We danced in the hurricane at Toyah’s Brighton concert.
TOYAH + THE LAST CRY – CHALK, BRIGHTON 02.11.19
There certainly was ‘Thunder in the Mountains’ in Brighton on this wet and windy Saturday night. The wind was strong on the seafront and almost blew the bristles clean off my head. Even Toyah said onstage, that upon arriving in her chariot (car) she got blown off her feet. However, the weather wasn’t going to keep her fans from watching her perform tonight at new Brighton venue ‘Chalk‘, that’s for sure.
Anyone that was around in the 80’s will need no Toyah introduction as she was permanently on our TV screens and fully ingrained in our pop culture. She’s enjoyed a career that spans over forty years and she’s still going strong. She’s been nominated for four Brit awards, been involved in over twenty albums, written books, acted in stage-plays and appeared in TV shows and films, including of course, the legendary ‘Quadrophenia’. For the younger readers benefit, she has also provided voices for Teletubbies characters. You could say that she’s been busy.
Toyah performs the end title song for what’s been described as the biggest indie sci-fi movie of all time, Invasion Planet Earth. Toyah also acts in the film. Step Into the New World is released digitally on 8th November. Invasion Planet Earth is in selected UK cinemas for one day on 5th December 2019.
Toyah plays the final band gig of the year tonight. It’s also a Crimson Queen Tour date. There are two further tour dates in January. Toyah said: “What a brilliant year. Thank u everyone xxx“.
The Quadrophenia celebrations continue! Toyah will take part in the Skamouth Weekender Event on Saturday 23rd November doing a Q&A and a few songs (playback). On stage at 10am. Tickets are available by clicking below. See the official tweet about this here.
I was barely familiar with Toyah from seeing a review of “Anthem” in the pages of “Dogfood,” our local New Wave newspaper that was published by Record Mart chain in Orlando in the late 70s/early 80s. The positive review piqued by interest as it was written by Robin Shurtz; a guy I knew from teaching English at my junior high school. Robin had interesting music tastes.
Then, in 1981, I bought an issue of Flexipop that had an ad for Toyah’s “Thunder In The Mountains” single. The extreme styling and pose of the photo was sort of like a femme take on “Aladdin Sane” but the eerie calmness of the singer’s pose looked interesting.
Toyah played two further dates of the Crimson Queen Tour this weekend, in Manchester on Friday and Nottingham last night. There’s just one more Crimson Queen gig this year, in Brighton on Saturday 2nd November, with two final dates in January.
Apparently this didn’t air a couple of Saturday’s ago. It was pulled last minute from the schedules for some reason. There’s a repeat showing next weekend.
Celebrity Mastermind: BBC1: Sat 2nd Nov: 5.20pm Series 13, Episode 2. John Humphrys ushers comedian Joe Pasquale, Newsround presenter Ricky Boleto, singer Toyah Willcox and Olympic sprinter Jeanette Kwakye to the black chair to be put to the test on their chosen specialist subjects, which are werewolf films, number one singles of the 1990s, Boudica, and Disney animation respectively. The second round sees them tackling general knowledge questions in a bid to carry off the commemorative trophy.
Quadrophenia is showing at the Sherbourne Cinema, Gloucester with four chances to catch the all time classic on the big screen. Airings begin this Saturday (26th October).
Birmingham music icon Toyah has a hand in Symphony Hall redevelopment
“I want the caption to be: I demolished it,” said Birmingham punk star Toyah Willcox, as she was photographed alongside local musician Rosie Tee outside the redevelopment of Symphony Hall’s foyer this week.
The Birmingham musicians were at the world-renowned music venue in the city centre to witness progress on the Making an Entrance redevelopment, which will create a performance space for talented local artists as part of a daily programme with free and affordable performances.
After the viewing of the Symphony Hall foyer redevelopment, Toyah met Town Hall Symphony Hall members and patrons to answer questions about her career, her current activities – including a performance as part of Electric Ladies of the 80s with Hazel O’Connor at Town Hall on April 25 – and her ambitions for the future.
Kings Heath musician Toyah has amassed 13 top 40 singles, recorded 25 albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays, acted in more than 20 feature films and presented hundreds of television programmes.
Toyah Willcox, the high priestess of punk, is looking forward to returning to the “hot steamy” gigs of her youth.
She is playing a gig at Brighton’s Chalk Live – formerly The Haunt – on November 2 and thinks it will be a blast. “I’m very fond of Brighton,” she said. “When I came here in the Sixties it was a quiet sleepy seaside town, slightly invaded by hippy culture.
“What I like about the venue we’re playing is it goes right back to the punk days, it’s a hot, steamy, stand-up venue, it goes back to the punk ethos.”
Toyah, actress, author and rebel, was a key part of the Seventies/Eighties’ punk scene and starred in cult films Quadrophenia and seminal punk epic Jubilee. Now 61, she was born in Birmingham to a family she describes as remarkable and recalls the potential privilege of her childhood – her grandfather built many of the city’s landmarks.
Despite that, she calls herself the “child from hell” and says she had a violent relationship with her mother.
Toyah’s Crimson Queen Tour officially premieres this weekend, with two dates. The first is at The Brook, Southampton tomorrow night and the second at The Fleece, Bristol on Sunday. The tour continues next weekend, with dates at Night People, Manchester on Friday 25th and Rescue Rooms, Nottingham on Saturday 26th October.
It was like Toyah Christmas came early on prime time BBC1 last night, with a double helping of appearances. Early evening there was the repeat airing of Toyah winning her episode of Celebrity Mastermind, while later she was in the audience at Strictly Come Dancing.
Look out for Toyah again this evening in, the pre-recorded, Strictly Come Dancing – The Results on BBC1 at 7.15pm. Watch last night’s show at BBC iPlayer.
We danced in the hurricane at Toyah’s Brighton concert.
