Hard to believe but it’s now 10 years since Toyah was touring the UK playing the lead role in the musical Calamity Jane. Before a three-month residency at The Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End in 2003, the musical played at numerous theatres, and to thousands of people, during a nine-month UK tour that began in September 2002 at the Derngate Theatre, Northampton . It was an incredibly physical and demanding role for Toyah, making a year of shows all the more impressive. I was lucky enough to see Calamity Jane on a few occasions: In Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and London and each time Toyah and the show were fantastic. Visit Dreamscape’s dedicated Calamity Jane website. (Thanks to Andi)
Another songwords! The stunning ‘Freedom’ from the, highly underrated, 1991 album ‘Kneeling At The Shrine’ by Sunday All Over The World. Please click below to zoom.
The full width photo of Toyah onstage at The Middlesbrough Theatre, on Wednesday, at the opening gig of ‘The Changeling Resurrection II’ Autumn UK Tour. Photos from this gig may be few and far between as the venue didn’t allow the use of cameras! This, a few other photos from the first gig and some other related tour bits & pieces have been added to the new dedicated TCR II Gallery. (Thanks again to Andrew Moore)
Tom Leon has uploaded another track to ‘house-mixes.com’ – This one is ‘Let Me Go (Here It Comes Again 2012 Remix)’, a song that was originally released in 1994 on Toyah’s Dreamchild album.
Toyah is one of Tom’s favourite singers. In 1995 he created ‘Awake’n Dreams: Alan Parsons Project vs Toyah Willcox’, two tracks that used samples from the 1981 song ‘Pop Star’. He also put both of these online earlier in 2012. More info on that in our news from April.
• Listen to ‘Let Me Go (Here It Comes Again 2012 Remix)’ by Tom Leon here.
Want to hear what Joel Bogen was doing immediately after his Toyah days?
Apparently ALL music on Exposure is by Joel, that’s 13 demo tracks by Southside Jimmy! Although I’m still working my way through them for the first time the guitar work is sounding very Joel circa Rebel Run. I really wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if his pal Phil Spalding was on bass too. Sure sounds like him to me!
Anyway this is the closest you’ll probably get to a Joel solo album and maybe a hint of what direction a future Willcox/Bogen album could have taken in 1984.
• Above by Mark Taylor – Listen to Joel, post-Toyah, at Soundcloud.
Another new interview with Toyah. This one from, Dorset based, Seeker News.
Although she’s never been one to hide her light, Toyah Willcox is more ready than ever for the public to see her. She regularly plays to thousands in 1980s revival shows with the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Rick Astley and Banarama, but she also tours in her own right and is returning to some of the darkest material of her 35-year career in The Changeling Resurrection II tour which arrives in Bridport this month.
“The Changeling was a very difficult album for me, it was very difficult to write, I wasn’t very happy at the time – it was 1982 and I was so famous I couldn’t leave the building without being escorted and everyone wanted the Toyah they saw on Top of the Pops, nobody cared much about the Toyah that was the real me,” she says.
• Continue reading at Seeker News.
Love and Marriage: A 20th Century Romance: BBC4: Tuesday 2nd October: 9.00pm
Love and Marriage: A 20th Century Romance: BBC4: Wednesday 3rd October: 2.35am
Love and Marriage: A 20th Century Romance: BBC4: Sunday 7th October: 00.55am
To Have and to Hold. Three-part series which follows the ups and downs of marriage in Britain from the 1900s to the present day using the moving personal stories of couples – and their children – from all walks of life. The final part explores how marriage has survived, and for many got stronger, in the modern era from the 1980s onwards. Although the divorce rate increased, reaching an all time high in the mid 1990s, marriage has adapted to these pressures. The programme looks at the heartache – and joy – of five couples whose relationships personify modern marriage, and what it takes to make a happy marriage in today’s world. Punk rocker Toyah Willcox and her prog rocker husband Robert Fripp are amongst those who tell their stories.
An interesting new Toyah interview from Domestic City.
Toyah Willcox, 30 years on from ‘The Changeling’ and the beginning of the goth movement
Birmingham’s very own punk queen Toyah Willcox returns this month to perform a very special Halloween show at the Birmingham Ballroom.
The iconic pop star, actress and TV personality is reigniting her triumphant forth album ‘The Changeling’, to celebrate its 30th anniversary and the mark of the gothic era. After a sell-out touring stint earlier this year, and a well deserved star awarded at the ‘Kings Heath Walk of Fame’, it comes as no surprise that our local girl is in high demand.
“[The Walk of Fame] was a really emotional day for me”, says Toyah. “I just wish my parents were around to have known because they just would be so proud…”
• Continue reading at Domestic City.
I’ve been thinking of doing some more occasional Toyah songwords/lyrics pages (inspired, of course, by Smash Hits & No.1). A good one to restart with: The magnificent Pop Star from ‘Anthem’. Click below to zoom. More Songwords: The Changeling and Four More From Toyah.
Great photos of Toyah from last night’s first ‘Changeling Resurrection II’ gig at Middlesbrough Theatre. The set list was over 20 songs long and included ‘Castaways’, ‘Voodoo Doll’, ‘The Packt’ and ‘Neon Womb’.
As well as Middlesbrough setlist vote winners ‘Rebel Run’ and ‘Blue Meanings’.
The new headdress is still winging its way to Toyah so her first-gig-of-the-tour outfit was the same as TCR Spring Tour for the first set, then turqouise dress (worn at Blackpool Pride in June) and pink headdress for set two. Click below to zoom. (Thanks to Andrew Moore, pictured with Toyah, for the photos and all the info – More photos soon!)
Toyah is another 80s performer who is celebrating an anniversary of another album. She continues a twelve date tour in the UK today celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Changeling and Warrior Rock. This is part two of a sold-out tour which she began last April. By all accounts she really looks the part and has even resurrected some of her old costumes from her performing days in the 80s.
Toyah and her husband Robert Fripp will feature in a new documentary series called Love and Marriage on BBC4 on a date still to be confirmed in late September.
• Continue reading at All 80s Radio.
• Vist Middlesbrough: Toyah Willcox performs live at Middlesbrough Theatre tonight!!! (Toyah – Brave New World video).
• Love Middlesbrough: Call 01642 81 51 81 or 729 729 to book for the fab Toyah Willcox tonight at @mbrotheatre. Toyah Willcox performs live at Middlesbrough Theatre tonight!!!
Celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of The Changeling, 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 Changeling Resurrection II is a treat for Toyah diehards, 1980s fans and goth/rock music lovers. With brand new images created especially for the tour and material not performed in thirty years, this is a true celebration and reinterpretation of one of Toyah’s finest albums, alongside hit singles.
Toyah’s special tour opens right here at Middlesbrough Theatre. Be the first to see it!
Over the last, almost, 13 years Dreamscape has been sent thousands of photos of Toyah from the numerous live gigs, tours and PA’s of the late 90′s, through the Noughties and into this decade (the Teenies?). Welcome to Fotofriends, an occasional feature focusing on the fans (and photographers) who took some of those photos.
Photographer Paul Crutchley, of PAC Photography, has captured some great shots of Toyah over the last few years; at gigs, premieres and events. Paul has also kindly let Dreamscape feature some of his work in various news posts, at our Gallery and as part of the Toyah: Thru A Photographer’s Eye feature. (Thanks again to Paul & PAC Photography)
Photos from: 1/4/6/7/8: The Changeling Resurrection Tour at The Robin 2, Wolverhampton (April 2012), 2: The Humans at Birmingam’s HMV Institute, a special gig that was filmed for online broadcast (October 2011), 3/9: The Changeling Resurrection Tour at The Ruby Lounge, Manchester (April 2012), 5: Toyah attending The Power Of Three film premiere at the Everyman Theatre, London (November 2011), 10: Toyah receiving her Walk Of Fame star in King’s Heath (July 2012), 11: Walk Of Fame @ Hare & Hounds, King’s Heath (July 2012), 12: The Humans – Sugar Rush UK Tour, at The Public, West Bromwich (October 2011).
Toyah is getting set to run wild, run free again over the next seven weeks as ‘The Changeling Resurrection II’ begins tonight. The first gig of the 11-date UK Tour is at The Middlesbrough Theatre. Have a great night to all who are going (especially you, Gareth, with all that travelling :)). Check out our pre-tour news, the Spring ‘Changeling Resurrection’ news and visit the Gigs and ‘The Changeling Resurrection’ page at Toyah’s Official website.
A couple of news updates, direct from Toyah at Twitter.
• Toyah returned to the UK yesterday, from The Humans’ recording sessions in Seattle: “Just landed in UK. Raring to get going! Changeling Resurrection here I come :-)”
• Robert & Toyah will appear in the third episode of BBC4’s Love and Marriage series. This will air on Tuesday 2nd October (two weeks today) at 9pm. Toyah said: “It should be lovely“. The first episode premieres tonight.
… of Toyah’s finest space-agey, other-worldy, sci-fi related songs. I put this together as a playlist and, despite being recorded/released over a span of 29 years and eight studio albums, the songs really flow and work well as a collection. Please click below to view a larger version of the imaginary artwork (Thanks to Anji for her “Wow” at Facebook, it made me think maybe the design and title isn’t as bad as I initially thought ;))
Another quite rare, retro, Toyah article… this one from early 1981. I’m not sure which magazine but it was most likely to be one of the Sunday supplements, possibly ‘The Telegraph’ or similar: Toyah! Toyah! burning bright in the forests of the benighted acting and rock music industries. Illuminated by her twin talents for performing words and music, and fired by a scorching ambition, her dyed red hair dancing around her impish face like flames, Toyah Willcox is blazing parallel meteoric trails to exalted positions in both spheres (phew!). Click below to read. View all of our recent retro Toyah press articles & interviews here. (Thanks again to Andi)
Yet more articles and reviews for the recent Blu-ray (Region A/1) release of Quadrophenia.
• The Criterion Collection: A Whole New Quadrophenia: In this clip from a new interview on our release, Bob Pridden discusses the restoration, for which many tracks were painstakingly reconstructed from scratch, and the excitement of working in multichannel sound.
• Scene Stealers: Criterion ‘Quadrophenia’ Blu-ray Something To Scream About: What a difference a hi-definition reissue makes.
• WhatDVD.net: Quadrophenia: Criterion Collection: Quadrophenia has never looked better on this top notch Blu-Ray transfer. The print is pristine yet still retains the texture of film.
• HollywoodChicago.com: Blu-ray Review: Perfect Criterion Package for Essential ‘Quadrophenia’: “Quanrophenia” is a film that needs to be re-discovered, discovered and savored by all generations, and The Criterion Collection provides the Blu-ray and DVD package that is an honor and tribute to both The Who and the cinematic interpretation of their time-honored rock opera.
• DVD Snapshot: Quadrophenia: The Criterion Collection: Quadrophenia has been on DVD for years, but now it gets The Criterion Collection treatment, fully restored and jam packed with bonus features. The film looks incredibly good restored. For a film this old, the restoration is almost flawless.
• View all of our previous Quadrophenia on Blu-ray 2012 news here.
• Record Press: Five Murder Mystery Films & Songs to Celebrate Agatha Christie Week: And to celebrate this year’s “Agatha Christie Week”, here is a Top 5 Murder Mystery Songs: 1) Tavares – Whodunit?, 2) Sophie Ellis Bextor – Murder on the Dancefloor, 3) Toyah Willcox – It’s a Mystery, 4) Technotronic – Move that Body, 5) Beatles – Paperback Writer.
• It looks like a Facebook page dedicated to the, now defunct, North American Toyah Fanclub may be up and running soon. More details to follow if it happens.
• 10th Planet: There’s a signed photo of Toyah for sale at the 10th Planet website. I’m not sure why as I can’t recall Toyah ever appearing at a 10th Planet convention or event, but it’s there all the same!
• The New Zealand Doctor Who Fanclub: ‘More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS: A Clip-Spotter’s Guide’ article. It identifies, and lists, all the footage and guests (including Toyah) who appear in the BBC 1993 documentary.
• Middlesbrough Theatre is ready for Toyah and ‘The Changeling Resurrection II’.
If anything should definitely be considered “Classic Toyah” then surely it’s these two 1981 concerts? At The Rainbow, from February 1981, and Good Morning Universe – Live at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, from December 1981. Both were broadcast by the BBC and subsequently released on “BBC Home Video”. Here are a couple of Dreamscape tributes to two amazing gigs… Such a shame that The Changeling Tour the following year wasn’t similarly preserved! Please click on each to view larger versions. View another Rainbow mini feature here.
