Toyah onstage and post show after The Humans’ NYC gig at the Highline Ballroom last night. The photo below right has also been added to the 2010 – gallery page. Steve Riley, pictured with Toyah, said of the gig: What an amazing night, the sound was incredible, Toyah looked fantastic and her voice was better than ever. The Sugar Rush album is brilliant and seeing the Humans live is even better, I highly recomend both. Truly a night to remember. (Thanks to Steve for the great photo)
The Humans have been omnipresent at the ‘Time Out New York’ website over the last few days:
Live Preview: The Humans + Adrian Belew and Tony Levin: Associates of King Crimson’s Robert Fripp hold court in NYC.
Things To Do: Tuesday’s Must See Concerts: The Humans at Highline Ballroom: A veritable supergroup, the Humans are fronted by new-wave cult singer Toyah Willcox, and feature Bill Rieflin of the recently-disbanded R.E.M. However, it’s the guitar work of Robert Fripp – Willcox’s husband – that makes the greatest impression on the group’s new album Sugar Rush.
Music/Nightlife: The Humans + Kid Savant: Though the Humans are fronted by English new-wave cult singer Toyah Willcox and feature stellar work from two instrumentalists, bassist Chris Wong and multi-instrumentalist Bill Rieflin (who plays drums in R.E.M. but mostly sticks to bass here), the sound of King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp – Willcox’s husband, as it happens – is unmistakable on the group’s new sophomore album, Sugar Rush. Will Fripp make a cameo here? Don’t hold your breath, but don’t stay away on his account, either.
THE HUMANS ANNOUNCE WORLDWIDE RELEASE OF SUGAR RUSH ALBUM
THE HUMANS – Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin, Chris Wong – release their second full length album SUGAR RUSH on 27 Sept in USA/Canada on The End Records and in the rest of the world on 2 October 2011 on Toyah’s own Vertical Species label. The 13-track album has already received critical acclaim, with a 4-star review proclaiming it “a hybrid of haunting and sweet, this album intrigues from start to finish”.
• Sugar Rush is available now in USA/Canada on physical CD and digital download.
• Sugar Rush is available to rest of world on physical CD from www.burningshed.com, at gigs on UK tour and digitally from 2 October.
Read the full news article at The Humans Official website, here or Toyah’s Official website, here.
The Humans have made that record we might have gotten if Tori Amos and Trent Reznor had ever come together for a full album in the late-nineties. Maybe a bit dated, slightly disjointed for sure, but nonetheless a fun listen. Sugar Rush is the group’s second release, and it is a big one. This record sound like it could have escaped from the John Cale archives.
With the attitude of Tori Amos’ best work (but not the raw emotion), Toyah’s voice lays over these compositions that sound almost like Trent Reznor on The Fragile. The result is a record that feels slightly out of time, and comes with the necessary incongruities that come from such a melding.
• Read the full review at the ‘Earbuddy’ website, here.
Catch The Humans at Highline Ballroom Tonight
The Humans are something of a supergroup, being composed of Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin (R.E.M.), and Chris Wong (and yes, that is Robert Fripp on the left in the photo, who contributed guitar on the record). Toyah formed the experimental rock group in 2007 after being invited to tour Estonia by the Estonian Ambassador, and now they are in the midst of their first US tour in support of their sophomore album Sugar Rush. Their music has been described as “European experimental meets West Coast American grunge with overarching avant-garde and filmic qualities,” due to their composition of Toyah’s powerful voice backed by two bassists. Their performance at Highline Ballroom tonight is for sure one worth checking out.
The Humans play the fourth, and final, date of the US ‘Sugar Rush’ tour tonight at the Highline Ballroom in NYC.
The US dates have went incredibly well: Toyah has tweeted along the way: “Portland awesome, this band really rocks. Sooo looking 4ward to more“, “The Humans at Highline Ballroom NY…..critic’s choice for best show on 27th sept” and “On route 84 to Philadelphia. Shows really good, audiences really get the concept“.
To Alec, who has travelled a long way to see The Humans and Toyah, and to Jimi, who has waited a long time to see Toyah play live in New York… Have a great time tonight!!
The Humans played the first US live gig of the ‘Sugar Rush’ tour last night at Portland’s Empire Dine & Dance.
Toyah has been tweeting this week during rehearsals and the dress run, including her feelings on the first time she has ever played live in the US: “This is it! My first ever USA performance! I’m actually shaking!“.
Follow Toyah at Twitter to stay updated on The Humans’ American adventures.
View a photo from this week’s rehearsals, at Toyah’s Official Facebook, here. The Humans second US date is tonight at Church of Boston, Boston MA.
• More US press coverage for The Humans, from ‘Boston Herald/The Edge’: Gigs: Music for your weekend. View here.
The Humans (featuring Toyah Willcox) with The Army of Broken Toys at Church of Boston tomorrow night!
There’s so much about Toyah Ann Willcox I never knew. I was familiar with this wild-haired, exotically dressed creature from another planet that was pretty much the norm in the 1980s, though her voice set her apart. I remember her album, The Changeling, released in 1982. It was dark, gothic and sensuous, and a staple of my musical diet at the time. But I had no idea that she was also deeply immersed in an acting career – stage plays, film and television – since the mid ‘70s. She worked with Derek Jarman on his punk film Jubilee and The Tempest, and in 1979’s Quadrophenia. She appeared with Katharine Hepburn in the made-for-television movie The Corn is Green, and in many live theatrical roles. At the same time, she fronted a few bands before embarking on a solo music career in 1985.
• View the full article at ‘The Boston Survival Guide’ website, here.
THE HUMANS KICK OFF FIRST US TOUR & RELEASE NEW ALBUM
The Humans kick off their first ever American East Coast live dates with the Sugar Rush Tour, starting at Portland’s Empire Dine & Dance on Saturday 24 September. The tour continues to Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. The live outing sees Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin and Chris Wong, with guest Igor Zarbzan, present material from the new album Sugar Rush. Keep checking Toyah’s official twitter feed for reports from the Sugar Rush US Tour.
• Read the full news article at The Humans Official website, here or Toyah’s Official website, here.
More American press coverage for The Humans.
Face the Music: Humans, Space, Nirvana: the best of all worlds: There is a lot of music on tap this week – from Brown Bird to The Humans.
The Humans are a three-piece experimental rock band made up of Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin and Chris Wong. The group came to be in 2007, and dig this: The Humans consist of a voice and two bass players. That’s it, though you may hear some programmed drum beats or guest guitar during the live show.
Here’s a quick anatomy lesson: Willcox is an English singer and actress who’s released 22 studio albums, written two books, and has appeared in 40 stage plays and 10 feature films. Translation: She’s a legend. Rieflin is a multi-instrumentalist whose most recent gig was as drummer for R.E.M. He’s also worked with Robyn Hitchcock, Swans, Ministry and Nine Inch Nails, just to name a few bands. Wong is a professional guitarist, bassist, arranger, orchestrator, composer and musical director. Dare I call The Humans a supergroup? If the shoe fits
The Humans. 9 p.m. Saturday. Empire Dine and Dance, 575 Congress St., Portland. $8, $10. Ages 21 and older. portlandempire.com
US music journalist, writer and huge Toyah supporter, Jimi Lalumia interviewed Toyah last week ahead of The Humans’ US shows.
Jimi was instrumental in getting ‘Thunder In The Mountains’ and ‘Rebel Run’ played, in light rotation, on MTV back in the early 80s. He told Toyah about this and she said she was completely unaware of it. MTV’s Acquisition’s Manager at the time, Roberta Kruger, loved the videos and there was even talk of Toyah being interviewed for the music station. A missed opportunity but the video plays did help to build what became The North American Toyah Fanclub.
Toyah revealed that the band had been set to play The Academy Of Music on 14th Street in downtown NYC around the time of ‘The Changeling’ being released in 1982, but unfortunately this didn’t happen.
Jimi and Toyah also talked about Safari Records, Wayne/Jayne County, Miles Copeland and that ‘Fallen’ could be a hit in Manhattan’s “big gay dance clubs”.
Toyah feels ‘Sugar Rush’ is more accessible than ‘We Are The Humans’ and is looking forward to playing the US dates. She also said she would love to return for a Toyah proper gig, if only in NYC.
• Thanks to Jimi Lalumia | Visit The Humans’ Official website, here, for details on all the dates of the ‘Sugar Rush’ tour.
A great review, from ‘Everything But Urban’, of ‘Sugar Rush’, the forthcoming second album by The Humans.
Review: The Humans – Sugar Rush
The Humans’ new 13-track album, Sugar Rush, is experimental, edgy in the simplest of ways, and nothing you can ready yourself for. It’s the musical equivalent of a drive through a part of town you’ve never seen, and just when you think you’ve got the area figured out, you pass a sign welcoming you to the nearby town with restaurants of a different vibe, and even the sky looks a bit different. But don’t consider driving back now, because you’re on a one-way and the scenery stays intriguing.
• Read the full review at the ‘Everything But Urban’ website, here.
Below Right: The new official promo flyer/poster for The Humans ‘Sugar Rush’ UK tour dates. This also confirms that the album of the same name will be released digitally on 2nd October. Click below to view a larger version of the flyer/poster at The Humans official website.
Three more dates for the forthcoming transatlantic tour by The Humans were announced yesterday, in Portland, Sheffield and Glasgow.
Portland is now the first American date, on Saturday 24th September at Empire Dine and Dance, and Glasgow is the final date, on Tuesday 11th October at, groovy, King Tuts.
THE HUMANS sugar rush tour 2011: Full Dates:
Saturday 24th September: Empire Dine & Dance: Portland, USA
Sunday 25th September: Church of Boston: Boston, MA, USA
Monday 26th September: The World Café: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Tuesday 27th September: Highline Ballroom: New York, NY, USA
Tuesday 4th October: Ruby Lounge: Manchester, UK
Wednesday 5th October: Clwb Ifor Bach: Cardiff, UK
Thursday 6th October: Bush Hall: London, UK
Saturday 8th October: Flowerpot: Derby, UK
Sunday 9th October: The Public: West Bromwich, UK
Monday 10th October: Corporation: Sheffield, UK
Tuesday 11th October: King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut: Glasgow, UK
For full ticket links visit www.thehumansofficial.com
The Humans feature on the cover of The Flowerpot’s live gig guide, by ‘Raw Promotions’. The band play Derby Flowerpot on Saturday 8th October. Click below to view a larger version, and go here to view the PDF version of the publication. View full details of The Humans’ live dates for 2011 here.
The Humans are an innovative, three-piece contemporary rock band comprised of Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin, and Chris Wong. The group, a brainchild of Toyah Willcox, brings together three lifetimes of musical experience, experimentation and craftsmanship.
Pop diva and actress Toyah Willcox has had an extraordinary career in the British music scene, moving between post- ’77 English punk opportunism, the new wave underground, pop stardom, mature experimentalism and post-pop music and theater….
The recent announcement of The Humans’ UK tour dates has been reported by a number of websites, including “the longest running R.E.M. fan forum”, Murmurs.com. Gig Goer UK, Festivals For All and Glasswerk also have news reports on this.
Click above to visit The Humans Official website for details and tickets links for the US and UK gigs.
THE HUMANS ANNOUNCE UK SUGAR RUSH CONCERT DATES
The Humans have confirmed they will follow their first-ever US concert dates with a UK tour in support of the album Sugar Rush. The band, the brainchild of Toyah Willcox and featuring Bill Rieflin R.E.M. will perform material from their new album in a series of intimate UK gigs in London, Cardiff, West Bromwich and Derby on sale from Friday 19 August 2011. (Cardiff on sale Monday 22 August) The UK dates will directly follow the band’s first ever American live concerts which see The Humans play New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Seatlle.
Tuesday 4 October: Manchester Ruby Lounge
Wednesday 5 October: Cardiff: Clwb Ifor Bach
Thursday 6 October: London Bush Hall
Saturday 8 October: Derby Flowerpot
Sunday 9 October: West Bromwich The Public
The Humans’ new album Sugar Rush will be available to buy initially in the UK at the live concert dates and contain a code to download exclusive live tracks from the band’s headline London 2010 date at The Scala which received a glowing 4-star review from the Financial Times. After the tour the album will be available to buy digitally and for mail order online.
The eagerly awaited UK live dates for The Humans will be officially announced and confirmed today.
Keep an eye on Toyah’s Official Facebook and thehumansofficial.com for updates.
THE HUMANS ANNOUNCE TWO OCTOBER UK SHOWS & TICKETS
The Humans, the experimental band project featuring R.E.M’s Bill Reiflin, Toyah Willcox and Chris Wong have announced two UK shows for October.
The Humans were formed after Toyah Willcox was asked to tour Estonia by the Estonian ambassador back in 2006. Wilcox formed the band and proceeded to showcase their material during three live shows in Estonia in Autumn 2007. The three shows, which were attended by many governmental dignitaries including the Estonian president, sold-out in under 24 hours!
According to Toyah Willcox’s official website www.toyahwillcox.com, “The Humans are an experimental band project, featuring Bill Rieflin (R.E.M.), Toyah Willcox and Chris Wong. According to toyahwillcox.com, “The Humans live show is song based but the songs are deconstructed down to the bones of raw experience exposing human nature and irony. Comparisons are always misleading but if The White Stripes met with the vocal adventures of Lou Reed, Kate Bush, Gabriel and Beefheart then you might get a flavour of things to come…”
The Humans will see the American release of the album ‘Sugar Rush’ on 27th September.
The Humans UK Live Dates are as follows:
October 2011
Oct 4th – Ruby Lounge, Manchester
Oct 6th – Bush Hall, Shepherds Bush, London
The Humans tickets are onsale from 9am on Friday 19th August.
R.E.M. drummer Bill Rieflin is moonlighting as one of two bass players on the album Sugar Rush, the second offering from Toyah Willcox’s avant-garde rock trio the Humans. Willcox is a British actress, author, musician and wife to Roxy Music guitarist and prog god Robert Fripp. Sugar Rush is due to drop Sept. 27 via Seattle label the End Records. Although the group’s lineup is technically rounded out by Willcox, Rieflin, and fellow bass player Chris Wong, Fripp lends his guitar work to each of the album’s 13 tracks. Keep an eye out for more U.S. tour dates, which should be announced soon.
