One of Toyah’s most colourful photo shoots. These great photos were published in European magazine Pop Rocky and the UK’s Jackie in the Summer of 1982, at the height of The Changeling era. Toyah wears various Melissa Caplan designed outfits that were rarely seen anywhere else aside from a couple of television appearances.
“My giraffe for @WorcStandsTall TALL in aid of ST. RICHARD’S HOSPICE and @WILDINART is now signed and complete. thank u Rachel Blackwell for bringing my design to life!” (Photo © Toyah Willcox)
Over the past 40 years Toyah has provided the world with numerous “Iconic Images” (good name for a fanzine, that!) but has there ever been imagery as mesmerising as that which Toyah adopted for Thunder In The Mountains in 1981? The book ‘Pop Styles’ seemed to think so even back in 1984…
Pop Styles, by Ted Polhemus & Lynn Procter (1984) An A-Z Guide To The World Where Fashion Meets Rock’N’Roll
Crazy Colour: Perhaps the most important pendulum swing in the history of pop styles is that between nature and artifice. One of the best ways to join the against-nature school of thought is to dye your hair a bright colour or better still a whole collection of colours which nature never intended to appear on the head of a human being. Historical examples are few, however, as the technology has only been widely available a short time. Only impermanent vegetable dyes were available before the seventies and it was punks who first combined an anti-natural attitude with the new chemicals. Special credit therefore goes to Wee Willie Harris who caused a furore in the fifties when he dyed his hair so pink it dripped down his collar in the rain, Roy Wood who fronted Wizzard behind a mass of multicoloured locks and of course David Bowie. Ultimately, however, the first prize must go to post-punk Toyah Willcox who with dyes and hair spray has resculpted her head into a homage to artifice which even the most daring of science fiction films have failed to equal.
• Toyah’s Offical website/social media spaces will be counting down to Toyah’s Birthday with Forty From Toyah – 40 classic images spanning Toyah’s amazing career.
Happy Easter Sunday! Here’s a mini-gallery of great photos from Toyah’s gig in Northampton last night. Please click below to view larger versions. (Photos © Ian Davis)
Set-List: Good Morning Universe, We Are, Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), Neon Womb, Thunder In The Mountains, Race Through Space, Our Movie, Echo Beach, Obsolete, Jungles Of Jupiter, Rebel Run, The Packt, Brave New World, Rebel Yell, It’s A Mystery, Danced, Sensational, I Want To Be Free, Encore: Demolition Men, Ieya.
Toyah tweeted today: “Fabulous time making BBC Radio4 doc on hairdressing. Catching up with Keith at Smile“. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)
Toyah is busy, busy, busy in her big birthday year, with numerous gigs, festivals and personal appearances. She played a 30-minute set at the 80’s Weekender – 48 Hour Party last week in Camber Sands alongside Chesney Hawkes, Tight Fit, Hazell Dean and a variety of tribute bands. Thanks to Brian for this great shot from the gig. Click below for the full/larger version. (Photo © Brian Marsh Photography)
“Jubilee is a wrap. Thanks to the entire team & all our audiences x“, Toyah tweeted. She also Instagrammed: “Goodnight LIZZIE. What an astonishing last show. Thank u all. It has been a privilege“. (Photo © Official Toyah)
• Browse a summary of many of the reviews for Jubilee at the Lyric at toyahwillcox.com. See all of Dreamscape’s London news on Jubilee here and the Manchester production here.
Coming Soon to BBC Radio 4 – Toyah in conversation with Alice Lowe. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)
Check out Toyah’s December adventures at Twitter… (Photos © Toyah Willcox)
“1st night has arrived. Soooooo excited“. Jubilee opened at the Royal Exchange Theatre last night. Click below to view the full version of the photo Toyah tweeted. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)
The Look of Love: Photographer Brian Griffin on shooting Depeche Mode, the Bunnymen, Kim Wilde and the stars of 1980s Pop
There were so many nightmares,” Brian Griffin tells me. “People who cared about their hair too much. People who were totally uninterested in being photographed.
“There would have always been a member of the band who was a pain in the arse. There would have been a member of the band who looked awful, who was not very photogenic …” He thinks about that a moment and then adds, “It would generally be the drummer.”
Back in the day Griffin took pictures of pop stars. You will have seen them. You might even own some of them. His work appeared in music magazines (the Face, i-D, NME) and on single bags and album covers. If you were buying records at the end of the 1970s or at the start of the 80s it’s more than likely you will know Griffin’s images. Elvis Costello on a diving board (a picture that features in the inner sleeve of Armed Forces), Echo and the Bunnymen snowed in in Iceland (the cover of their album Porcupine) or on a beach in Porthcawl (Heaven Up Here), a topless Billy Idol (for the cover of his album Rebel Yell). All of them bear Griffin’s signature.
• Continue reading at Herald Scotland. ‘Pop’, by Brian Griffin and Terry Rawlings, is published on 31st October and is available to pre-order at Amazon – Click on the photo above. (Photo © Brian Griffin)
This year’s North East Ladies Day Anniversary Luncheon took place on Wednesday 20th September 2017 at the prestigious Hardwick Hall Hotel and it was an amazing day, enjoyed by over 500 ladies. This marked our 35th Annual Luncheon since NELD began in 1981. The day was superbly hosted by Toyah Willcox who filled the room with laughter and joy throughout her entire talk. Toyah gave the audience insight into her very successful acting and singing career, ending her speech with a live performance of It’s a Mystery.
Each of our ladies enjoyed a beautiful three course lunch and had the full day to shop and win prizes at over 20 different stalls. Our Grand Prize Draw also offered over 15 ladies the opportunity to win a wonderful prize too.
• Continue reading at NELD. (Photo © NELD)
Toyah played a Classics, Hits & Surprises concert at the McMillan Theatre, Bridgwater in Somerset on Saturday night. Thanks to Angus for the photo. (Photo © Angus Turner)
See further information on The Reunion at toyahwillcox.com. (Photo © BBC)
Fantastic shot of Toyah onstage at Evesham Arts Centre earlier this month, for an Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date. Please click on the photo to view a larger version. (Photos © Angus Turner)
New photos and new, confirmed, live dates – Acoustic, Up Close & Personal; Classics, Hits & Anthems; and a number of festivals – are now online at toyahwillcox.com and official Toyah social spaces. Click below to visit the website. (Photo © Official Toyah)
Great photos by Damon King from Toyah Willcox and the Great British Panto, the festive event held at the V&A, London last Tuesday evening. Click below to view more photos from the discussion between Toyah and Simon Sladen. (Photos © Damon King)
Great article, by Liam Rudden, in yesterday’s Edinburgh Evening News (see above), which also solved the longtime “mystery” of this photo – “No stranger to Edinburgh, one of Toyah’s earliest visits was in May 1978, when she caught up with Colin Chisholm of Bilbo Baggins (pictured) for the premiere of Jubilee.” – Thanks Liam
Amazing new photo of Toyah!! Part of the promotion for her wardrobe sale of iconic items at Lovely’s Vintage Emporium. Check out Toyah’s Official Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the News at toyahwillcox.com to stay up-to-date with all that’s currently happening – gigs, tours, films, theatre, fashion, TV, radio – during a very busy September. (Photo © Official Toyah)
A selection of photos shared over the last few days by Toyah/Official Toyah:
1. Some intriguing news coming tomorrow…. #fashion, 2. A new photo from Gary Clutterbuck’s recent photo shoot, revealed today to promote the 80s Invasion Tour ticket pre-sale opening, 3. Toyah tweeted yesterday: “A hot day on HOUND….but lots of fun“, 4. Toyah and Alec Porter, lead actor from Crime and Punishment. Click below to visit Toyah @ Instagram. (Photos © 1/3/4. Toyah Willcox, 2. Gary Clutterbuck)
