Toyah Willcox has chosen Middlesbrough Theatre to launch the latest leg of her tour, celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of The Changeling. The Changeling Resurrection II sees Toyah and her full band perform a selection of songs from the album alongside classic material as heard on the Warrior Rock live album.
The performance takes place on Wednesday 19th September at 7.30pm. Tickets are £18, concessions £16.
• Continue reading at Darlington For Culture.
Pints and bottles have been replaced with cakes and chocolates at a new Stoke-on-Trent business.
John and Carl Wynne have spent £400,000 transforming the former Three Tuns pub on Bucknall New Road, Hanley into a specialist cake and chocolate shop and cafe. Wynne’s Cakes and Winnie Wonka Chocolate yesterday, hosted a VIP night to celebrate its opening, with guests including singer and actress Toyah Willcox, right with John and Carl.
John, aged 41, from Hanley, said: “I ran the pub for 15 years, and it was successful for most of that time, but with the decline of the market, I decided to do something different, and my friend suggested I open a cake shop.”
“Four years ago I’d never baked a cake, but I’ve been on lots of courses and it’s going really well. We’ve been open five weeks, and we’ve already got bookings for three weddings.”
With spandex, crimped hair, mullets, neon and leg warmers – the 80s were back with a bang at Lytham Proms.
A stellar line-up brought an impressive crowd of more than 8,000 to the Green, but this was a night for nostalgia, reliving one’s youth and revelling in the chance to wear infamous clothing from yesteryear,
DJ Pat Sharp, famous for his recent I’m a Celebrity exploits, kicked things off with a well worn set, spinning classic tunes of the era as a warm-up for the main event. Early acts on stage included Toyah and T’Pau.
• Continue reading at the Blackpool Gazette. (Photo © Blackpool Gazette)
Toyah plays the Lytham Proms 2012 Festival this evening. She has been soundchecking this afternoon at Lytham Green. This is a huge ‘Here and Now’ concert and there has been lots of recent press reports on it. Here are a few:
• ITV News: 80s pop stars to perform at Lytham Proms: 80s pop stars including Rick Astley and Bananarama will perform at this weekend’s Lytham Proms. Pegged as the region’s biggest seaside music festival of the summer, the event kicks off with performances from The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat, and T’Pau.
• Blackpool Gazette: What’s On Friday 3rd August: Here and Now. The launch of the latest Lytham Proms with a retro night featuring Bananarama, Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat and T’Pau. Lytham Green, Lytham. Gates open 5pm.
• Lancashire One: Lytham Proms 2012: A selection of iconic 80’s popstars will headline the opening night of Lytham Proms Festival Weekend 2012 on Friday 3rd August 2012. “Here and Now, The Very Best of the 80’s” will feature stars: Bananarama, Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat and T’Pau in what is dubbed as being the Fylde Coast’s biggest party EVER!
• View all of our Lytham Proms Festival Weekend 2012 news.
… To Illuminate The Fylde Coast’s Party Of The Year
A fantastic state-of-the-art system will light up this year’s Lytham Proms Festival like never before – as organisers set the stage for the Fylde Coast’s party of the year.
The stars of this year’s three-day musical extravaganza will create their magic on the festival’s biggest-ever stage. The fantastic festival line-up includes Eighties stars Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Bananarama and T’Pau wowing the crowds on the opening Friday night.
• Continue reading, at the ‘Lythams Proms Festival Weekend 2012’ website, here.
Music lovers flocking to this year’s Lytham Proms Festival are doing it in style, with record numbers snapping up its VIP packages – after a surge of sales during the Open. In a recession-busting revelation, all the VIP tickets for Friday’s ‘Here and Now, The Very Best of the 80s’ show – featuring a host of Eighties music legends – have already sold out.
And similarly for Saturday’s hugely-popular ‘Last Night of the Proms’, featuring local hero Alfie Boe has just a few VIP tickets remaining, with all his General Admission tickets now sold out. There are now only a last few VIP places remaining for Sunday’s highly-anticipated appearance of Olly Murs for his only show in the North West this summer.
Those lucky enough to have already grabbed VIP packages for the ‘Last Night of the Proms’ will also enjoy a three-course meal, as well as a champagne and canapé reception, plus a private bar area. This year’s event will take place at Lytham Green on August 3, 4, and 5 – just two weeks after the eyes of the world were on the resort for the Open.
All the VIP tickets for ‘Here & Now’ and the ‘Last Night of the Proms’ have already sold out and packages for the Sunday night are selling very quickly, with less than a handful left. People are really looking forward to the Fylde Coast’s biggest ever party and they want to do it in style!
The ‘Here and Now’ line-up includes Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Bananarama and T’Pau wowing the crowds on the opening Friday night. Legendary DJ Pat Sharp will get the party started, with a two-hour set of 80s classics. English soprano Laura Wright will be special guest at Alfie Boe’s ‘Last Night of The Proms’ show on Saturday night.
…and Walks the King’s Heath Walk Of Fame @ The Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, UK – 16th July 2012
There’s s good selection of photos, from Monday’s ‘King’s Heath Walk Of Fame’ event at Gig Junkies, including Toyah, Robert Fripp and Melissa Mailer-Yates (with the fantastic ‘Changeling’ painting – more on that here).
Neon Womb, It’s A Mystery , Thunder In The Mountains, Brave New World? Are bells ringing down memory lane?
• Continue reading at Gig Junkies. (Photo © Ian Dunn/Principle Photography)
… on King’s Heath Walk of Fame
A new article by the Birmingham Mail on Toyah’s big day in King’s Heath yesterday. Includes a video news report and brief interview with Toyah.
• Continue reading/watching at the Birmingham Mail. (Photo © Birmingham Mail)
…on new King’s Heath Walk of Fame
Flame-haired songstress Toyah Willcox is to be the first inductee to a new Walk of Fame celebrating a Birmingham suburb’s rich musical heritage.
• Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail.
Celebrating Toyah’s induction as the very first star on the King’s Heath Walk of Fame comes a very special, intimate homecoming gig in the Hare & Hounds. This one-off concert with Toyah’s full band is a true celebration of Toyah’s roots in her hometown on the day her star is unveiled on the King’s Heath Walk of Fame.
Touring to great acclaim for the past 18 months Toyah has been revisiting material not performed for thirty years.
• Continue reading at Live Brum | View all of our King’s Heath Walk Of Fame news.
PREVIEW: Toyah Willcox – Walk of Fame presentation & concert @ Hare & Hounds, July 16th
Musician, songwriter, actress and author, Toyah Willcox is one of Birmingham’s best known contemporaries.
And on Monday July 16th, Toyah will be the first person celebrated on King Heath’s Walk of Fame, with her memorial star being presented on York Road – before a one off concert at the Hare & Hounds.
Born in Kings Heath, growing up in the family house on Grove Road, Toyah Willcox is a self confessed enemy of convention. Reportedly suffering bullying at school, due to her limp (from a spine defect at birth) and lisp, Toyah turned the tables one day, when she ‘got into class, picked up chair and threw it at the main bully.’
After school, Toyah worked to pay her way through drama school; where a chance referral saw her as ‘Sue’ – in Tony Bicat’s short play ‘Glitter’. From there Toyah was picked for a place at the National Theatre, where she met Derek Jarman – first appearing as ‘Mad’ in his seminal punk film, ‘Jubilee’.
• Continue reading at Birmingham Review.
IT’S NO MYSTERY
Toyah Willcox will be going back to her roots with a full band performance at the Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath on Monday (7.30pm). The Walk of Fame concert will include two sets spanning Toyah’s punk beginnings…
• Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail.
It’s the most exciting date on the Fylde calendar! Cuffe & Taylor present the Lytham Proms Festival Weekend from Friday 3rd – Sunday 5th August.
Friday is the ultimate pop party with Here and Now – The Very Best of the 80s. DJ Pat Sharp will kick off an incredible line up of acts including Rick Astley, The Real Thing, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Bananarama and T’Pau.
• Continue reading at Radio Wave 96.5fm | View more Lytham Proms news.
…on King’s Heath’s Walk of Fame
Singer and actress Toyah Willcox is to be honoured as the first star on King’s Heath’s very own Walk of Fame on York Road on Monday 16 July at 11.30 a.m. Interviewed recently on Radio WM, Toyah said “My DNA is firmly rooted in King’s Heath. Not only was I born on Grove Road, my grandfather, a construction developer, built most of the buildings there. And then my father took over the business that was then known as Willcox-Lang”. Later in the evening Toyah will play a special intimate homecoming show at the Hare & Hounds with tickets priced £15 available at www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk
Toyah’s induction is the latest stage in an ambitious plan to create a Walk of Fame to rival that of Hollywood. Starting last month with the unveiling of the first Musical Heritage Plate to commemorate the Ritz Ballroom, it has continued with the erection of a specially commissioned Guitar and Microphone Floral Display as part of Kings Heath’s 2012 Britain in Bloom entry. And now Toyah is to be honoured in the first pavement plaque.
• Continue reading at King’s Heath Floral Trail.
Boating enthusiasts from across the country will head to Evesham this weekend for the annual river festival.
The festival, which is being held on Saturday and Sunday, has added significance this year as it is the 50th anniversary of the River Avon being opened to the sea.
Famous faces such as Timothy Spall, David Suchet and Toyah Willcox are expected to attend and stalls and entertainment will be on the riverside throughout. One of the highlights comes on Saturday evening with the eye-catching illuminated boat parade and fireworks display.
• Continue reading at the Evesham Journal.
Pure speculation, but…
Something that Toyah said in the This is Derbyshire interview (see post below):
Next year I have accepted one of the biggest tours of my career. We are doing 30 dates in the spring and 30 in the autumn.
Could this 60-date tour be marking what will be the 30th anniversary of the fantastic ‘Love Is The Law’ album and the ‘Rebel Run’ UK tour?
I guess we will just have to wait to find out, but interesting all the same.
‘Love Is The Law’ is an album, and Toyah era, that truly deserves to be properly celebrated!
A new interview with Toyah, from This is Derbyshire.
Frustrated biker Toyah here to judge dream machines
The only thing stopping Toyah from hitting the road astride a motorbike is her husband.
“He (musician Robert Fripp) said he would leave me if I ever bought a bike,” she says. “When I was in my 30s I wanted a chopper Harley and he wouldn’t let me have one.
“Then he said that if I bought one he would get one – and he’s as blind as a bat. So there’s no way I would let that happen. It got down to as strong as he would leave me if I bought one. So it’s an unfulfilled ambition.”
But at least the singer and actress gets the chance to get close to some genuine dream machines when the Rock and Bike Fest comes to Elvaston Castle in July.
• Continue reading at This is Derbyshire.
Jersey.com have republished their 2008 winter holiday feature with Toyah and Robert.
Toyah Willcox and husband Robert Fripp took a short break in Jersey. It’s the first time she’s been back since a childhood visit. The island seems to have grown up with her.
I was seven years old when I took my very first plane on my very first trip abroad – to Jersey. Okay, I know that Jersey is perceived as being a part of Britain. But where in the Albion isles do you find turquoise seas and the French hopping just 14 miles across the water on day trips?
Forty-three years later and one hour and 10 minutes from Birmingham Airport and I am back in Jersey, a lot older and wiser.
• Continue reading at Jersey.com.
Toyah Willcox has confirmed a special autumn 2012 tour, which will celebrate the 30th anniversary of “The Changeling”, & “Warrior Rock”, following a highly acclaimed run of spring dates which saw five-star reviews and sold out shows. She will be performing her classic second album The Challenging and a number of her top 40 hits.
19th Sep 2012: 07:30pm until 10:00pm
A photo of Toyah is included in a new article, on May’s ‘Let’s Rock The Moor’ festival, from Glow Magazine.
LET’S ROCK THE MOOR – THE MAKING OF MEMORIES
Sometimes, you hear a song and in a flash it takes to to a special time or place. Like an aural photograph, you can close your eyes and remember every detail. Since the early eighties, when I started getting into music, the best times were school disco’s, recording the charts on your tape recorder and spending pocket money on 7″ singles. Each song had its own memory.
Take a small village in Berkshire, 7500 party-goers and 8 of the biggest bands of the 80′s, and you end up with a huge melting pot of memories. My memory’s burst into life with Toyah, so many memories through the whole of the 80′s.
• Continue reading at Glow Magazine. View all of our Let’s Rock The Moor news.
As the Queen celebrates 60 years on the throne, we look back at the changing celebrity hairstyles which have influenced hairdressing trends, clients and photographic collections since her reign began. Here we look at the edgy eighties icons that rocked a generation. Celebrity Hairdresser, Richard Ward comments on 80s hair trends.
Toyah Willcox “I remember Toyah as being the punk girl that your mum could love; she crossed the divide between the dying breed of Punk Rocker and the emerging New Romantics.
Today’s teenagers think Pink, Katie Perry and Rihanna are setting the trend in outlandish hair colour – but Toyah Willcox was setting the trend back in the 80s which proves that what goes around comes around.”
• Continue reading at Hairdressers Journal Interactive.
