Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Full transcripts of a selection of Toyah’s recent radio interviews are available to read at the Toyah Willcox Interview Archive. A collection of 11 are linked to below. Toyah talks In The Court Of The Crimson Queen… and much more! (Photos © Official Toyah)

• BBC Radio Ulster: The Arts Show: 26.03.2019 – I believe my generation will always be punk. We were born to rebel and I think that is the generation that is forgetting to grow old – Continue reading…

• BBC Radio Guernsey: John Randall: 27.03.2019 – I was sixty last year on May the 18th and my fans downloaded me to number 1. The unusual thing about that is that I was at that time an unsigned artist. That led to me to having a record deal and re-imagining the album because it’s been around for about ten years – Continue reading…

• BBC Radio Kent: Dominic King: 27.03.2019 – When we released it in 2008 it was literally like a fan release. Very limited edition, only available to the fans who knew my work, who came to see the band. Last year on May the 18th I turned 60 and unbeknownst to me my fans downloaded me to number one in the charts and there was a slight problem with this good news. Because I was not signed to a record label we couldn’t ask for radio play even though I was number one – Continue reading…

• BBC Radio Cornwall: David White: 28.03.2019 – It’s kind of confusing that you have to say it’s a re-working because for the majority of people who only remember me from the 1980’s this is actually a brand new album – Continue reading…

• BBC Radio Derby: Steve Jordan: 28.03.2019 – Vinyl is just the phenomena of today isn’t it – because vinyl is selling more than every other product at the moment – Continue reading…

• BBC Radio Wales: Eleri Sion: 29.03.2019 –  For many people it is a new album. For my dedicated fans – they know it. The writing for this started in 2007 and the first single from this album “Sensational” was the Weight Watchers campaign song on TV – Continue reading…

• BBC Radio London: Jo Good: 12.04.2019 – I have all the social media outlets and I provide the content but I employ someone, who I met when he was 4 years old, a Toyah fan, who was considered to be my youngest fan – he’s now just hit 40 and he now manages my archive, my social media, he’s even the executor of my will – Continue reading…

• BBC Radio Sussex/Surrey: Mark Carter: 14.04.2019 – Some people have described it as pure joy and is a joyous album and there’s absolutely no point in me trying to be serious and adult. I do energy and I think this album has it and yes, I really love it. I’ve been living with some of these songs as long as ten years – Continue reading…

• BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester: Tammy Gooding: 09.04.2019 – I’m having a really good time. Everything with the album has had such a positive reaction and I’m 61 this year and I didn’t expect this to be happening in my life and it’s really good – Continue reading…

• BBC Radio Devon: Richard Green: 20.04.2019 – At that time I was an unsigned artist and politically to get radio play and presence you have to be on a label. So a label called Demon Records said “we have to release this because there’s an audience who desperately want it”. So the first song of the album, “Sensational”, did start its life around 2009 – Continue reading…

• Gaydio: Phil Marriott Meets: 03.04.2019 – It’s very crimson. It’s “In The Court Of The Crimson Queen”. We started writing it ten years ago and we slowly drip-fed it to the fans as we toured constantly. So what happened – the only way I can explain is because if people know nothing about me … I was 60 on May the 18th last year and the fans downloaded me to number one in the charts and it was really quite extraordinary because I’m an unsigned artist – Continue reading…

• All of the above Toyah interviews transcripts, and numerous others, can also be read at the Toyah Willcox Interview Archive at Tumblr.

As well as vinyl, double CD and digital releases for the album – Toyah will also take In The Court Of The Crimson Queen on the road this Autumn, with live tour dates in Birmingham, Southampton, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol.

Tickets are on sale from Monday. The full itinerary is:

Friday 18th Oct: Birmingham, The Mill
Saturday 19th Oct: Southampton, The Brook
Sunday 20th Oct: Bristol, Fleece
Friday 25th Oct: Manchester, FAC251 The Academy
Sat 26th Oct: Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
Sun 27th Oct: London, O2 Academy
Fri 1st Nov: Brighton, The Haunt

• Further info and ticket links available at toyahwillcox.com.

Toyah tweeted today: “Thank u 4 placing CRIMSON QUEEN in Amazon pre-order album charts. Come see it performed live this autumn xxx tickets on sale Mon”.

On Valentine’s Day 1981, the Four From Toyah EP entered the UK Top 40 singles chart. It would rise to a peak position of 4 and after many years of frequenting the Indie Charts would be the first of Toyah’s singles to cross into the mainstream. (Image © Official Toyah)

Click below to view Dreamscape’s 2011 30th Anniversary feature on the iconic EP,  and browse our sporadic Four From Toyah news posts – from 2012 onwards (go further back in time at our News Archive).

• Wessex FM: Toyah Tells Us About ‘Quadrophenia 2’: It was great to have a chat with actress and punk legend Toyah on the Wessex FM Breakfast Show, ahead of her appearance at the Corn Exchange in Dorchester. She told me more about her busy work schedule, including her appearance in the follow up to the classic movie Quadrophenia, and also that she’s no stranger to this part of Dorset – Listen to the short interview at Wessex FM…

• Dorset Echo: The Guide: 8 of the best events happening this weekend in Dorset: The much-loved musician and actress Toyah will be performing at the Dorchester Corn Exchange tonight at 8pm – Continue reading…

• Live 2016: Toyah plays two live gigs tomorrow – Saturday 9th July – Let’s Rock Southampton in the afternoon and a full band Proud, Loud & Electric gig in Devon tomorrow night – That’s following an Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date tonight in Dorchester – Phew! Browse Toyah’s complete Gig Diary at toyahwillcox.com…

• Toyah @ Twitter: An update on Toyah and Simon Darlow collaborating on new music for the forthcoming Crime and Punishment musical – View the update/photo…

• Southern Daily Echo: Eighties acts such as Rick Astley, Jason Donovan, Soul II Soul and Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Holly Johnson to appear at Let’s Rock in Southampton: It’s the decade that fashion forgot, but the music is still topping the charts! – Also on the bill are Scottish rockers Big Country, 2 Tone ska revival band The Selecter, Eurovision favourites Sonia and Cheryl, Mike and Jay from Bucks Fizz, plus chart-topping Toyah and rockers Dr & The Medics – Continue reading…

• M-Magazine: Interview – Toyah: We caught up with her in the PRS for Music tent at Glastonbury 2016 to learn more about her enduring love affair with music – Continue reading…

Great news! Desire was placing at number 59 on the iTunes Rock Chart today. The album was released digitally on Friday, along with Prostitute and Ophelia’s Shadow.

These three albums are currently Toyah’s biggest sellers at iTunes. See the news posts below for further info on the releases, plus links to iTunes and more details at toyahwillcox.com.

**Update** Desire has also charted at Amazon.

• Strange Charts: The Humans’ third album, Strange Tales, placed well in various charts upon its release almost a fortnight ago. It charted in the Top 30 of Amazon’s Rock Chart and also entered iTunes Rock chart at No. 65 on just one day of sales.

• Strange Booklet: A digital booklet to accompany Strange Tales was made available at toyahwillcox.com. Usually these are only included with albums bought via iTunes – Get yours here…

• Strange Photos: The digital booklet includes exclusive photos (from the recording sessions for the album), lyrics to all seven songs and production credits.

• Strange Tell Tales: Six tracks (aside from the previously previewed Get In Your Car) were exclusively previewed across a number of websites including Sugar Rush: The Humans Fan Site, This Is Not Retro, Dreamscape, Discipline Global Mobile and toyahwillcox.com. You can listen to a playlist of those preview tracks here…

• Strange Links: Stay updated on all things Humans by visiting The Humans Official and Sugar Rush. (News Source for most of the above info: Breaking Through: The Official Toyah Newsletter)

• Official Twitter: Toyah tweeted yesterday about the upcoming V&A In Conversation event, taking place this evening, AND tomorrow’s final concert of the Love Is The Law & More Tour. She said: “All ready 4 V&A talk, all ready 4 Islington O2……..can’t wait. Now 2 some serious lyric writing 4 Simon Darlow“.

• London Drum: Toyah Willcox, At The O2 Academy: It’s been 30 years since her breakthrough album “Anthem” first hit the charts, and the flame-haired Toyah is still going strong. You can see her play at the O2 Academy in November – Visit here…

• Rabbit Welfare Association: Rabbiting On – The Magazine for Rabbit Lovers: “Woe betide anyone who disturbs me whilst I am reading it…” Toyah Willcox – Visit the RWAF here…

• Phoenix Futures Recovery Music Project: A Message From Phil Spalding: I worked with the singer/songwriter Rob The Liar on this. If you scroll down this page YOU can vote for Rob simply by entering your email address. I’d appreciate your time in doing this for a great artist and for a great project giving people the chance to change their lives for the better … Thanks, best wishes, Phil – Go here to lend your support…

• The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive: There’s now a full transcript of Toyah’s ‘ne1fm’ radio interview, which aired yesterday, at the Archive – Visit here…

• Birmingham Mail: Music Memories: Midlands gigs and UK pop charts from October 15, 1983: Also hitting stores this week 30 years ago was Toyah’s new album Love Is The Law. A tour was on the cards for Toyah but for the moment the Birmingham punk singer was in France filming a TV adaptation of John Fowles’ short story The Ebony Tower, alongside Sir Laurence Olivier and Greta Scacchi – Continue reading…

• Brum: Toyah briefly mentions Brum in the above ‘ne1fm’ interview so now is as good a time as any to post a link to this page dedicated to the BBC series, full of facts and trivia – Visit here…

• Those We Left Behind: Post Apocalypse XXVI – Toyah and Post Apocalyptic Skater Chic in ‘Rebel Run’ and ‘Love is the Law’ (1983): Looking for all the world like she had rocked up in some Italian Post Apocalypse ‘epic’ (The New Barbarians, 2019 After the Fall of New York, Exterminators of the Year 3000 etc), this is Toyah, in 1983, promoting her single ‘Rebel Run’ and the accompanying album ‘Love is the Law’ – Continue reading…

• Twitter/Instagram: Keep up to date with all things Love Is The Law & More by following Toyah at Twitter and Instagram. There’s sure to be updates from Toyah during the tour.

• Titania Girl!: Personally I don’t think so but there are a few people (mainly on Twitter) of the opinion that the lovely Sheridan Smith looks sort of Toyah-esque as Titania in the new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, currently playing at the Noel Coward Theatre in London’s West End. (NB: Toyah has also played Titania, as well as Hippolyta and Hermia in various productions of the play). View the photo here…

• I’ve (or should I say Falling To Earth has) taken the leap to Twitter. Not sure why. Except that I wanted to follow @toyahofficial :)

• The Blitz Kids: Toyah 1980 by Gerard McNamara. A classic live shot from the, legendary, ‘Ieya Tour’.

• Some great live shots of Toyah that the photographer doesn’t seem pleased with!

• Toyah at The Ruby Lounge: Photo #1 and photo #2 (courtesy of Man Alive! at flickr). ShatterJapan.com – new website coming soon.

• The running order for Let’s Rock The Moor (Saturday 12th May): 3.20pm: Nick Heyward, 4.10pm: Toyah, 5pm: Modern Romance, 5.50pm: Boney M, 6.55pm: Heaven 17, 7.55pm: Go West, 8.55pm: Billy Ocean. (Subject to change: Source: Lets Rock The Moor Twitter)

• Why have a mere t-shirt when you can have a Toyah Harrington? Take a look.

• Toyah is mentioned in The Digital Fix review of Doctor Who: Ace Adventures DVD box set. (Someone needs to tell them that “Toyah wigs” are back!)

• The UK Top 40 on the day that ‘Four From Toyah’ entered. Many of those singles bring back many memories… (Thanks to PJ)