Film Maker Profile: Simon Cox – Kaleidoscope Man
Simon Cox has worked in the UK TV and Film industry for over 20 years for the BBC, Channel four and five as well as directing a feature film of his own and is now attempting to make Independent film history by writing and directing a full-on sci-fi thriller – Kaleidoscope Man:
When psychiatrist and father-to-be Thomas Dunn’s patients begin to share terrifying visions of the destruction of planet Earth a chain reaction is begun which could threaten everything that he holds dear. He and a group of his patients must battle their own demons as well as invading aliens in Earth’s last stand.
• Continue reading at Graham Inman.com. Read another new interview with Simon Cox, at The Cutting Room Floor.
It was the mid-70s. The Bee Gees had discovered disco, Queen were breaking the mould with Bohemian Rhapsody and that tartan clad boy band from Scotland The Bay City Rollers were driving parents to distraction and their teenage daughters to the state of near hyperventilation!
Never the less, the moguls of the music industry were watching from afar green eyed with corporate jealousy. They all wanted what Bell Records had in The Rollers, and for one Coventry born A&R man his wish was about to become a reality, and he didn’t have to go to far to find it!
… It was pretty obvious the band had now reached its sell-by date and it was over as quickly as it began. Steve Bray joined The Toyah Willcox band, and appeared on her two first albums The seminal Sheep Farming In Barnet and The Blue Meaning.
• Continue reading at the Coventry Telegraph.
Eighties pop sensation Toyah Willcox gave a stunning performance in front of an audience of 250 people at the Peel Centenary Centre.
Dave Moncaster from Port St Mary sent us this photo from the gig and said: ‘She was brilliant and gave an absolutely worthy performance, appreciated by everyone in attendance. The evening was full of her well known songs and some that I don’t remember. The lady is funny, well spoken and a total professional. Please come back to the island soon, Toyah.’
• Continue reading at isleofman.com.
A look at the print version of the Isle Of Man Today article we linked to last week. Toyah played a Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits…Live! tour date The Centenary Centre in Peel last night.
Multi-talented 80s pop star Toyah Willcox comes to the Centenary Centre in Peel on Saturday, June 14. This will be Toyah’s second visit to the island after she performed at Jaks in Douglas in 2011.
She has had 13 top 40 singles, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays, made 10 feature films and presented TV shows from ‘Songs of Praise’ to ‘The Good Sex Guide Late’.
• View a larger version of the article here. (Thanks to Colin Dew-Parry for the scan)
The Crimson Queen herself, Toyah Willcox, has teased further information about Steve Oram‘s début directorial feature, Aaaaaaaah!
Since it was announced in January, news of the production has been thin on the ground. Filming was due to start in April, but was delayed for some unknown reason – potentially the top-notch cast and their hectic schedules!
The film, in which Oram, Willcox, Tom Meeten, Julian Barratt, Tony Way, Waen Shepherd, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Hannah Hoeskra will communicate entirely in ape-like grunts, shrieks and moans, promises to be a typically surreal treat from the unique mind of Steve Oram.
• Continue reading at The Velvet Onion.
Multi-talented 80s pop star Toyah Willcox comes to the Centenary Centre in Peel on Saturday, June 14.
This will be Toyah’s second visit to the island after she performed at Jaks in Douglas in 2011.
She has had 13 top 40 singles, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays, made 10 feature films and presented TV shows from ‘Songs of Praise’ to ‘The Good Sex Guide Late’.
Toyah’s biggest year musically was 1981 when she had three top ten hits, with her ‘Four from Toyah Ep’ and its lead track ‘It’s a Mystery’ reaching number four, follow-up ‘I want to be free’ reaching number eight, and ‘Thunder in the Mountains’ also peaking at number four.
• Continue reading at the Isle Of Man Today.
After a sell-out success in its first year, Let’s Rock Bristol! returns to Ashton Court this weekend with a line-up of artists guaranteed to recapture the sounds of the 1980s.
The biggest festival of its type, Let’s Rock sees a huge line-up of chart-topping artists from the decade including Level 42, pictured, Bananarama, Rick Astley, Tony Hadley, ABC, Belinda Carlisle, Go West, Heaven 17, Midge Ure, China Crisis, Alexander O’Neal, Imagination, The Blow Monkeys, The Christians, Boney M, Toyah, Dr & The Medics, T’Pau, Sonia and Johnny Hates Jazz.
• Continue reading at Bristol Post.
Look: Toyah Willcox’s Kings Heath walk of fame star is dug up
Only plaque laid on tribute pavement put into storage as Ritz Ballroom site is redeveloped
The only star laid on Kings Heath’s walk of fame has been dug up and put into storage. The tribute, to singer Toyah Willcox, was removed from its spot outside the old Ritz Ballroom in York Road after the iconic venue was gutted in a fire.
And two other stars, commissioned in honour of musician Trevor Burton and the late Olympic cyclist Tommy Godwin, have never been laid at all. Bob Prew, from the Walk of Stars scheme, said: “We were advised to remove Toyah’s star for safekeeping after the fire.
• Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail. Toyah was included in their main page slideshow.
Punk princess Toyah Willcox’s greatest hits live show is in Clacton next week.
The It’s A Mystery and I Want to Be Free singer is at the West Cliff Theatre on Friday, June 6, performing a full set including tracks from smash albums The Court and Crimson Queen
As well as a being an accomplished singer and multi-award winner, Toyah has starred in cult movies Epic and Quadrophenia and was even the voice who introduced the Teletubbies at the height of their popularity. With gravity-defying bright orange hairstyles and a career which turned her from punk pop idol to priestess of television Toyah is sure to have something for everyone.
• Continue reading at the Clacton Gazette.
Toyah Willcox is performing at a Bristol venue in November.
The ‘high priestess of punk’ and TV personality has a career spanning 30 years. She has had 13 top 40 singles, including I Want To Be Free, It’s A Mystery and Thunder In The Mountains, and recorded 20 albums.
During this time she has presented a variety of television programmes including Watchdog and Songs Of Praise.
She will be performing a set list featuring many of her classic songs and rarities from the Safari catalogue through to Crimson Queen.
• Continue reading at Mercury 24.
A new article at the Birmingham Mail, celebrating all that’s great about the city.
As our Pride of Birmingham awards are launched, we take a look at the city’s many achievements and claims to fame
11. MUSIC: Birmingham is the birthplace of heavy metal, with Black Sabbath and Judas Priest coming from the city. Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi – born and raised in Handsworth – shaped the sound when he learned to play guitar in a different way following an industrial accident that removed the tips of two of his fingers. He tuned the guitar down and relied on power chords, something guitarist Terry Butler also did – and together they produced the classic sound of metal. The later metal bands Napalm Death and Godflesh are also from Birmingham.
Also from the city are Dave Pegg (Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention), Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), and Blaze Bayley (Wolfsbane). Other music acts from Birmingham include ELO, Duran Duran, UB40, The Moody Blues, Fuzzbox, Ocean Colour Scene, The Move, Toyah Willcox, Joan Armatrading, Dexys Midnight Runners, Ruby Turner, Fine Young Cannibals, The Streets, Musical Youth, Jamelia and Pato Banton.
• Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail.
Lechlade Music Festival 2014 draws in visitors from all across the UK despite wet weather
Eager festival-goers donned their wellies and coats last weekend for three days of music and dancing in Lechlade.
Not put off by the rain and the mud, people travelled from as far as Scotland to enjoy this year’s eighties-themed Lechlade Music Festival at Riverside Park.
Punk princess Toyah Willcox headlined on Friday night to a packed crowd and was presented with an impressive birthday cake from Cotswold’s Finest Cakes, which she said she would rather take home to put on display than cut.
She said she was determined to “wake up Lechlade” as she played well into the evening.
• Continue reading at Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard.
Indie Film Focus: Director Simon Cox Shoots “Kaleidoscope Man” Star Lucy Drive’s First Scene
Kaleidoscope Man is an indie science fiction thriller — which involves an alien invasion of Earth — currently in production by its writer-director-producer, Simon Cox, via his UK-based Alphastar Productions company. This is a film that Simon has been working on for quite some time. He is currently in Phase 4 of shooting, having gotten about 35% in the can so far. The production is practically 100% crowdfunded — the current Indiegogo campaign aims to fund the remainder of production, including (if possible) scenes on an alien planet (to be shot on location in the Canary Islands).
• Continue reading at Frisco Kid At The Movies.
A new Toyah article, choosing her six favourite albums, is published in today’s Express.
David Bowie, Lou Reed and Muse: Rock singer and actress Toyah Willcox’s six best albums
Toyah Willcox, 56, is the singer and actress who had hits in the 1980s with It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains and appeared in the films Quadrophenia and Jubilee. She is touring throughout the year with The Humans and will be speaking at the new SohoCreate festival in London, June 4-6. Visit sohocreate.co.uk
DAVID BOWIE: Ziggy Stardust (EMI)
Bowie took the creative bull by the horns and steered a generation through problematic times. He went back to his rock ’n’ roll roots with this and it’s a gem. I saw him live and knew that I could only carry on living if I was a singer, writer and actress.
LOU REED: Transformer (Sony)
Bowie produced this. Reed could be off the wall but this honed and anchored him. I saw him in about 1978 and his transvestite lover was with him on stage so it was thrilling and different. It laughed in the eye of conservatism.
• Continue reading at the Express.
COMPETITION: 50 family tickets to the Crick Boat Show to be won
The 15th Crick Boat Show & Waterways Festival will be held at Crick Marina in Northamptonshire this weekend.
The annual event, which attracts over 25,000 visitors, is organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Marina. It will run from Saturday until Monday (May 24-26).
As well as showcasing the inland waterways industry with over 250 exhibitors from across the canal world, Crick Boat Show offers a fantastic day out for all the family with boat trips and live music including huge stars Toyah Willcox and Seán Cannon from The Dubliners both performing on Saturday evening in our real ale marquee. There is also a large variety of food and drink stalls.
• Continue reading/enter the competition at Northampton Chronicle & Echo. All entries must be received before noon on Friday, May 23.
A major outdoor music festival at the home of Fleetwood Town FC starring the Happy Mondays has been postponed.
The club today released a statement saying the concert on June 1 has been postponed after being contacted by Wyre Council to say the event had not got permission. Wyre Council leases Highbury Stadium to the club and it is understood the concert breaks the terms of their contract.
A statement on the club website said tickets will be refunded in full. The anti-fracking gig was announced following Happy Mondays maraca player Mark “Bez” Berry’s visit to the port earlier this year.
Toyah Willcox, Big Country, Bad Manners and Alabama 3 were all due to play at the 10-hour event, alongside a number of local bands.
• Continue reading at Fleetwood Weekly News.
Interesting Toyah news over at www.worcesternews.co.uk – I don’t want to spoil the surprise by directly linking to it.
Toyah also tweeted in relation to this on Saturday: “Had a mini riot outside our house yesterday when a very famous person was spotted coming out of the front door!”
• Search for Toyah at Worcester News if you really want to know ;))
Toyah is featured in today’s ‘Mail On Sunday’ supplement Event, in their “Desert Island Pics”, with some excellent photos of, and memories from, Toyah:
Caged by Chris Tarrant, trapped in the jungle by the Aussie SAS… the It’s A Mystery singer’s colourful life.
1. Pants performers, 1980: That’s a promo shot of my first band. They dumped me but within months I had my debut hit. We’re all still friends, by the way. The belt I’m wearing was given to me by Lou Reed.
2. Women on top, 1986: This was the Woman Of The Year Awards at the Savoy. Diana was a beautiful person, quick to laugh and very kind. I sat next to her during lunch that day and she talked to me about how she wanted William and Harry to have normal lives, to be able to travel and do whatever they chose. She was a devoted, loving mother.
Click here to read the full article via a larger scan. (Thanks to Lärwi, of The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive, for scanning this.)
A new article on Toyah, By Chronicle Live, published today.
Eighties pop star Toyah to play Phoenix Theatre in Blyth
Former punk princess Toyah will be performing all her greatest hits at the Phoenix Theatre in Blyth this Saturday
Eighties pop star Toyah will play the Phoenix Theatre in Blyth this Saturday.
It all began in her hometown Birmingham in 1977 when film director Derek Jarman offered her the role of ‘Mad’ in seminal punk epic Jubilee. She continued to gain strong roles, appearing alongside Katherine Hepburn in the film, The Corn is Green, as well as playing Monkey in the legendary Quadrophenia. She teamed up with Jarman again to play Miranda in his innovative version of The Tempest, which won her a nomination as Best Newcomer at the 1980 Evening Standard Awards.
Saturday’s show will see her play all her greatest hits plus her tracks from her album Crimson Queen.
• Continue reading at Chronicle Live.
A host of top acts will join the Happy Mondays at a 10-hour outdoor music festival at the home of Fleetwood Town FC, it has today been announced.
The League Two club will host the anti-fracking gig, headlined by the Manchester legends, at its Highbury Stadium on June 1 – with fans and Fylde coast residents first in line for tickets.
The Gazette can reveal the former first lady of punk Toyah Willcox is among the names confirmed to play at the Live Wyre concert next month. Scottish rockers Big Country are also on the bill, alongside ska band Bad Manners. London-based Alabama 3 are set to play at the concert, as well as a selection of local bands.
• Continue reading at the Blackpool Gazette.
Iconic eighties bands The Blow Monkeys, Dr and the Medics and Toyah Willcox to headline Lechlade Music Festival next month
A group of iconic eighties bands have been announced as headliners for next month’s Lechlade Music Festival. Punk princess Toyah Willcox will headline on the first day of the festival, Friday, May 23 with Dr and the Medics as well as The Blow Monkeys headlining on Sunday, May 25.
“Toyah has had the biggest reaction so far,” said festival director Jennie Rainsford. “She’s the biggest act we have ever had play at the festival and is proving very popular. All these headliners will be giving the festival evenings a bit of a retro feel.”
• Continue reading at the Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard. Visit the Lechlade Music Festival website.
