Bad hair, neon clothes and most importantly classic tracks that went down in music history – it’s Southampton’s own celebration of the 80s.
Now organisers of Let’s Rock Southampton have announced the line-up for their third date on the Common next summer, the Daily Echo can today reveal.
Revellers will be dancing to the sounds of former Frankie Goes To Hollywood lead vocalist Holly Johnson, heartthrobs from the era Rick Astley and Jason Donovan, Grammy Award winners Soul II Soul, Fine Young Cannibals frontman Roland Gift and former teen icon Tiffany.
Also on the bill are Scottish rockers Big Country, 2 Tone ska revival band The Selecter, Eurovision favourites Sonia and Cheryl, Mike and Jay from Bucks Fizz, plus chart-topping Toyah and rockers Dr & The Medics.
• Continue reading at the Southern Daily Echo.
Toyah Willcox on why she wasn’t terrified of the sex scenes in new film Aaaaaaaah!
Former teenage rebel stars in new film where the actors resort to grunting rather than words
Hell hath no fury like a woman with a frying pan in her hand when men are being stupid. But if you asked Toyah Willcox’s latest film character Barbara what she’s doing with it, you might not be able to understand her answer.
In the directorial debut of Sightseers’ actor and comedy star Steve Oram, the cast began with a script in English and then threw it away after breaking the words down into grunts. The result is Aaaaaaaah! – the year’s most original comedy horror, about a dysfunctional community who seem to be taking the human race backwards in south London. Although the actors look like humans and the film is a study of the human condition, the characters on screen behave and grunt like apes.
With Toyah playing a community leader called Barbara, the story is about men’s relationships with each other and the opposite sex while trying to reach for alpha-male status. While it’s a rare 18-certificate movie with no bad language, the 79-minute film is peppered with explicit and sometimes violent sexual scenes which include dismemberment.
• Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail.
• On Demand: Aaaaaaaah! will be released as a digital download and on demand via Icon and Frightfest Presents from 19 October. Further info at horrorchannel.com and toyahwillcox.com.
• Aaaaaaaah! at The Electric: Shock & Gore presents Aaaaaaaah! + Steve Oram & Toyah Willcox Q&A Thursday 1st October, 8pm: Screen 2. Tickets are almost sold out – Continue reading…
• Aaaaaaaah! Posters: Extremely limited, beautiful 5 layer screen print by Brighton’s finest The Private Press of Jay Shaw’s artwork for Steve Oram’s debut feature AAAAAAAAH! 100 copies only… when they are gone – they are gone! – Continue reading…
• Taste Of Cinema: Aaaaaaaah! – VIFF 2015 Review: Aaaaaaaah! is adventurous and bombastic postmodern cinema, full stop. Puritans, the easily offended, the mild-mannered and the populist filmgoer need not apply. And this, trust me, is a very good thing… Utilizing a fully committed and courageous cast of unlikely and unlikeable characters, including alpha male Smith (Oram), his object of affection, Denise (Lucy Honigman), the culinarily-challenged Barbara (Toyah Willcox), the emasculated Jupiter (Julian Barrett), and inept shop clerk, Carl (Noel Fielding). The cast alone ensures Aaaaaaaah!’s cult status while its Beckett-like scenario and savage ravel all but cinches it – Continue reading…
• Shooting People: Aaaaaaaah!: One of the cinematic highlights of my year has been watching Steve Oram’s sensational new film “AAAAAAAAH!”… “AAAAAAAAH!” which is perhaps the best sequel I could ever imagine to the original “Planet of the Apes” is funny, obscene, ludicrous, poignant and braver, bolder and better than anything else you will see this year- Continue reading…
• Aaaaaaaah! @ Dreamscape: Browse all of our related news…
Discover true terror on October 19th as Icon Film Distribution and FrightFest, the UK’s leading genre film festival, team up to launch FrightFest Presents, an all-new expert driven social community-building label ready to deliver true shocks and scares straight into your home just in time for Halloween and beyond…FrightFest Presents will bring you the most unsettling feature films from the festival; a series of movies that wowed and earned critical accliam hand-picked by FrightFest directors Alan Jones and Paul McEvoy.
The first phase of six films hand curated by FrightFest Presents will be available to download from October 19 and are: The Sand, Estranged, After Death, Aaaaaaaaah!, Night of the Living Deb and Some Kind of Hate.
• Continue reading at the Horror Channel.
Household name, pop icon, TV presenter and actress Toyah is performing at the Engine Shop at Enginuity in Coalbrookdale on Friday evening, 2 October.
Tickets to ‘Acoustic, Up Close & Personal with Toyah’, which are priced at £20 per person, are available in advance only. They can be purchased online or from the Ironbridge Visitor Information Centre and any of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum shops. Tickets include admission into Enginuity from 5pm, the auditorium opens at 7pm and the performance starts at 8pm. There will be an interval and light refreshments and bar drinks will be available; Ironbridge Gorge Museum Passports are not valid for this event.
For further information call the Ironbridge Tourist Information Centre on 01952 433 424 or visit www.ironbridge.org.uk, where tickets can be also be purchased.
• Continue reading at Shropshire Live.
Aaaaaaaah! was featured in The Sunday Times’ Culture magazine on 20th September – Monkey business – The actors go ape in a new movie that has grunts instead of gags. It’s already a cult hit. Click below to read the article. (Thanks to Lärwi for the scan)
Toyah’s on tour and still loving the music as she heads to Scotland
Toyah Willcox may have enjoyed most of her chart success in the 1980s but anybody who thinks she has slowed since then has not been paying attention.
This year, for instance, she has been involved in four feature films and has added regular TV work to her multi-faceted repertoire, which has encompassed everything from Quadrophenia and Casualty to Doctor Who and I’m A Celebrity.
Yet, much as she enjoys appearing on the screen, Toyah remains in love with rock music.
Next week, she and her band will bring such hits as It’s a Mystery and I Want to Be Free to Stonehaven Town Hall for a brace of concerts on September 18 and 19.
Then she’ll be at the Gardyne Theatre in Dundee on September 20.
• Continue reading at STV Aberdeen. (Thanks to Lärwi and William)
BBC asks viewers to share their musical memorabilia to tell ‘The People’s History of Pop’
Do you treasure a ticket stub from David Bowie at Aylesbury Friars? Is there a glow-stick from an illegal rave in your attic? Does your teenage diary list every band you ever saw in painstaking detail?
Now the BBC is asking viewers to share their most cherished musical possessions to help tell The People’s History of Pop through a unique crowdsourcing appeal. An online archive is being created for a new BBC4 series which will tell the story of British rock & pop music from the 1950s to the noughties – but without the traditional narrative from chin-stroking “experts”.
Craig Astley uploaded a picture of himself, then aged 4, with his first pop idol, the punk singer Toyah after a concert in Newcastle. “Sixteen years later and I received a phone call from Toyah herself if I would be interested in running her website,” writes Astley, who now manages the singer’s archive. “Pop dreams can come true.”
• Continue reading at The Independent. View further info here.
Eighties pop icon Toyah Willcox will play Stonehaven Town Hall this Friday and Saturday night with the singer eager to look around the town.
The former punk princess – whose biggest hit was ‘It’s A Mystery’ spoke to the Mearns Leader this week about playing Stonehaven, looking forward to fish and chips and what fans can expect.
Toyah said: “I’m really looking forward to the show as we’ve never been to Stonehaven and it is great to have the chance to go there. As it is on the coast I’m looking forward to getting to know the town and I love history so I’d love to walk around the museum.”
The event is being organised by music shop owner Chris Stirk with tickets still available for both shows. Toyah’s two gigs follows her successful appearance recently at the Rewind festival in Perth with the singer adding that she’ll have all the hits and maybe a few surprises for those attending.
She said: “I think fans are going to really enjoy the show as it is fun and it is really about them. I’ll have all the hits, the singles from the 80s and singles that have charted on iTunes in the last couple of years. It will be a fun and able show, where we’ll look to put in a few other songs.”
• Continue reading at the Mearns Leader. See all of Toyah’s forthcoming Proud, Loud & Electric gigs at toyahwillcox.com.
Eighties star Toyah brings the house down at New Mills Art Theatre
In a coup for the New Mills Festival 1980s’ icon Toyah Willcox played a greatest hits concert at New Mills Art Theatre on Saturday evening to an almost sell out crowd.
Drawing on her considerable back catalogue Toyah soon had the crowd rocking as she played hit after hit taking us back to those heady days of the eighties. Opening with Good Morning Universeit was clear Toyah’s voice was as strong as ever, the hair and makeup might have gone but the songs were as powerful as ever and she had the audience in the palm of her hand.
Thunder In The Mountains, I Want To Be Free and Brave New World were all rapturously received as were cover versions of Echo Beach and fellow eighties star Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell.
Of course what most of us remember Toyah for is the massive hit It’s A Mystery and when she played it she brought the house down (almost literally as plaster fell from the ceiling) and got a standing ovation. Coming back for the inevitable encore of Danced, Toyah thanked what was a very appreciative audience and in the words of Rebel Yell left them wanting More, More, More!
• Continue reading at the Derbyshire Times. Also available at the Buxton Advertiser.
Toyah is on the cover of Sturminster Newton’s The Exchange brochure for Autumn/Winter 2015, which is published/launched today. She plays an Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date at The Exchange on Thursday 15th October. Click below for further details.
Punk artist Toyah Willcox hails Derby rock hotspot as one of the best in the country
Punk pioneer Toyah Willcox is back in Derby tomorrow night – at a rock hotspot she hails as one of the best venues in the country! Toyah will be performing at The Flowerpot on her “‘Proud, Loud and Electric” tour.
“My American band, The Humans, played The Flowerpot at least six year ago, it was one of the best gigs we’ve done! I love it there!” Toyah exclaims, when asked about Derby.
Fans who decide to attend the show can expect a truly unique performance.
“I always make sure that the band and I gear the music to the venue. We always look around and judge the audience then tailor our set to what they want so it’s different every night. Some nights they want a heavy set and sometimes they want to hear laid-back music. The Flowerpot is a really intimate venue with a low ceiling so it’s going to be a real rock ‘n’ roll show.
“I wanted to call the tour a name that allowed us to cherry-pick from a retrospective of 36 years of music. Because it’s so small, it’s going to get pretty hot in there so we’ll be playing a lot of music from the punk days.”
• Continue reading at the Derby Telegraph.
• Live 2015: Another trio of gigs – Toyah plays an Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date tonight at Vauxhall Tavern, London and tomorrow a Proud, Loud & Electric gig at The Flowerpot, Derby. On Saturday she is the opening music artist of the New Mills Festival 2015.
• Mansfield Chad: See Toyah in full flow at The Flowerpot: Iconic performer Toyah Willcox will be joined by her full band for a gig at The Flowerpot in Derby on Friday, September 11. The popular singer and actor is currently touring with her show, entitled Proud, Loud and Electric – Continue reading…
• Aaaaaaaah!: Another screening at Picture House Central, tomorrow night – View details…
• Get Ready To Rock: Gig review: Cropredy – Oxfordshire, 13-15 August 2015: Last year the festival had a proggy feel to it which I think really worked well but this year I think the attempt to mix in an 80′s pop feel hasn’t really paid off. The Proclaimers, Level 42 and Toyah actually played very good sets; for the folkies they were a bit leftfield – Toyah came out to huge applause and reeled off a set that included ‘It’s A Mystery’ alongside some great covers like ‘Rebel Yell’ and ‘Echo Beach’ – Continue reading…
• Toyah @ Twitter: Stay updated via Toyah’s Official Twitter page….
• Live 2015 +: New dates are sporadically being added to Toyah’s Official Gig page for the remainder of 2015, and also now into 2016 – Check if there’s an upcoming gig near you here…
Toyah Willcox and Madness tribute band to hit Flowerpot stage
Rock star Toyah Willcox is taking to the stage at The Flowerpot in Derby on Friday night.
Willcox, whose music career spans over 30 years, is performing at the King Street music venue with her electric band as part of her Proud, Loud & Electric tour. The singer-songwriter has brought in 13 top 40 singles including I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains, recording 29 albums during her career and touring worldwide.
Spokesman for the event, Alan Woolley, said: “From punk princess to cult stage actress and high priestess of TV, Toyah Willcox is a 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 and screen actress and music composer.”
• Continue reading at the Ashbourne News Telegraph.
Onion Talking: Steve Oram Opens Wide & Says AAAAAAAAH!
With AAAAAAAAH!, are you trying to say something significant about modern society, or is the construct simply an idea that you liked?
It’s just something I found funny; I didn’t set out to make something that was a satire or a commentary. I just really enjoyed creating an intricate world, and creating the interactions and the characters – making them do silly, extreme things.
You’ve worked with many of the cast members multiple times before, but how did you decide on which new faces to bring on board, like Toyah and Julian Rhind-Tutt?
With Toyah, I loved her work in Jubilee and Quadrophenia – I’ve been a massive fan of hers for years. I was trying to cast a lady in her 50s who wouldn’t mind having to do embarrassing sex scenes and have blancmange thrown at her face. There’s not that many of them! I didn’t know her before, but I sent her the script and she loved it.
• Read the full interview at The Velvet Onion. Browse all of our Steve Oram news.
• Artsbeat: Toyah To Open New Mills Festival: Opening this year’s New Mills Festival with a bang, is the colourful, dynamic and unique Toyah Willcox who will be taking to the stage with her band at New Mills Art Theatre on September 12. At New Mills Toyah will be belting out her old hits including the iconic singles It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains, as well as newer material, in her famous high-energy style – Continue reading…
• Buxton Advertiser: Organisers promise “something for everyone” at New Mills festival: The annual New Mills Festival returns this Friday and organisers say it will be “bigger and better than ever”. This year’s programme’s theme of toys and games seeks to aim the festival’s programme at a younger audience but the presence of acts such as Toyah Willcox will ensure the festival has something for everyone – Continue reading…
• Visit the New Mills Festival 2015 website for further info and/or to buy tickets. Browse all of our New Mills Festival 2015 news. (Photo © Toyah Willcox/Dean Stockings)
Eighties’ legend Toyah to perform at New Mills Festival
Eighties pop princess Toyah adds a touch of stardust to this year’s New Mills Festival.
She will be backed by a full band when she sings at the town’s Art Theatre on Saturday, September 12. Toyah will be performing greatest hits from her 30-year career which include It’s A Mystery, Thunder in the Mountains and I Want To Be Free.
The concert promises to be a highlight of the fortnight-long festival which celebrates the cultural and community spirit of New Mills.
Activities kick off on Friday, September 11, with a Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea Party at The Cakery from 2pm to 4pm and an art trail which turns the town into a gallery.
For the full programme, see www.newmillsfestival.co.uk
• Continue reading at the Derbyshire Times. Visit the New Mills Festival 2015 website for further info and/or to buy tickets. Browse all of our New Mills Festival 2015 news.
It’s a busy Friday night in London’s West End, I escape the hustle and bustle in the new Picturehouse cinema bar; it’s vast and empty… the calm before the storm. The venue anticipates a celeb-studded screening of the new Steve Oram film “Aaaaaaaah!” and I am anticipating meeting Steve to talk about his new (crazy-amazing) film.
I attended the press screening of Aaaaaaaah! a couple of weeks ago & the film completely haunted me. Images and thoughts from the movie were triggered by day-to-day life. In that sense it is extremely powerful and well crafted, well acted. I’m not exactly sure what it was trying to say, but I think like a lot of good art, it says what you want it to say.
… Then who should appear in the cinema bar, but Toyah Willcox (one of the leading ladies in the film) she’s dressed in a beautiful orange dress, her hair coiffed but not overdone. She’s sprightly and bubbly and bounds up to our table chatting about how she still gigs 3 times a week. But who knew Toyah could act? Toyah’s acting is incredible in Aaaaaaaah! & she would like to do more acting, her range is pretty broad, she had just filmed an episode of Doctors (that daytime show on BBC), which couldn’t be further from her character in Aaaaaaaah! I asked Steve about how he came to cast Toyah in his movie, “I’ve always been a long time fan of Toyah’s acting, she’s brilliant in Quadrophenia. People forget Toyah can act, but they shouldn’t forget.”
Robert Fripp is Toyah’s other half, and the music in the film is by King Crimson Projekts, and it’s a perfect otherworldly, primal backdrop.
• Continue reading at The Huffington Post.
Vale Park was alive with the sound of music at the weekend, and it was all free. Punk princess Toyah Willcox headlined on Saturday night with an energetic and enthusiastic show that had the crowd shouting for more.
Thirty seven years in showbusinesses hasn’t dimmed her enthusiasm for her craft, and her voice was strong as she sang These Boots Are Made For Walking, In The Midnight Hour, It’s A Mystery, Sweet Child of Mine and I Wanna Be Free. The charismatic performer interacted naturally with the audience and was generous with her time after the show, meeting fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures.
• Continue reading at The Bucks Herald. (Photos © The Bucks Herald)
Bucks Herald: It’s here! Weekend of free live music in Vale Park
Vale Park will be hosting two great days of live music with something to suit everyone. The action starts on
Saturday with Live In The Park, featuring ten hours of live music culminating in an appearance by 80s singer Toyah Willcox at 8.30pm.
Other acts performing throughout the day include disco band Platform Soul, singer-songwriter Kitty Roisin, guitarist and
backing vocalist James
Manders and new wave band The Synthetix.
The second part of the weekend musical bonanza in the park is on Sunday evening with Proms in the Park. Orchestral music begins at 7pm with a fireworks display to round off the evening. Both events are organised by Aylesbury Town Council. Photos and reports from all the weekend’s activities will appear in next week’s Bucks Herald.
• Continue reading at the Bucks Herald. Browse all of our Live In The Park news.
Mix 96: Live In The Park Kicks Off Weekend Of Free Events In Aylesbury
A weekend of free outdoor entertainment in Aylesbury starts today with Live in the Park. The gig in Vale Park replaces Hobble on the Cobbles this year.
It starts at midday with local acts and a funfair and is headlined by 80s superstar Toyah. We gave Toyah a call and asked her if her audience had changed over the years:
“We still have people with us who’ve been with me for 37 years, now they tend to have children and grandchildren and they tend to come along as well. We do though have a new audience increasingly under the age of 25 and I think that’s because 80s music is so popular and it’s popular with all generations.”
• Continue reading/Listen to a short audio interview with Toyah at Mix 96.
Screen talks to the British actor about his feature directorial debut, which receives its world premiere today [Aug 28] at Film4 FrightFest.
Set to be one of the most original films of this year’s Film4 FrightFest, Aaaaaaaah! is a twisted family drama with a difference: there is no dialogue, with all actors speaking in animalistic grunts and moans.
It marks the feature directorial debut of British actor Steve Oram who, along with Alice Lowe, wrote and starred in Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers.
Aaaaaaaah!, produced by Lincoln Studios, receives its world premiere today [Aug 28] and Oram believes FrightFest is the ideal place for the film to make its bow.
“FrightFest accepts and celebrates the weirdos, and we think we fit in quite well there,” enthuses Oram. “It’s the perfect showcase for us. It’s totally un-snooty and just about people who love strange films and horror films. It’s a big opportunity to show it to the people, which is all I care about really.”
• Continue reading at Screen Daily.
