Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

24 influential women who make you proud to be from the Midlands

On International Women’s Day here’s a look at some of those who inspire us from Birmingham and the West Midlands

Toyah Willcox: from Kings Heath, is a singer with a career spanning more than thirty years. Known for her shocking hair and individual style.

Willcox has enjoyed eight Top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in 40 stage plays and 10 films. She has also presented numerous television shows. Between 1977 and 1983 she fronted the band Toyah, before going solo. She has a star on the Kings Heath Walk of Fame.

• Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail. (Photo © Birmingham Mail)

Aaaaaaaah! is being screened at the Indie-Lincs International Film Festival 2016 this Friday.

What strikes you most upon viewing Aaaaaaaah! for the first time, is that as a viewer, you become very accepting, very quickly of the crazed way in which the story plays out. Perhaps writer/director/actor Steve Oram forces this acceptance; the film in many ways is a wild and frenzied ambush upon its audience, which is by no means a bad thing.

The script — translated into grunts and shouts — tells a tale of monkey-like humans enacting their elemental thoughts and desires upon one another. With performances from a frankly spectacular cast, it’s difficult to not enjoy this seemingly mind-boggling viewpoint on an alternative modern day life.

Aaaaaaaah! will be screened at Indie-Lincs 2016 on Friday 11 March; between 19.00 and 21.30 in a screening with Jake Hovell’s I Could Eat a Horse, Cristian Sulser’s Scrabble and Mark Brocking’s The Barber’s Cut.

• Continue reading at Eyes on Screen. Visit the Indie-Lincs Film Festival website.

As the punk princess of the 80s, Toyah Willcox rode the new wave that swept across the music scene, with huge hits including ‘I Want to be Free’, ‘It’s a Mystery’ and ‘Thunder in the Mountains’.

There’s been no stopping her since, and she brings her energy, passion and acoustic versions of all her classic songs to a sold-out show in front of an incredible crowd in a new Vintage TV Live At… (Tuesday, 22nd March, 8pm). See the incomparable artist in action at iconic London venue The Water Rats. It’s no mystery why she’s still so popular!

Debbie Harry and Toyah Willcox feature in vintage photos

When punks ruled the world: Fascinating 70s photos capture hell-raiser fans at riotous Debbie Harry gigs as they surfed a wave of rebellion

• Amateur photographer Derek Ridgers used to blag his way into gigs in the 1970s London punk scene

• Described himself as a ‘mild mannered, bespectacled office worker in the middle of a punk mosh pit’

• Many of his photos have never been seen before, while some have featured in sell-out books

• Derek’s book, Punk London, 1977, will be released this May to coincide with movement’s 40th anniversary

A striking series of black and white photographs has offered a rare insight into London at the height of the 1970s punk movement. From Adam Ant shirtless on stage, to a young Debbie Harry entertaining riotous crowds, the images – most of which have never been seen before – offer a glimpse into an era when rebellion ruled the music scene.

They were all taken in between 1976 and 1978 by Derek Ridgers, a man who, at the time, claimed he ‘wasn’t really a photographer’ but simply borrowed a friend’s camera and blagged his way into gigs – snapping what would become known as the first wave of punk culture.

It now forms a collection of more than 130 vintage photographs, which Derek has finally decided to publish this year – in a book entitled Punk London, 1977 – to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the movement in 2016.

Punk London 1977, by Derek Ridgers, is available from May 1, 2016 from Carpet Bombing Culture

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail.

Midge Ure, Toyah and many more coming to North Devon

Some of music’s biggest names are coming to North Devon this year.

The series of EX39 concerts kicks off with none other than Midge Ure at Devon Hall, Bideford College, on Saturday, May 28. Peter Howarth of The Hollies comes to Hartland Parish Hall on July 2, while Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri perform at the Allardice Hall, Parkham, on September 16.

Princess of punk Toyah is at Devon Hall on October 14 and Brit award-winner Beverley Craven at Hartland on October 28.

The concerts have been organised by independent promoters Rowan Burton and Ian Cann. Ian said: “I have owned a cottage near Woolsery for many years and love North Devon. Devon Hall is a wonderful facility. We are chuffed to get Midge Ure performing our first concert there and indeed he is performing with the superb India Electric Co.”

For the full line-up and tickets, go to www.ex39.net or call 0333 666 3366.

• Continue reading at the North Devon Gazette.

A very rare photo of Toyah is included in a new book, Punk London 1977, which will be published in May.

Punk London, 1977: Thrilling Photos of a Subversive Era

In 1976, Derek Ridgers started shooting punk rock shows in London with a borrowed camera, pretending to be a professional photographer. Edging his way up to the stage, the mid-20s, burgeoning shutterbug witnessed and documented the cultural explosion by night, while by day working as an art director in advertising. Little did he know, his hobby would blossom into a decades-long career, photographing everyone from James Brown to Tony Blair and working for outlets like The Sunday Times, The Independent, GQ and NME. In his latest book, Punk London 1977, Ridgers collects over 130 vintage photos from his early career, capturing the formation of one of the world’s most exciting and influential musical movements. Cuepoint asked Ridgers to elaborate on select photos from his fascinating book.

Photographer Derek Ridgers captured a riotous scene exploding in front of his lens

“That is Toyah Willcox. That was at the Man in the Moon pub in Chelsea at an X-Ray Spex gig. I had a conversation with her and she told me she was going to be famous. Of course I didn’t believe her.”

Photos taken from Derek Ridgers’ Punk London 1977, available May 1st, 2016 from Carpet Bombing Culture. Reserve your copy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other fine retailers.

• Continue reading at Cuepoint. (Photo © Derek Ridgers)

From punk princess to cult stage actress, Toyah Willcox is an inextinguishable flame. Charismatic, outspoken and impossible to categorise, she is one of Britain’s most established names – an award-winning rock star as well as a much-loved stage and screen actress and music composer.

The singer has confirmed she will be bringing her colourful and energetic full-band to South Molton’s Riverside Caravan And Camping Park this summer. It’s a coup for the park, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and has also booked Queen tribute band The Bohemians later in the year.

“The park has now become known as one of North Devon’s top quality tourist destinations, offering five-star award-winning accommodation, top class entertainment, excellent food and drink that is affordable to all,” said owner Nicky Penfold. “To celebrate this huge achievement by a small North Devon family business, we have managed to book for our 2016 season two famous names in the entertainment world.”

• Continue reading at the North Devon Journal.

Three celebrated UK acts will perform at the second annual Graze Festival in Hampshire this summer.

The Beat, featuring Ranking Roger and his son Ranking Junior, will entertain crowds with hits such as Mirror In The Bathroom, Stand Down Margaret and Tears Of A Clown.

The ska favourites will be joined by Toyah Willcox, who has enjoyed eight Top 40 singles in a career spanning more than 30 years, and her band, plus pop, folk and punk performer John Otway at the event.

The first Graze Festival was held in Twyford, near Winchester, in August 2015 as a family day of music and fine food. As well as entertaining villagers and visitors, the festival also raises money for local good causes.

• Continue reading at the Southern Daily Echo.

Busy week of events at the Fisher Theatre

Tomorrow (Saturday 20th February), Toyah Willcox will grace the Bungay stage, with the full Toyah band. The uniquely gifted performer is outspoken, charismatic, impossible to categorise and one of Britain’s iconic household names, an award winning rock legend as well as a much loved stage and screen actress and music composer. This is a standing only show, at 8pm, with tickets £25.

• Continue reading at the Beccles & Bungay Journal. This is a full band Proud, Loud & Electric gig. Buy tickets here.

Following her sell out acoustic show in Beccles last year, 80s icon Toyah Willcox returns to the area, appearing at The Fisher Theatre, Bungay, in concert with her full band.

Toyah is best known for her hits singles I Want to be Free, Thunder in the Mountains and It’s a Mystery. She has produced more than 17 albums and tours relentelessely, appearing often throughout the UK and Europe.

Tickets for the show, at 8pm next Saturday, February 20 are £25.

They can be bought from Kulture Shock, Blyburgate, Beccles or from The Fisher Theatre, Bungay. Fans attending can meet Toyah after the show when she will be happy to chat to fans and sign autographs, included in the ticket price. Cameras are welcome at the concert.

• Continue reading at the Beccles & Bungay Journal.

Nearly 40 years since the making of the era defining British film Quadrophenia one of its stars says plans are being put in place for a follow-up.

Speaking after a special presentation of the 1979 film, which documents the Mods and Rockers descent on Brighton on a 1960s Bank Holiday weekend, Toyah Willcox, 57, tells us at London’s Eventim Apollo: “We’re talking about making a film now, getting everyone back together. I’d love it and I think Sting would be up for it. I’ve enjoyed watching it again after all those years”.

As well as Toyah, who plays Monkey in the movie, and Sting, the likes of Ray Winstone, Leslie Ash and Phil Daniels, who most recently played Kevin Wicks in Eastenders, made up the star-studded cast, while The Who guitarist Pete Townsend was one of the writers. Perhaps they could replace Lambrettas with mobility scooters this time around?

Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman & Toyah Willcox in Shropshire

Shropshire Tourism recently assisted the BBC with the filming of an episode of the second series of Holiday of My Lifetime.

In the episode to be broadcast on BBC One on Friday 12th February at 3.45pm, Len Goodman, the Strictly Come Dancing judge takes singer, actress and presenter Toyah Willcox back to the Llangollen Canal to reminisce about a narrowboat holiday she enjoyed there in 1968. Filming also took place at the Mere in Ellesmere.

During the programme Toyah reveals how her time on the canal was very different to that spent in her home city of Birmingham, symbolising freedom and fun. She and Len tuck into a vintage picnic and visit an antiques shop like the ones Toyah’s father would have taken her to while away from home.

• Continue reading at Visit Shropshire Hotels.

With her brightly coloured hair and powerful singing style, it’s no wonder Toyah was dubbed the ‘high priestess of punk’.

Thirty years on from seeing the Sex Pistols and thinking she could do better, this prolific artist and actor, who enjoyed hits with ‘It’s a Mystery’, ‘Thunder in the Mountain’ and ‘I Want to be Free’, is relishing performing still. See her strut her stuff, as she takes to the stage at intimate and iconic London venue The Water Rats, on Tuesday, 23rd February. Don’t miss what promises to be an electrifying gig.

• Continue reading at Vintage TV.

Grassington Festival organisers have just announced that Toyah Willcox will be supporting Marc Almond at this year’s Last Night Party on Saturday July 2. From punk princess to high priestess of TV, Toyah is a uniquely gifted performer. Charismatic, outspoken and impossible to categorise, she is one of Britain’s iconic household names – an award winning rock legend – who can forget, It’s a Mystery, I Want to be Free and Thunder in the Mountains? – as well as a much loved actress and composer.

Musically, Toyah has remained fresh, uncompromising and ground-breaking. With new book projects and music releases in the pipeline, and live concert dates scheduled for the year ahead, Toyah continues to drive her multi-faceted and vibrant career.

• Continue reading at The Yorkshire Times. To purchase tickets for Toyah or any of the other festival events please visit www.grassington-festival.org.uk.

Toyah will play the Grassington Festival in Yorkshire this Summer, an event she previously performed at in June 2008. This year’s festival takes place between the 17th June and 2nd July.

Punk princess Toyah Willcox joins this year’s Grassington Festival line-up

More acts have been announced for this year’s Grassington Festival, which runs from June 17 to July 2. Supporting the inimitable and iconic Marc Almond for the Last Night Party on July 2, will be 80s punk princess Toyah Willcox.

Toyah rose to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s, quickly becoming a household name as a result of her distinctive style, and memorable top ten hits; It’s a Mystery, I Want to be Free and Thunder in the Mountains. The award-winning outdoor theatre company, Illyria, will return to Grassington Festival for the sixth consecutive year, with a magical outdoor performance at Bolton Abbey Priory on Friday, July 1.

• Continue reading at the Craven Herald & Pioneer. Visit the Grassington Festival website here.

Stars talk to Len Goodman about their childhood holidays in North Wales

Toyah Willcox and Melanie Sykes revisit Llangollen and Llandudno respectively in BBC One’s Holiday of My Lifetime

A new series of Holiday of My Lifetime has begun this week on BBC One when Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman travels with celebrities to revisit the places of their childhood holidays. And two of them talk about the fond memories they have of visiting North Wales.

In episode 10 to be shown on Friday, February 12, Len takes singer, actress and presenter Toyah Willcox back to the Llangollen Canal to reminisce about a wonderful narrow boat holiday she had back in 1968. First up Len surprises Toyah by picking her up in the Golden Lark – a narrow boat similar to the one she would have holidayed in back in 1968.

As they drift along at a very civilised pace they start chatting about how her time on the canal was very different to her home city of Birmingham. For Toyah the holiday meant “freedom and fun”.

• Continue reading at Wales Daily Post. (Photo © BBC)

As TV favourite Len Goodman celebrates the return of his nostalgic travel series Holiday Of My Lifetime, Gemma Dunn finds out about his latest batch of celebrity guests and why the lively host thinks staycations will never lose their appeal.

If you’re struggling to think of a holiday partner, why not try former professional ballroom dancer Len Goodman out for size? He’s humble, fun, proactive – “This morning I’ve put the washing on, got a bit of salmon out of the freezer, and now I’m putting the kettle on” – and, above all else, he’s picked up some top tips from his BBC One series, Holiday Of My Lifetime.

Returning for a second season, the daytime show, which sees the popular TV personality lead a line-up of willing celebrity guests down memory lane, to relive their favourite British childhood summer holidays, will air a total of 25 episodes over a five-week run.

• Continue reading at the Gloucester Citizen.

Holly Johnson and Adam Ant lead line-up for Rewind Festival Scotland 2016

It’s time to dig out your fluorescent leg warmers for the retro music event of the year. Come July 22-24, the normally tranquil grounds of Scone Palace will once again be rocking to the soundtrack of iconic 80s hits as Rewind Scotland returns for 2016. As with previous Rewind festivals at Scone Palace, this year’s extravaganza is guaranteed to raise the roof (if there was one) with the crème de la crème of classic ‘80s pop music including headline performances from Holly Johnson (Relax, Two Tribes) and Adam Ant (Stand and Deliver, Prince Charming).

The festival includes a star-studded 80s line-up featuring Rick Astley, ABC, Tony Hadley, Marc Almond, Go West, Roland Gift, China Crisis, Toyah, The Beat, Annabella’s Bow Wow Wow, plus many more big names, including legendary Scottish artists Midge Ure (Live Aid, Ultravox), The Bluebells and Average White Band. Meanwhile, Living In A Box, Leo Sayer, Snap, and Slim Jim Phantom From Stray Cats are making their Rewind Scotland debuts.

• Continue reading at The Dundee Courier.

Len Goodman returns in nostalgic travel series Holiday Of My Lifetime

As TV favourite Len Goodman celebrates the return of his nostalgic travel series Holiday Of My Lifetime, Gemma Dunn finds out about his latest batch of celebrity guests, and why the lively host thinks staycations will never lose their appeal

Returning for a second season, the daytime show, which sees the popular TV personality lead a line-up of willing celebrity guests down memory lane, to relive their favourite British childhood summer holidays, will air a total of 25 episodes over a five-week run.

Lisa Riley, Toyah Willcox, Pam St Clement, Edwina Currie, Jake Wood, Janet Ellis and Dan Walker are among the names to feature in the latest series, with destinations such as Haworth, Llangollen, Dartmoor, Bournemouth, Bude, the New Forest and Aberdeen on the list – Holiday Of My Lifetime begins on BBC One on Monday, February 1

• Continue reading at the Western Morning News. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

Get ready to rev up your Vespa and neck that frothy coffee, as an immersive screening of Mod masterpiece Quadrophenia comes to London next month.

This one-off event aims to pull out the stops as it brings to life the London to Brighton rock opera and tells the tale of amphetamine-fuelled teenage rebellion in the 1960s.

Ahead of the screening, there’ll also be a Q&A with director Franc Roddam, plus actors Toyah Willcox, Phil Davis, Mark Wingett, John Altman and Phil Daniels (who apparently nicked the lead role of Jimmy from the uninsurable Johnny Rotten). The night will also include prizes for best Mod outfits, plus a chance to see memorabilia from the film and original Vespas.

• Continue reading at Londonist. Browse all of our Quadrophenia: The Immersive Cinematic Experience here.

Out of the primordial soup we clambered, dragging our knuckles through the evolutionary steps. Now here we stand: upright, hairless (well, mostly), and with enough rudimentary intelligence to master simple tasks and ask ourselves the age old question, ‘what does it mean to be a man?’

While we go around and around in circles, scratching our heads like chimps as we try to find a purpose for masculinity and avoid extinction, British comedy Aaaaaaaah! manages to lampoon the entire farce in just 79 minutes of scything, armpit-scratching brilliance.

• Continue reading at The Telegraph.