Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

Wishing a very Happy 60th Birthday to, punk icon and Jubilee legend, Jordan – aka Pamela Rooke.

A selection of screen caps from last night’s Sounds Of The 80s, which aired on BBC Radio Two and, visually, on the BBC Red Button, with Toyah guesting. Toyah chatted about her music career and imagery and there was a short montage (Brave New World, Echo Beach, Soul Passing Through Soul, It’s A Mystery from Top Of The Pops) and a full play of the I Want To Be Free video, with Toyah recalling how good it was to make. The programme is now available at BBC iPlayer. Click below to view larger versions of the screen caps.

Toyah guests on BBC Radio Two’s Sounds Of The 80s tonight. A specially filmed segment will also be available on BBC Red Button (as well as BBC Interactive 601 on Freeview) at 10.30pm – see here for repeat air days/times – Toyah talks about her career in the 80s and the Anthem album. Sounds Of The 80s will be online, for the next month, at BBC iPlayer post-airing tonight.

An interesting extra piece of info about tonight’s Red Button feature – The Toyah video clips being used have been given a new audio track, greatly improving the sound quality. This painstaking process was carried out by longtime Toyah fan David Anning.

The latest issue of Breaking Through, Toyah’s official newsletter, was emailed to subscribers earlier this week. It included a plethora of news and info, including these interesting nuggets that will no doubt be of interest to you.

• Look out for news at the site soon on three Toyah albums which have been unavailable for over a decade receiving digital releases. Details on those currently being finalised.

• Extensive research and planning continues behind the scenes in exploring possibilities for other catalogue reissues.

• Toyah has recorded an edition of Len Goodman’s series Holiday Of A Lifetime. No airdate is available yet but this will be shown on BBC1.

• A limited edition print of the New Mills Arts Theatre concert poster will be on sale soon.

• Subscribe: Sign up to ‘Breaking Through’, to receive regular newsletter updates, here.

Another chance to hear the episode of The Lee Mack Show with Toyah appearing as his music/sketch guest.

The Lee Mack Show: BBC Radio 4 Extra
Saturday 27th June: 11pm
Episode Six of Six. Toyah Willcox joins the sharp comedian for stand-up, sketches and music. Originally aired on BBC Radio Two in April 2005, Toyah also performs ‘Sweet Child O Mine’. Also starring: Angela McHale, Steve Brown

Big Country and Toyah Willcox are at the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing at 8.00 pm on Saturday June 20th.

Big Country and Toyah Willcox perform at the Kick Up The Eighties night at the Pavilion Theatre, performing all their hits from back in the day, along with DJs playing classic eighties tunes, a night not to be missed for any 80s music fan.

The colourful, dynamic and unique Toyah Willcox brings her full band to performing a lively and exhilarating set. Toyah delivers a dose of high energy in every gig, including the iconic hit singles It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Freeand Thunder In The Mountains. A household name, pop icon, TV presenter and stage and screen actress (Calamity Jane, Cabaret, Jubilee,Quadophenia), Toyah has made twenty albums, scored 13 Top 40 hits and achieved gold, silver and platinum album sales in the 1980s. Catch Toyah singing the hits, classics and favourites she is known and loved for.

• Continue reading at the Worthing Daily.

The week of Toyah’s “Tracks Of My Years” airing on the Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio Two has been confirmed. Toyah will guest each weekday morning between Monday 29th June and Friday 3rd July, choosing two songs each day that have meant the most to her.

Ken Bruce: BBC Radio Two
W/C Monday 29th June: 9.30am
Toyah Willcox picks the Tracks of My Years, with songs from T.Rex and Kate Bush. Plus PopMaster, the daily Love Song and the Album and Record of the Week. Email ken.bruce@bbc.co.UK.

Toyah tweeted yesterday that she is filming the new movie project Kaleidoscope Man this week.

View a photo of Toyah with some of the cast and crew at Instagram.

• Browse all of Dreamscape’s Kaleidoscope Man news.

More special guests announced for John Shuttleworth’s Knight at the Palladium

John Shuttleworth and friends including Chas and Dave, Badly Drawn Boy, John Otway, Toyah, Leee John (Imagination), Martyn Ware (Heaven 17), Jon McClure (Reverend and the Makers), Gordon Giltrap, Lorraine Bowen and Sooty and Sweep (yes, really!) will perform for one night only at the London Palladium in ‘A Knight at the Palladium’ in aid of the MS Trust and an MS Centre in Sheffield.

“Sheffield’s funniest man” (The Guardian), the versatile singer/organist John Shuttleworth, plays the London Palladium to celebrate 30 years in ‘showbiz’ and is joined by star guests from his recent Lounge Music BBC Radio 4 series, plus others (TBA).

But, true to form, his agent, Ken Worthington, has messed up the show title. Night has become Knight, which makes John wonder… could his charity fundraising efforts at the Palladium lead to his being considered for a knighthood? That all depends on who is in the Royal Box!

This night of wonderful music and hilarious comedy is suitable for all so come along and bring your friends.

Where: The London Palladium, Argyll Street, London W1F 7TF
When: Sunday 28 June 2015 at 7:30PM
Tickets: £30.00 plus booking fee

Tickets for ‘A Knight at the Palladium’ are available online from reallyusefultheatres.co.uk or gigantic.com or by phoning 0844 412 4655

• Continue reading at the Multiple Sclerosis Trust. Browse all of Dreamscape’s John Shuttleworth news.

Plenty to sing about – pop star presents Altrincham nursery with award

Staff at Elmscot Day Nursery in Altrincham had plenty to sing about after receiving a prize at the National Day Nurseries Association’s Nursery Awards. Elmscot was the runner-up in the Nursery of the Year – north of England category.

Representatives received their accolade from TV presenter and pop star, Toyah Willcox, at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.

• Continue reading at the Altrincham Messenger. (Photo © Messenger Newspapers)

Unfortunately a pair of concerts Toyah was scheduled to play are now not going ahead. Here’s an update from Toyah’s Official Facebook:

We wanted to let you know as soon as proper confirmation was received that two outdoor concert events which were scheduled to appear Toyah and her band live are no longer going ahead. This is due to technical issues with the respective councils involved in staging these events.

SUN 12 JULY: BLACKPOOL NORTH PIER
SAT 18 JULY: LOOE MILLENDREATH – BLACK ROCK FESTIVAL

Please contact your original ticket point of purchase for refunds. Apologies for inconvenience but the full responsibility lies with the original event organisers. You can read Black Rock Festival’s statement on the event not going ahead at http://www.pl13fest.co.uk/press-release/

Village Hall, Main Street, Lowdham

Friday 19th June, 8pm, £20
Toyah – Up Close and Personal

Saturday 20th June, 8pm, £22.50
Fotheringay – The Legends Return

Warthog Promotions are delighted to present two fantastic concerts to open the Lowdham Book Festival. Spanning a wide spectrum of musical tastes we welcome the uniquely gifted Toyah Wilcox with her Up Close and Personal tour, plus the reunited legendary band Fotheringay who are performing a small number of shows to coincide with the release of a limited edition set of recordings.

Please note – tickets for these two events are very limited. Please contact Michael Hoare on 0115 966 3596

• View the full list of Toyah’s 2015 tour dates at toyahwillcox.com. Visit the Lowdham Book Festival website. Browse all of Dreamscape’s Lowdham news.

Toyah’s Gig Diary is packed full of concerts for 2015. There’s sure to be a date near you…

As well as guesting on the radio show – on Saturday 20th June – Toyah has also recorded a filmed portion for BBC Radio 2’s Sounds Of The Eighties, with Sara Cox. (Photo © BBC)

This will be available on the BBC Red Button (as well as BBC Interactive 601 on Freeview), and also BBC iPlayer. The Red Button air time slots are as follows:

Saturday 20th June: 10.30pm
Sunday 21st June: 3am & 8.30pm
Monday 22nd June: Midnight & 7pm
Sara Cox plays a plethora of ’80s videos and chats to punk pop icon Toyah about her hectic times during the early 1980s and the creation of her album Anthem, which included tracks such as It’s a Mystery, I Wanna Be Free and Obsolete. Toyah also reveals her own favourite video from the decade. 80s videos in the show include classics from Human League, Whitney Houston, the Jam, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Thompson Twins, Adam and the Ants, Pet Shop Boys, the Pretenders and ABC. Plus a look back at what the top five singles were this week in 1989.

Toyah has paid tribute to two legendary veterans of British theatre, television and film: Sir Christopher Lee and Ron Moody both died yesterday, at the respective ages of 93 and 91. Toyah worked with Christopher on The Disputation and Ron in Peter Pan. Click below to read Toyah’s tributes at Twitter.

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip: Yesterday: Tuesday 23rd June: 7.15am
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip: Yesterday: Wednesday 24th June: 9pm
DJ Tony Blackburn and punk rocker Toyah Willcox take to the road, scouring the shops of York and Pickering in the hope of finding some poptastic period pieces to flog at auction.

Toyah earlier today at the NDNA Awards. (Photo © NDNA)

“Thunder in the Mountains, or at least in the High Peak…”

Setting this year’s New Mills Festival off with an enormous bang, and following on from last year’s hugely successful fundraiser, this year sees the colourful, dynamic and unique Toyah Wilcox and her band take to the stage at New Mills Art Theatre on Saturday 12 Sept 2015. Toyah will be belting out all her old hits including the iconic hit singles – It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains, as well as newer material, in her famous high-energy style.

To give locals, and those willing to travel, first choice of the front row seats in the iconic 500 – seater venue, tickets will go on sale first at New Mills Carnival on Sat 13th June, in person only. Seats will then be available online from Monday 15th June or from the Festival Box-Office at The Studios at 12 Union Road New Mills, on Saturdays from 10-12am.

Toyah at New Mills Art Theatre: Saturday 12 September, Doors 7 pm
New Mills Art Theatre, Jodrell Street: Tickets £18 and £15 concessions

• Continue reading at the New Mills Festival website.

Toyah’s June blog is available at, the revamped and now super responsive, The Official Toyah Willcox Website. Click below to read the blog and view photos from the last month.

David Bowie, Roxy Music, Toyah Willcox – a Bucks club night has seen it all

The Friars Club, in Aylesbury, has seen hundreds of artists play since 1969, and has promoter David Stopps to thank for this

Not many people can say they have received a text message from David Bowie, and even fewer can say they have played an influential role in the history of rock. And when it comes to rock music, market towns in the home counties are probably not most people’s first point of call.

But it may come as a surprise to some to learn that Bucks has a fascinating and unique musical history, in part down to its location roughly halfway between Birmingham and London. As promoter of the Friars Club since 1969, a music club based in Aylesbury, David Stopps has seen legendary bands and artists perform here over the past 46 years.

Along with being the first place David Bowie performed his famous Ziggy Stardust persona, other bands to have taken the stage under his guidance include Genesis, The Jam, The Clash, The Ramones, Howard Jones, Marillion, Toyah Willcox, The Velvet Underground and Roxy Music.

• Continue reading at Get Bucks.

Celebrating the forthcoming 30th anniversary of the release of Toyah’s debut solo album MINX. View a larger version of Dreamscape’s fan art by clicking on it and another image here.