Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

Watch Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox cover Iggy Pop

“Here we are rocking out with T on the kitchen table – mercy!”

Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp have covered Iggy Pop’s ‘The Passenger’ in the latest of their Sunday Lunch video series.

The video specials began during the first coronavirus lockdown in the UK last year and quickly went viral as the couple put their spin on songs by David Bowie, Metallica, Britney Spears, Soft Cell and more.

• Continue reading at the NME. See also Metal Sucks.

Toyah Willcox, 63, dons a kooky silver breast plate and multicoloured hairpiece as she storms the stage for a performance at All Stars Cabaret

Toyah Willcox donned a fun multicoloured hairpiece and a kooky silver breast plate as she performed at All Stars Cabaret at London’s Proud Embankment on Friday.

The singer, 63, was known for her quirky ensembles when she rose to fame in the 1980s, and she looked spectacular in the outfit for her performance.

Completing the look, she wore a mesh mock neck T-shirt with racy hot pants which she paired with fishnet tights and thigh high leather boots.

She also wore a black tulle skirt which she fastened to the back of the shorts. On stage, the songstress changed into a smaller gold breast plate which she paired with a matching belt.

While performing, she changed into differing head dresses including an orange and cream one which fanned out over her head. She put on a lively display on stage as she laid back on the bannister of some stairs while belting out tunes.

The performance comes after Toyah starred in videos on YouTube wearing very racy ensembles during lockdown. She covered her nipples with black tape and went braless under a sheer embellished blouse in one video and shared the hashtag #FreeBritney, Toyah belted out her famous hit, Toxic, as she performed alongside her guitar-playing husband Robert Fripp, 74.

As well as her see-through top, Toyah wore a black mini skirt and top hat, wearing Clockwork Orange style make-up on one eye.

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail. See further info on Toyah with Proud Cabaret, here.

Toyah was interviewed in Tuesday’s Metro, in their “Sixty Seconds” feature, talking about Posh Pop, Proud Cabaret, Sunday Lunch, Robert Fripp, Billie Piper and more.

• Read the full interview at The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive. (Thanks to Minna)

80’s legend Toyah Willcox joins Proud’s Cabaret All Stars from Thursday 4th November!

Britain’s original punk princess Toyah Willcox will headline London’s most spectacular cabaret experience, ‘Proud Cabaret All Stars’ at Proud Embankment for select dates this November & December 2021.

Toyah is no stranger to the stage and screen, with over 40 plays and 10 feature films under her belt. A singer, actress and TV presenter with 8 top 40 hits, and 20 albums, Toyah is bringing her magic touch to Proud’s flagship venue, Proud Embankment this Autumn. Leading a cast of world-class cabaret, circus and burlesque superstars in an extraordinary show on in the heart of London.

Toyah will join current sell out headline acts: Denise Van Outen and Duncan James, following hot on the heels of recent hosts: the fabulous Julian Clary and comedy legend Bill Bailey.

‘I can’t wait to be part of Proud Cabaret All Stars Family and rock out to all the classics at this amazing venue’, comments Toyah Willcox.

TOYAH WILL BE HOSTING ON – NOV 4th, 11th, 17th, 24th, 30th. Dec 1st, 9th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 21st, 22nd

Tickets to see Toyah and all other star hosts are now on sale can be booked online at www.proudcabaret.com, or by calling the Proud sales team on: 020 7482 3867 

Alex Proud, CEO remarks – ‘I am thrilled & honoured to have Toyah join our Proud Cabaret All Stars family, A true original and real icon, I have been a fan since childhood, it is such an honour and a treat to have her on our stage”

An evening of pure indulgence and escapism will unfold along with a scrumptious three-course Asian Italian fusion menu devised exclusively for Proud by world class head chef Antonio Vacca together with fabulous cocktails and first-class service.

Joining Proud’s fabulous hosts on stage, Cirque du Soleil performer Katherine Karpovich will perform her incredible aerial act, plus international and award-winning cabaret star Pi the Mime reinvents the art of mime, blending it with dance, drag, clown and burlesque. Darlings of the Moulin Rouge J’Adore La Vie will bring their haute couture burlesque to the party and the infamous international burlesque show ghoul, horror diva and Brazilian bombshell Marie Devilreux is set to astonish.

Missa will leave audiences stunned with her mind-blowing sword swallowing, in tarnation burlesque sensation Jake Dupree will set hearts racing and multi-talented Leonie Alert will be showcasing her dare-devil fire skills.

Proud aims to ensure their guests have an unforgettable evening. With artists from the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil to the dazzling likes of Vegas showgirls, every moment is designed to impress, scare, wow, and captivate the audience.

Having benefited from considerable investments in the venue to include all Covid-19 safety measures, Proud Embankment has also undergone a complete makeover throughout lockdown making it the most glamorous and Instagrammable venue in the capital. Proud ensures that customers get the experience of a lifetime in the safest possible environment with a triple lockdown guarantee where, in the event of a lockdown or change in roadmap, a refund, reschedule or credit note will be offered.

THE SHOW: The spectacular showstopper Proud Cabaret All Stars features Europe’s most talented music, cabaret, drag and acrobatic acts, performing exclusively in the UK’s biggest and most opulent cabaret venue.

Each evening, Toyah Willcox will take to the stage to perform and introduce the audience to Proud’s unforgettable acts. Guests are treated to a delicious three-course menu with a welcome cocktail on arrival, while enjoying the spectacle in an opulent setting.

Proud Embankment is located in an iconic heritage building at the heart of the West End, situated underneath Waterloo Bridge on the North bank of the River Thames. The UK’s largest and most glamorous venue dedicated to the artform of Cabaret. Make a grand entrance down the lavish commanding staircase, take a step into the spotlight on our central stage, relax into the golden booths, peep behind the red curtain, and breathe in the perfumery of perfection.

Toyah lands ‘Cabaret All Stars’ residency through November/December

Earlier this year, Toyah returned with ‘Posh Pop’, her first album in 13 years.

Toyah will perform a new ‘Cabaret All Stars’ show in London through November/December 2021. The singer, who scored her highest-charting solo album earlier this year with ‘Posh Pop’, will hit the stage at Proud Embankment on Wednesdays and Thursdays, beginning November 4.

“Britain’s punk princess joins Proud’s Cabaret All Stars for a limited run this November & December,” reads a teaser for the show.

• Continue reading at Retro Pop. See ticket booking info here.

Toyah Willcox will be building on her current success with her Sunday Lunch YouTube series with a residency at Proud’s Cabaret All Stars this November and December.

The punk legend will headline London’s most spectacular cabaret experience from 4 November, leading a cast of world-class cabaret, circus and burlesque superstars at Proud Embankment nearly Waterloo Bridge.

“I can’t wait to be part of the Proud Cabaret All Stars family and rock out to all the classics at this amazing venue,” says the singer.

“I’m thrilled and honoured to have Toyah join our Proud Cabaret All Stars family,” added CEO Alex Proud. “A true original and real icon, I’ve been a fan since childhood, it’s such an honour and a treat to have her on our stage.”

• Continue reading at Classic Pop. See ticket booking info here.

Watch Toyah Willcox’s flamboyant cover of ‘These Boots Were Made For Walking’

It’s her latest Sunday Lunch Love Letters cover

Toyah Willcox has shared her latest Sunday Lunch Love Letters series with husband Robert Fripp – watch the version of ‘These Boots Were Made For Walking’ below.

The new videos are an offshoot of the couple’s Sunday Lockdown Lunch series, and began when the pair were separated after Fripp went on tour in the US with King Crimson.

• Continue reading at the NME.

Robert Fripp Reacts To Toyah’s Cover Of These Boots Are Made For Walkin’

“Toyah has some boots in her wardrobe that are made for walking.”

The remote version of Robert Fripp and Toyah Wilcox’s lockdown-inspired covers series continues on, with Fripp reacting to Wilcox’s cover of Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.

The caption for the new video notes that: “Robert Fripp is touring the USA with King Crimson and Toyah is home alone. Toyah has some boots in her wardrobe that are made for walking, and they are appearing in a love letter to Robert.”

• Continue reading at Guitar.Com.

Toyah Willcox Covers “These Boots are Made for Walkin’” for King Crimson’s Robert Fripp

King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp is still on tour in the U.S., but his wife, actress and singer Toyah Willcox, has continued with the duo’s popular “Sunday Lunch” videos in his absence as “love letters” to her husband, with Fripp’s hotel room reactions edited in alongside Toyah’s performances.

For this week’s video, Willcox delivers a solo cover of Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 hit “These Boots are Made for Walkin’.” “The kitchen’s waiting! Sunday Lunch wants ya back!” Toyah taunts, before adding, “These puppies want you home!” while aiming the camera at her chest as Fripp lets out a spirited laugh.

• Continue reading at Metal Sucks.

Robert Fripp Reacts To Toyah’s Cover Of Light My Fire By The Doors

While Robert Fripp is away on tour with King Crimson, his wife Toyah has been powering on solo with song covers in an off-shoot to the couple’s Sunday Lunch series. In this week’s upload, Fripp reacted to his wife’s cover of The Doors’ Light My Fire.

The fifth episode of the Love Letters series was uploaded to YouTube yesterday (5 September) with the caption: “Robert Fripp is touring the USA with King Crimson and Toyah is home alone. Toyah is keen on setting the ‘night on fire’ across the Atlantic in a new Love Letter.”

• Continue reading at Guitar.Com. Watch the Latest Sunday Lunch/Love Letters at You Tube. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

Toyah Willcox shares bubbly cover of The Doors’ ‘Light My Fire’

“Come on Bobby, light my fire”

Toyah Willcox has shared a cover of The Doors’ ‘Light My Fire’ in the latest episode of hers and Robert Fripp’s Sunday Lunch Love Letters series.

The videos began as an off-shoot of the couple’s Sunday Lockdown Lunch series when Fripp went on tour in the US with King Crimson.

In the fifth episode, which was uploaded earlier today (September 5), Willcox covered The Doors’ 1967 track from her kitchen. Watching on a split-screen from his hotel room, Fripp introduced the video by saying: “My wife has sent me a viddy! Let’s see what little lovie has.”

• Continue reading at the NME. Watch the Latest Sunday Lunch/Love Letters at You Tube.

Toyah scores highest solo album placement with ‘Posh Pop’

The ’80s icon has teased plans to tour the album across the UK, Europe and the US.

‘Posh Pop’ is Toyah’s best charting album of her solo career. The singer’s 16th LP, featuring the singles Levitate, Zoom Zoom and Summer of Love, debuted at No. 22 on the UK chart, beating her solo debut ‘Minx’, which peaked at 24.

It’s beaten only by ‘Anthem’ and ‘The Changeling’, both of which were released by the singer’s eponymous new wave band, of which she was frontwoman. ‘Anthem’ was a UK No. 2 hit, while ‘The Changeling’ reached No. 6. The live album “Warrior Rock’ also hit No. 20.

• Continue reading at Retro Pop. Read Retro Pop’s recent interview with Toyah.

Toyah Willcox Covers “Light My Fire” for King Crimson’s Robert Fripp

King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp is still on tour in the U.S., but his wife, actress and singer Toyah Willcox, has continued with the duo’s popular “Sunday Lunch” videos in his absence as “love letters” to her husband, with Fripp’s hotel room reactions edited in alongside Toyah’s performances.

For this week’s video, Willcox delivers a solo cover of The Doors’ “Light My Fire,” changing the taunt of song’s refrain from “Come on baby, light my fire” to “Come on Bobby.” “I’m keeping the bed warm for you,” she teases as the song wraps up, adding “the sofa and the carpet too” as Fripp expresses his admiration and amusement, quipping, “I think it’s time to go home.”

• Continue reading at Metal Sucks. Watch the Latest Sunday Lunch/Love Letters at You Tube.

The second great review of the day for Posh Pop, this from Liam Rudden in the Edinburgh Evening News.

Fabulous​,​ flawless, five star pop from Toyah

It’s a mystery how time has flown. I remember clearly the first time I heard the name Toyah Willcox.

I was 15, hanging around the square behind the family home in Leith when a purple-mohicaned punk called Pete appeared. He was visiting pals in the scheme and we got talking about music. He was a fan of a singer who, he claimed, could unite mods, rockers and punks. Some feat in those days.

“Everyone charges to the front when she comes on,” he said, adding, “They don’t even fight when Toyah’s singing.” The next day I headed to Ards Record Shop on Great Junction Street and found a copy of Sheep Farming In Barnet. One listen and I was hooked.

That was 42 years ago, it’s still a brilliant album as is Toyah’s latest, Posh Pop, released last weekend. Reunited with long term collaborator Simon Darlow and with husband Robert Fripp on guitar, Posh Pop is at once reflective and optimistically forward thinking.

…Barefoot On Mars, my highlight of the album, is an arrestingly emotional, uplifting​ and joyous tribute. A tear-inducing salute to Toyah’s mother, it ​will ​touch the soul of ​anyone who has ​​lost a ​truly ​loved one.​ ​A degree of lightness returns with Rhyth​​m ​I​n ​M​y ​H​ouse​, ​an easy listening ​number brought to life with ​unicorn​s​ and bubbles​, which is followed by ​Summer ​O​f ​Love and an unapologetic Sixties’ ‘love and peace’ vibe​.

• Continue reading at the Edinburgh Evening News. This review is also published in The Falkirk Herald and The Southern Reporter. See more Posh Pop reviews.

Another positive review of Posh Pop, this one from God Is In The TV.

Toyah – Posh Pop (Demon Records)

Even in her sixties and not far off her free bus pass, Toyah is still able to turn heads, as evidenced by the striking imagery on the artwork of Posh Pop, and also by the many highly entertaining videos she and her husband, King Crimson‘s Robert Fripp, have been unleashing on us throughout the lockdown period, providing some much-needed light relief along the way.

What I hadn’t expected though, was the diverse range of reference points you can hear on this, her first long-player since 2008. For example, recent single ‘Levitate‘ seems to take its lead from Roisin Murphy‘s recent splendid resurgence, all fidgety dance beats and breathy vocals, whereas the fantastic ‘Barefoot On Mars‘ recalls Bowie in its composition and is a heartfelt paean to her late mother (“Turned my back on all you valued, I held you when you died“) – it’s deep and poignant, and stopped me in my tracks – I hadn’t anticipated that Toyah was going to release one of the strongest songs in her canon this late in her career!

Elsewhere, ‘Zoom Zoom‘ is seventies rock, pop and glam all rolled up and smoked in one pipe, while ‘Monkeys‘ is pleasingly off-kilter in its delightful chorus.

• Continue reading at God Is In The TV. See more Posh Pop reviews.

As well as the Toyah interview feature in the latest issue of Classic Pop magazine, there is also a review of the Posh Pop album. This is an amazing review of Posh Pop, with the reviewer declaring the album…

“Magnificent. The most full-on and imperious pop album of her entire career.”

Now 40 years on from her commercial breakthrough, Toyah releases her most full-on and imperious pop album of her entire career

After years of copyright wrangling, the belated reissues of her early albums has finally allowed Toyah to be reassessed. So far, Sheep Farming In Barnet and The Blue Meaning have shown just how adventurous she was among punk peers. Next up will be 1981’s Anthem, the album which sent Toyah mainstream via its hits It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free.

It’s Anthem which Toyah’s 13th full album most closely resembles. It appears having her early work back out has enabled Toyah to be as at peace with her music as such an untenable spirit will ever be.

She’s made excellent questing albums since Anthem, but none have so completely reconciled her fearlessness with a simultaneous love of bloody great big pop songs.

• Read the interview and full review in Issue 71 of Classic Pop. On sale now. Click on the album cover above to buy Posh Pop, on CD, CD+DVD, colour vinyl or Digital Download.

Toyah: ‘In the ‘80s I was treated like an icon, now I know what it’s like living pay packet to pay packet’

Toyah is back with ‘Posh Pop’, her 16th album and first since 2008’s ‘In The Court of the Crimson Queen’

The record features 10 brand new compositions, co-written and produced by Simon Darlow, after the singer and her husband, King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, found themselves without work during lockdown.

Ahead of her latest release, the ’80s superstar opens up on her new music and accompanying visual project, revealing how the album was born, becoming a YouTube sensation with ‘Toyah and Robert’s Sunday Lunch’, and how living “pay packet to pay packet” has brought the singer closer than ever to her fans.

It’s been 13 years since you released your last album ‘In The Court of the Crimson Queen’. How did ‘Posh Pop’ come about?

To give it context, the majority of ‘In The Court of the Crimson Queen’ was written in 2007. Around 2017, every song on that album was placed in a musical called ‘Crime and Punishment’ at London’s Tower Bridge Scoop Theatre. This allowed us to get an official release in 2018 and that’s when Simon Darlow and I added Dance in the Hurricane and Who Let the Beast Out?.

What happened with ‘Posh Pop’ is the extraordinary experience of all of our live shows being cancelled or postponed until a later date. Having all this time doesn’t mean that you stop being a creative human being. So we found a way of being able to write and to do the next album, and lockdown enabled us to do that in a very strange way.

• Continue reading at Retro Pop. Posh Pop is released on Friday. Pre-order the album here.

• Posh Pop Reviews: As well as the album reviews which have been published online in the past two days; Retro Pop, At The Barrier, The Arts Desk, the latest print issues of Mojo and Uncut magazine also carry reviews of the album. No doubt more reviews will be published over the coming days…

• Magazines: There will be multiple-page Toyah/Posh Pop features in the next editions of Classic Pop and Record Collector magazines.

• Online Press: There will be a Toyah/Posh Pop feature in The Quietus (Bakers Dozen).

• Television: Toyah is guesting on BBC Breakfast next week.

• Toyah At Home: The Toyah At Home Posh Pop Special will premiere 11am BST, this Saturday, 28 August, at Toyah’s official You Tube channel and Facebook page. This will include fan questions, new in-session performances and unseen videos.

• #ToyahPoshPop: Share your images this coming weekend on social media with the hashtag #ToyahPoshPop

• All of the above info gleaned from the latest Breaking Through – The Official Toyah Willcox Newsletter. Sign up here. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

Anthems, hope and escapism – it’s all there on the first Toyah album for 13 years!

Release Date: 27th August 2021
Label: Demon Music Group
Formats: CD / CD+DVD / Vinyl / Digital

“Thank you, Toyah, for a great album. And welcome back – we’ve missed you!”

The last time Toyah graced these pages was back in May, when we reviewed the reissue of her 1980 album The Blue Meaning. In that review, we gave a brief a resumé of what Toyah has been up to in recent years, including a mention of the hilarious You Tube postings, Toyah and Robert’s Sunday Lunch (and if you haven’t seen this yet, check it out – it’s unmissable!) and releasing her (until now) most recent album, 2008’s In The Court of the Crimson Queen.

Well… She’s back, and how!! Posh Pop is Toyah’s first album of new material for 13 years, and it’s a blast. Toyah herself is very proud of Posh Pop, considering the album “A career best,” and she could very well be right. It’s a joyful album that draws copiously on Toyah’s glam and punk roots and builds upwards from there; the 80’s synth sound is still around, tempered and enhanced by lots of stunning rock guitar from Toyah’s husband, “Bobby Willcox” and the lyrics are clear and excellent, covering topics as diverse as the lockdown “Zoom Boom,” space exploration, ageing, bereavement, the devastation of war, the fate of humanity and the Beirut explosion. And it all comes enclosed in a wrapper of addictive, anthemic rock and pop.

• Continue reading at At The Barrier. The album is released on Friday. Pre-order Posh Pop here.

The Posh Pop reviews are beginning…

Toyah – Posh Pop
Released: 27 August 2021

“A body of work that stands amongst the best of her career”.

Toyah embodies the essence of pop music on her latest LP ‘Posh Pop’

The collection was recorded with husband Robert Fripp and co-writer/producer Simon Darlow during lockdown – a theme that underpins each of the 10 tracks.

Opener and lead single Levitate deals with the forced confinement and sees the star rise beyond the realms of the pandemic and reacquaint herself with a world seemingly gone by.

It encompasses the overall theme of the album, which for listeners and as a creative pursuit for Toyah, is about escapism.

While songs like Space Dance and Rhythm In My House are through and through pop numbers, the genius of ‘Posh Pop’ is in the lyrics, which simultaneously reference the world today while remaining timeless.

• Continue reading at Retro Pop. The album is released on Friday. Pre-order Posh Pop here.

Robert Fripp Takes Toyah On A Backstage Tour Of King Crimson’s Show In Nashville

“King Crimson in the home of country music; never thought I’d hear that phrase,” Toyah said.

While Robert Fripp is away on tour with King Crimson in the US, he’s been exchanging video postcards with his wife Toyah Willcox online. In his latest video, the guitarist gave a backstage tour of a King Crimson concert before curtains went up.

The footage shot by Fripp was of Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium – the “home of country music” as he described the venue which housed the Grand Ole Opry for three decades, and has seen the likes of Elvis, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams grace its stage.

• Continue reading at Guitar.com.