongside the newly introduced Love Is The Law material plus a smattering of well-loved and known classics. CRIMSON QUEEN/GREATEST HITS…..LIVE! will run across the whole of 2014 as a long series of gigs rather than concentrated month tour. There will be more dates added throughout 2014 but there are already so many dates for your diary.

The Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits… Live! first gig is on 21st February in Holmfirth, and over the following five months will play Nuneaton, Bury St. Edmunds, Wimborne, London, Hastings, Wakefield, Blyth, Isle of Man, Kent and Norwich. More dates are expected to be added to this over the coming months.

• Full details on all of these dates at the Official Gigs page. Tickets are already on sale for some of the dates.

As mentioned on Sunday, the latest Breaking Through, Toyah’s Official Newsletter, has been mailed out to subscribers. The ‘Winter 2013’ issue contains a veritable feast of Toyah news and info. Here’s a summary of what’s included:

• Toyah Live 2014: Numerous dates announced for throughout next year, including Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits… Live! (see our seperate news post on this); Acoustic, Up Close & Personal; plus other dates, including PAs and festivals, and a performance at Rock Choir at Birmingham Symphony Hall in July. View the full itinerary at Toyah’s Official Gigs page.

• Festivals 2014: Toyah will play a number of festivals and multi-artist concerts next year, including the Great British Alternative Music Festival; Whitby Gothic Weekend; Let’s Rock The Moor, and Chilfest.

• The Humans: Will be touring the West Coast of America between the 9th and 16th April 2014. Venues and further details on this are to be confirmed at a later date.

• Music News: Toyah, Chris Wong & Tim Rose are to record two acoustic songs in January 2014 for future broadcast by the music channel ‘Vintage TV’; Toyah and Simon Darlow have begun writing the follow up to Toyah’s most recent album In The Court Of The Crimson Queen.

• Official News: Following the great response last Christmas, Toyah’s Official Website will be bringing visitors another advent calendar this December; and expect another significant announcement about Toyah in the New Year.

• 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. (Photo by Dean Stockings © Toyah Willcox Ltd)

Toyah’s November blog is now available to read at The Official Toyah Willcox Website. Click below for Toyah’s thoughts on the recent tour, and much more. I must say a huge thank you to Toyah for mentioning Dreamscape’s Fanzine in her blog, as well as Craig Astley for posting about it in the latest ‘Breaking Through’ Official Newsletter. I am extremely grateful for the support.

Been out all day, return home this evening and there’s an explosion of Toyah news online: A brief summary for now: Toyah’s Official Newsletter ‘Breaking Through’ has been mailed out; the news, gigs and blog pages at www.toyahwillcox.com have been updated; dozens of new live dates for 2014 have been announced (including ‘Crimson Queen’ gigs); and a new photo from the recent Dean Stockings/Sean Chapman session has been released. Apart from all that Facebook is awash with photos and videos from last night’s final Love Is The Law & More at the O2 Academy. A proper update soon… In the meantime here’s that gorgeous new photo. Please click on it to view Toyah’s live diary for the remainder of this year and, a very busy, 2014.

Just posted at Toyah’s Official Facebook: The final date of the tour is about to begin! But no sad faces for what better way to follow up that tour but with an announcement ?!!!! coming soon…… (Stunning Love Is The Law & More live shot © P A C Photography)