Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

TOYAH – LIVE AT THE RAINBOW / LIVE AT DRURY LANE (CHERRY RED)

These two releases now available form a perfect set of stepping stones leading from the club-venue rawness of Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! to the theatrical, large scale Changeling shows which birthed Warrior Rock. They have been a long, long time coming, and they are most welcome to say the least.

Continuing the excellent Toyah reissue series comes the bonus of two albums, both originally recorded in 1981, to follow up the slightly earlier Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!, recorded the previous year. Interestingly, however, these two albums – which nicely bridge the gap between the raw Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! album and the later more populist Warrior Rock double – are less reissues than they are entirely new releases. Live At The Rainbow, of course, from a February 1981 show, was a popular video release back in the day, but oddly enough has never seen the light of day in audio form until now. Live At Drury Lane, on the other hand, is a show from the latter end of that same year, originally broadcast by the BBC on the annual Old Grey Whistle Test Christmas In Concert programme, and has only ever been available, for a relatively short time in incomplete form, on a BBC videotape called Good Morning Universe. The differences between the two releases really highlight how much was going on within a few months of this highly successful year, and is a large part of what makes these releases a fascinating back-to-back listen for fans.

• Continue reading at Velvet Thunder. Live At The Rainbow and Live At Drury Lane are available in both CD+DVD and colour 12″ vinyl from Cherry Red Records.

80s star Toyah to headline Reepham Festival in August 2023

An 80s “pop princess” has been announced as this year’s headliner for one of Norfolk’s most popular music festivals.

Toyah Willcox, who has had eight top 40 singles across her 20-album career, will be headlining Reepham Festival’s main stage on August 12.

The festival features two stages with a line-up that includes the Buster James Band – an “East Anglian favourite” – and The Black Shucks.

• Continue reading at Dereham Times.

1982 album remastered and expanded

Cherry Red continue to work through Toyah’s Safari Records output and, in September, will reissue the band’s 1982 album, The Changeling, across a number of formats.

The album was produced by Steve Lillywhite and featured just the one single, ‘Brave New World’, which peaked at No 21 in the UK. The album has been newly remastered for this archive release.

Like Anthem, The Changeling is being made available as a big super deluxe edition box set, in addition to a 2CD+DVD package and a coloured vinyl LP version.

The 2CD+DVD version probably offers the best bang for your buck, with a whopping 31 bonus tracks including work-in-progress mixes, instrumental outtakes and demos. 20 of these are previously unreleased and three are new-to-CD. The NTSC, region-free DVD offers a 2023 interview with Toyah Willcox and her track-by-track commentary along with loads of TV appearances from back in the day.

• Continue reading at Super Deluxe Edition.

Punk princess Toyah was left singing along with the crowd when the sound failed at Kent gig

The star was playing Sittingbourne’s Party In The Park in Kent with her guitarist husband Robert Fripp

Punk princess Toyah was left singing along with the crowd when the sound failed at her latest gig. The 65-year-old singer, fresh from appearing at the Isle of Wight and Glastonbury festivals, is now on a summer tour and was playing Sittingbourne’s Party In The Park in Kent with her guitarist husband Robert Fripp, 77, and their band on Saturday (July 1).

But halfway through their final song – a version of David Bowie’s Heroes which Fripp had originally played on – the PA cut out. Undeterred, Toyah and the band carried on although no one could hear them except for the beat of the drum. But it didn’t stop the 2,200-strong from singing along, too.

• Continue reading at Kent Live.

Watch Toyah and Robert cover ‘Heroes’ by David Bowie at Glastonbury 2023

The King Crimson guitarist featured on the original recording

Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp performed a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ at their recent set at Glastonbury.

The married couple — who both have extensive music careers and came together to form a musical duo in 2020 — took to the stage on Sunday (June 25), and performed renditions of some of their favourite classic rock hits.

A highlight of the set came with their cover of a David Bowie classic, as they put their own spin on his 1977 fan favourite, ‘Heroes’. For the performance, Willcox took the microphone and handled the vocals, while Fripp remained seated and played the guitar through the track.

• Continue reading at the NME. See also :  Enter Sandman … Heroes … It’s A Mystery … Are You Gonna Go My Way … School’s Out.

Toyah and Robert Fripp talk the future of Sunday Lunch at Glastonbury 2023

The duo also talk about what David Bowie would have made of music in 2023, and how their upcoming tour is all about “keeping our clothes on and doing fantastic rock music”

Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox — known as Toyah & Robert — caught up with NME backstage at Glastonbury 2023 to tell about the future of their successful Sunday Lunch series, plans to hit the road, and how they handle hateful comments.

Since starting off the series as a bit of light-hearted relief during the pandemic, no one was more surprised by the sudden momentum than the couple themselves. Now, over three-years since they began Sunday Lunch, the duo have ventured out of the kitchen taken the show to the stage.

The latest of which included a debut slot at Glastonbury 2023 this weekend, where they delivered their brand of classic rock covers on the Acoustic Stage. Shortly before they took to the stage, they had a quick catch-up with NME…

NME: Welcome to Glastonbury! Let’s start by taking a look back to when you first started Sunday Lunch. Did the response catch you off guard? It seemed to get a lot of momentum very quickly…

Toyah Willcox: “It did surprise us. We were going for about eight months and it was growing and growing and growing. It started with one very simple post: 28 seconds of us jiving. Within five minutes it got about 100,000 replies from across the world. At that point, we realised that we’d posted something that basically cheered people up who were alone in lockdown.”

“NME almost championed us in a way, and what we loved about NME was they were linking the songs we were covering with the actual artists, and it had a phenomenal effect. Judas Priest wrote to us and said, ‘Thank you so much’ and we’d given them the best tour publicity they could have had when we covered ‘Breaking The Law’. They loved it!

• Continue reading at NME. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

The Changeling Toyah At Home announcement on Saturday 1 July

You’ll want to be “sitting comfortably” when you tune in to Toyah At Home at 11am on Saturday 1 July 2023.

It’s a special episode as Toyah will be announcing details of the much-anticipated reissue of the classic 1982 album “The Changeling” on Cherry Red Records. The Changeling can be pre-ordered from 10am on Monday 3 July 2023.

For collectors it’s worth marking your calendar now to secure limited edition exclusives from Cherry Red’s webshop!

• Continue reading at toyahwillcox.com. (Image © Toyah Willcox/Cherry Red)

• Saturday Morning Song: Echo Beach (1987) from Desire (Toyah & Robert – Live At Isle Of Wight Festival 2023) – Watch… • Toyah & Robert: UpBeat Moments – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Cream and lots of it – Watch…

Press for Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – This week covering, and covered in, Cream. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

• NME: Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox douse themselves in cream while performing ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’: “It’s Cream all round” – Continue…

• Guitar.Com: Robert Fripp and Toyah cover themselves in cream while covering Cream: The latest installment of Sunday Lunch is as ridiculous as we’ve come to expect – Continue…

• Classic Rock/Louder: Toyah and Robert Fripp perform Cream cover, cover themselves in cream: Things get extremely literal in the Fripp-Willcox kitchen, with a cream-enhanced cover of Cream’s Sunshine Of Your Love – Continue…

• Consequence: Robert and Toyah Cover themselves in Cream with “Sunshine of Your Love”: The frisky couple take on the Cream classic for their latest “Sunday Lunch” performance – Continue…

• Brooklyn Vegan: Watch Toyah & Robert Fripp cover “Sunshine Of Your Love” with extra Cream – Continue…

• Yahoo!: Robert and Toyah Cover Themselves in Cream with “Sunshine of Your Love” – Continue…

• Guitar World: Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox cover Cream – as they get covered in cream: The couple take on Sunshine of Your Love with the help of dairy products – Continue…

• Brave Words: Robert Fripp & Toyah Perform Cream Classic “Sunshine Of Your Love” – Continue…

• Far Out: Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox cover Cream’s ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ – Continue…

• Official Toyah TikTok: Cream – Continue…

• DGM Live: Toyah & Robert’s Weekend – Continue…

“We realised during lockdown that classic rock changes people’s lives…”

Toyah and Robert Fripp on the healing powers of music: “We should live every year of our lives as if it’s the best year of our lives”

Robert Fripp and Toyah appeared on BBC Breakfast news this morning, 21 June, to promote their forthcoming appearance at Glastonbury, the first time either of them have played the Worthy Farm festival.

Asked about the Toyah and Robert’s Sunday Lunch videos “which spread such joy” during lockdown, Toyah gave a bit of insight into the thinking behind them.

“We realised during lockdown that classic rock changes people’s lives and it gives people the chance to visit really good memories. For me, it will be David Bowie’s Life On Mars, which I first heard when I was 12. Every time I hear that song, I’m taken back there. And very much the concept of what we are doing is taking people back to classic rock, but also introducing new generations – who’ve just come from the dance tent – to Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, or even introducing them to classic Blondie.”

The presenter commented that the age range of people entering Glastonbury for the festival was huge. “Let’s face it,” said Toyah, “we should live every year of our lives as if it’s the best year of our lives and age should not be something that we judge.”

• Continue reading at Classic Rock/Louder/Prog. (Photo © BBC)

If you were wondering what Robert Fripp and Toyah are like on tour, wonder no more

Much to humanity’s delight, pro-shot footage of Robert Fripp and Toyah performing Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell at the Isle Of Wight festival has emerged

Over the last few years, Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox have built a new, enthusiastic and unexpected audience, with the entire internet seemingly in thrall to their long-running-although-currently-dormant series of Sunday Lunch videos.

Could they cut it on the road? That was surely the question on everyone’s lips when the frisky duo announced a series of ‘Rock Party’ dates, during which they’d perform many of the songs that have so enriched our lives.

In late May the first audiences bore witness to the pair’s live antics, as the King Crimson man and his bride played a pair of local shows at Worcester’s Huntingdon Hall. Amongst the songs performed were Metallica’s Enter Sandman, Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man, and, perhaps most remarkably, Kashmir by Led Zeppelin.

• Continue reading at Classic Rock/Louder. See also Metal Sucks, Ultimate Guitar and Ultimate Classic Rock.

YouTube hits Toyah and Fripp at Isle of Wight Festival in Photos

The husband and wife musical partnership of Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp — both from strangely different but equally experimental musical backgrounds — performed their popular Sunday Lunch Live show in the Big Top.

It was enjoyed by the musically nostalgic and those of younger generations perhaps searching for their own musical roots to follow.

Sunday’s afternoon show was, as you would expect with Fripp, musically precise, while Toyah showed infectious, punk-rooted enthusiasm with her performance.

She performed a set which included some of her solo classics, It’s a Mystery and I Want to Be Free, together with some great pop standards, such as Bowie’s Heroes and Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell.

• Continue reading at Isle Of Wight County Press. Toyah & Robert were also included on Sky Arts’ Isle Of Wight Festival Highlights 2023, with further airings this week. See videos of Toyah & Robert at the Isle Of Wight at Toyah’s official Instagram.

Swanfest 2023: 73 pictures from Swanmore College with Toyah Willcox, Artful Dodger, Blazin Squad and Ben Haenow

Here are dozens of pictures of families enjoying themselves at Swanmore College’s annual festival Swanfest.

This year the line-up saw 1980s icon Toyah Willcox perform with her husband Robert Fripp, early 2000s hip hop act Blazin Squad, garage act Artful Dodger and X Factor winner Ben Haenow.

Hundreds of people enjoyed a warm day on the school playing fields on Saturday – and photographer Keith Woodland filled his camera’s memory card with plenty of great pictures.

• Continue reading at The News. See photos from Swanfest 2023 at Toyah’s official Facebook.

“We’re thrilled to announce that TOYAH & ROBERT are playing the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury 2023 on Sunday 25 June!” Toyah Willcox

Glastonbury announced the full line up on 24 May:

The Acoustic Stage is a festival within a festival. For the last thirty years or so, people have been trooping up to the hill to the haven of the Acoustic field. The crowds visit the Acoustic Stage to either avoid the rain and, maybe even, the sun – in the sanctuary of super-duper circus tent – or, to hear acoustic, song-based music. Mostly it’s blues, folk, contemporary or country music, but…..it’s not always played on acoustic instruments.

The Acoustic Stage has had the pleasure to welcome Ray Davies, Christy Moore, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, The Waterboys, Robert Plant, The Moody Blues featuring… Michael Eavis, John Prine, Art Garfunkel, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Keane and The Bootleg Beatles, amongst many others.

• Continue reading at toyahwillcox.com.

Becky Hill, Toyah and possibly Harry Styles to perform at Glastonbury

The Glastonbury line-up has been released and several county stars feature.

Some of the most popular artists from Worcestershire will take to the stage at the country’s biggest music festival later this summer.

Bewdley’s Becky Hill and Pershore’s Toyah Willcox are among the names set to appear. But there are rumours that another locally born musician could be joining them.

• Continue reading at Worcester News.

• Saturday Morning Song: Blue Meanings (1980) from The Blue Meaning (Special Edit 2021) – Watch… • Toyah & Robert: UpBeat Moments – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Radar Love – Watch… This week, see also: • Toyah & Robert’s Rock Party – Sensational A Capella – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Rock Party – Enter Sandman A Cappella – Watch…

Press for Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – This week covering Golden Earring. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

• NME: Watch Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp cover Golden Earring’s ‘Radar Love’: “I’d believe anything from this kitchen” – Continue…

• Brooklyn Vegan: Watch Toyah & Robert Fripp cover Golden Earring’s “Radar Love” – Continue…

• Brave Words: Watch Robert Fripp And Toyah Perform Golden Earring’s Smash Hit “Radar Love” – Continue…

• Far Out: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp cover ‘Radar Love’ by Golden Earring – Continue…

• Turn Up the Volume: Toyah And Robert Have a ‘Radar Love’: On the seventh day – almost 3 years ago – Toyah Willcox and her beloved husband Robert Fripp (King Crimson) started their Sunday Lunch Sessions as a fun pastime while being locked up in their kitchen due to that shit virus – Continue…

• Official Toyah TikTok: Radar Love – Continue…

• DGM Live: T&R’s Rock Party Weekend – Continue…

Stone Valley Festival South: Toyah provides moment of magic with a Fripp down memory lane

But Stone Valley South invariably also serves up a surprise – delivered this year by Toyah.

The former punk pixie-turned-New Romantic warrior queen in a post-apocalyptic chariot took an unenviable early spot, but drew a huge crowd.

As an early adopter of her 1980s make-up brand, available in Woolworths, I made the effort to join them. Frankly, I was curious about exactly what kind of novelty act we would see, but she was pure class.

For the uninitiated, Toyah Willcox has been married since 1986 to musician Robert Fripp, founder and guitarist of prog rockers King Crimson.

• Continue reading at Bishop’s Stortford Independent.

Press for the official announcement of Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch Rock Party 2023 Tour:

• NME: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp confirm ‘Sunday Lunch Rock Party’ tour: The run of shows includes a show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – Continue…

• Consequence: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp Officially Announce 2023 “Sunday Lunch Rock Party Tour”: The married couple will celebrate their popular YouTube series with a month-long UK outing – Continue…

• Classic Rock/Louder: Robert Fripp and Toyah announce Rock Party tour: Toyah Wilcox promises “an uplifting party of a show” with husband Robert Fripp on September and October live dates – Continue…

• Metal Sucks: Toyah & Fripp to Take Their YouTube Show All Over the U.K. This Fall – Continue…

• Far Out: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp officially announce ‘Sunday Lunch’ tour – Continue…

• At The Barrier: Robert & Toyah’s Rock Party: Tour News: It’s been on the cards – now it’s here! Robert (Fripp) & Toyah’s Rock Party is heading on tour – Continue…

• Ghost Light: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp Announce Toyah and Robert’s Rock Party Tour – Continue…

• Ultimate Guitar: Robert Fripp and Toyah Are Hitting the Road on ‘Rock Party’ Tour: The duo will balance Toyah’s hits with their popular Sunday Lunch covers – Continue…

• DGM Live: Toyah & Robert’s Rock Party Debut: Toyah & Robert’s Rock Party makes its debut next May 26th & 27th at Huntingdon Hall in Worcester! – Continue…

• Official Toyah Tik Tok: This weeks updates including Rock Party – Continue…

Robert Fripp and Toyah’s 10 Best “Sunday Lunch” Performances

The frisky couple have been entertaining millions with their over-the-top cover songs

When the concert industry shut down in 2020, two musical heroes emerged to entertain us each week. The married couple of King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp and new wave singer Toyah Willcox blessed us with their “Sunday Lunch” series of cover songs, and the world has never been the same.

While lockdown had us, er, down, the frisky pair kept our spirits up, delivering fun renditions of iconic rock and metal songs (mostly from the kitchen in their UK home), complete with Toyah’s risqué outfits and Robert’s no-nonsense guitar playing (even if he has to appear in a silly get-up himself once in a while).

And even though the world has opened back up, the couple continues to entertain us each week with new “Sunday Lunch” performances. The YouTube series has turned into such a phenomenon that Toyah and Robert are taking the show on the road, booking a UK tour for the fall of 2023.

• Continue reading at Consequence.

Toyah, and Toyah & Robert, are included in the latest issue (#81, May/June 2023) of Classic Pop magazine.

There’s a great, four star, review of the forthcoming Live At Drury Lane CD/DVD and 2LP release, and a mini Sunday Lunch Live – 2023 Rock Party Tour feature. As well as numerous festival appearances this Summer, Sunday Lunch is touring in September and October.

• The latest issue of Classic Pop magazine is available to buy instore and online now. (Thanks to Minna of The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive – sending you a big hug Min, I know it’s been a tough couple of weeks for you!)

Toyah / Live at Drury Lane
First time on CD, LP and DVD

Cherry Red continue their Safari-era Toyah reissues with Live at Drury Lane, a concert performance from December 1981.

This was broadcast live on the BBC for The Old Grey Whistle Test on Christmas Eve in 1981 and was ‘simulcast’ (as they used to call it) in stereo on BBC Radio One. Live at Drury Lane was never issued on vinyl, CD or cassette but was released as an edited VHS (called ‘Good Morning Universe’) in 1982.

This new reissue is available as a CD+DVD combo pack or as a 2LP set on pink vinyl. The CD contains all 13 songs performed on the night plus three bonus audio tracks recorded live in Milan from earlier on that same Winter Tour. The DVD reinstates ‘War Boys’ and ‘Victims of The Riddle’ which were missing from the VHS, but performed on the night.

• Continue reading at Super Deluxe Edition. Pre-Order Live At Drury Lane on CD+DVD or 2LP at Cherry Red.

Film Give Them Wings shot in Darlington and Bishop Auckland

An independent feature film shot in Darlington and Bishop Auckland, and starring Toyah Willcox, has secured international distribution.

Give Them Wings, is written by Paul Hodgson and produced by GTW Productions Ltd and directed by Sean Cronin.

Phoenix Worldwide, the sales agent to the film, has closed deals for Latin America (Distributer Encripta), Scandinavia, Australia/New Zealand (Distributer Bulldog) and North America (Distributer Stadium Media).

The film celebrates the life of disabled Darlington F.C. fan Paul Hodgson based on an adaptation of his 2000 bestselling autobiography Flipper’s Side.

• Continue reading at The Northern Echo.