Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

The Humans; Warm-up gig, Bishops Cleeve, somewhere in the deep dark depths of Gloucestershire

Having been introduced to Toyah in 1980/81 by fashion designer Richard Sorger (www.richardsorger.com), who at the time I was at school with, I jumped at the chance to see her play live. I had owned vinyl copies of Anthem and The Changeling…. I still have a cassette tape of Warrior Rock in my attic.

Robert Fripp on the other hand, was a name that I had heard but I have to admit, his music, I had not. I own many CDs by Brian Eno, Harold Budd, Michael Brook etc but for some reason he had missed my radar. But not any longer! He has a new fan today.

The church at Bishop’s Cleeve was full. I believe there were about 300 seats.
Robert Fripp started proceedings with The Humans (Chris Wong, Bill Rieflin & Toyah Willcox) joining him after the opening track.

Ms Willcox started off unnecessarily nervous, or at least came across that way, but that seemed to lessen further in to the show. The audience was very receptive and appreciative.

The Humans are a three piece, four when Robert Fripp joins them as a special guest. The band has two bass players and no drummer.

The Humans played all of the tracks from their “we are the humans” along with a reprise of “We are the humans” at the end. This was followed by an encore comprising of excellent versions of “These Boots Were Made For Walking” and “Purple Haze”.

Chris Wong’s bass playing on “Is It Wrong” stood out for me. You can hear this track on Toyah’s MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/toyahofficial). It reminded me of Mick Karn (Japan / Dali’s Car / Rain Tree Crow) although Chris may not appreciate me saying that!

I personally liked it so much that I am hoping to be able to make it to the Cambridge gig on Tuesday.

Review by Symon Payne

Further photos from The Humans rehearsal sessions. To everyone who is heading to Bishops Cleeve this evening – I hope you have as good a time as The Humans have been having during their rehearsals for the gigs.

These are sure to be special shows (I’m not envious whatsoever. Not a bit. Nope, no… no… no!! ;)) Please click on the pictures for larger versions. (Thanks again to John)

There’s now just a matter of hours before The Humans play their first, albeit a warm-up, gig on UK soil. The band have been rehearsing for the shows and next week’s short tour, and it looks like they are having a ball. Both this weekend’s highly anticipated warm-up shows are booked to capacity. The dates in Leamington Spa, Cambridge and London next week now look unmissable!

Please click on the pictures for larger versions. (Thanks to John)

The ‘Coventry Telegraph’ also has a new interview with Toyah:

Pop Icon, Toyah Willcox Takes New Band On The Road

The lady in the thigh-high boots and flaming basque-cum-breastplate is unmistakably Toyah Willcox – the stack-heeled wench with her back to camera requires a tad more explanation.

“Ah yes,” says Toyah, “that’s John Wayne! He’s actually a transvestite who owns a nightclub in Stoke-on-Trent – I met him because he’s a Toyah impersonator and now he’s my PA.

“He was there when we were making our video and the director said ‘right John, get your gear on, we’re filming you’.”

Toyah (the surname has been superfluous since It’s A Mystery provided her breakthrough hit in 1981) supplies the information in a matter-of-fact tone which confirms that the bizarre is perfectly normal in her world…

… Artists can sometimes get decidedly sniffy if interviewers attempt to pin down their sound, but Toyah, fortunately, warms to the suggestion that there is a Brechtian feel to The Humans’ music.

“That’s a nice comparison,” she says. “It’s not 100 per cent because there’s a lot of energy and we’ll be playing some new stuff which is very Seattle grunge, but it is a listening experience rather than the ‘come on everybody sing along’ when I’m out there as Toyah. And, yes, it is a bit dark and bleak – the Humans’ world is permanently in winter!”

That being the case, long-term fans expecting a quick chorus of Thunder In The Mountains or Brave New World will be disappointed.

“We will be doing some hits, but they’re not Toyah hits,” she says. “That’s not a possibility because we are so peculiar – it’s not a band set-up – it’s two bass players and a guitar and vocals.”

Read the full interview online at ‘Coventry Telegraph’ here.

A new Toyah interview, by the ‘Gloucestershire Echo’:

Toyah Willcox And The Humans Come To Cheltenham

Former pop punk star Toyah Willcox has chosen a Bishop’s Cleeve church to kick off her new tour.

St Michael’s and All Angels Church will be filled with fans of the singer, who shot to fame 30 years ago with hits such as It’s a Mystery.

Her new band The Humans will play a free, intimate gig at the church, which has a capacity of 200 people, on Saturday.

Joining the one-time princess of punk on stage will be REM drummer Bill Rieflin.

Toyah, who has had 13 top 40 singles, recorded 20 albums and toured the world, said: “We have a strong association with Bishop’s Cleeve artist PJ Crook.

“And a long-standing relationship with Cheltenham.”

Toyah and her husband, guitarist Robert Fripp, are patrons of Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum and she said her mother, who was a touring dancer, worked in a theatre in Cheltenham before she was born.

This will be her first gig in Cleeve, but Robert has already played at the church twice.

“I am so excited about it,” said Toyah.

Read the full interview online at ‘This is Gloucestershire’ here.

The Humans, led by 80s singer Toyah Willcox, will be playing a free warm-up gig in Bishop’s Cleeve before embarking on a tour of the UK.

St Michael’s & All Angels’ Church in Bishops Cleeve will play host to the very first live show from The Humans this February, when the free warm-up gig takes place.

The band led by Toyah Willcox, with special guest Robert Fripp, will be playing the first warm-up performance in Gloucestershire prior to kicking off the band’s UK tour.

Taking place on Saturday 20 February 2010, tickets to the gig are free of charge but are limited in number. Email info@moriartymusic.com with the subject ‘The Humans at Bishops Cleeve’ to request free tickets.

Toyah is interviewed in the latest issue (Feb/March 2010) of ‘Classic Rock Society’ magazine.

Steve Tomlin talks to Toyah Willcox about her latest musical project: The Humans

Toyah Willcox first came into the public conciousness 30 years ago as a flame haired pop-punk songstress bouncing around the Top Of The Pops stage to songs such as ‘It’s A Mystery’, a single I own to this day. You may think her flirtation with fame was brief, but that is not the case. This is a woman of many talents. Apart from continuing to record solo albums, the most recent of which came out in 2008, she has pursued a successful acting career on both stage and screen, remember ‘Quadrophenia’? She’s also been a regular on our TV screens as a presenter and contestant on ‘reality’ shows. As well as all of this, she has undertaken possibly her most difficult challenge, being the wife of Prog Godfather, the reputedly difficult Robert Fripp.

Now she has formed a new band, The Humans, who have an album and single out and are touring the UK in February. I managed to find 10 minutes in the lady’s busy schedule to find out more about this and everything else in her ridiculously busy schedule.

Read the full interview at Toyah’s Official Facebook, here. You may have to register.

It may seem like a strange choice of venue for a pop legend to perform at, but Toyah Willcox is to play a low-key gig in Bishops Cleeve Parish Church.

The ‘secret’ gig will be a warm-up ahead of a short UK tour for Toyah’s new band The Humans, and will offer a unique opportunity to see the band in very intimate and beautiful surroundings.

The performance will take place on Saturday, 20 February, 2010.

The band also features Bill Reiflin (who plays drums for R.E.M.), Chris Wong, and Toyah’s husband and King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp.

Admission will be free but at the end of the evening a collection will be made which will be donated to the local Parish community.

Read the full version here. View an alternative version of this news story here.

There’s no specific reason for this post (do we seriously need an excuse to emblazon these photos here once more?), other than since the last time another picture from the ‘Quicksilver’ session has appeared (top right), and the large one was previously only available in black & white. Lots of lucky people will get to hear ‘Quicksilver’ live in just over a week! Let the fires burn…

As previously mentioned, The Humans section at Toyah’s Official website has been completely re-Humanised!! A veritable schmorgasbord of information, photos and videos await you! “Does this look like the images in your head?“

The posters/promo flyers for The Humans two, just announced, warm-up gigs. Click on either for complete poster and full details on these exclusive concerts.

Much more information on these gigs at The Official Toyah Facebook. If, like me, you aren’t a Facebooker further details are also available at Toyah’s other official webspaces; The Official Toyah MySpace, The Humans MySpace, and The Offical Toyah Willcox website. (Thanks to Craig)

Saturday 20th February: Bishops Cleeve Church, Gloucester
Special warm-up gig – See Official Toyah Facebook

Sunday 21st February: St. Anne’s Church, Pershore
Special warm-up gig – See Official Toyah Facebook

Monday 22nd February: The Assembly, Leamington Spa
www.leamingtonassembly.com [ Tel: 01926 523001 ] Tickets

Tuesday 23rd February: The Junction, Cambridge
www.junction.co.uk [ Tel: 01223 578000 ] Tickets

Wednesday 24th February: The Scala, London
www.scala-london.co.uk [ Tel: 02078 332022 ] Tickets

Thursday 25th February: Haiti Earthquake Fundraiser
www.haitiearthquakefundraiser.com – Roundhouse, London

Produced by Bill Rieflin, the 10-song CD, We Are The Humans, was mixed in Seattle by Rieflin and Don Gunn and mastered by Simon Heyworth (Tubular Bells, Brian Eno) in Devon, UK.

Comparisons are always misleading but if The White Stripes met with the vocal adventures of Lou Reed, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel and Captain Beefheart then you might have a compass for where the band are headed musically.

We have five copies of “We are The Humans” up for grabs for our lucky readers. To enter simply tell us who Toyah is married to.

The first five correct entries out of the bag will win a copy of the band’s new album. Good Luck!

Go here to enter the competition. No closing date is indicated. 

The Humans Announce Two Special Warm-Up Shows

Prior to their first live performances in the UK, The Humans with their
special guest Robert Fripp will be playing two warm-up dates. These shows
will offer a unique opportunity to see The Humans in very intimate and
beautiful surroundings. The warm-up concerts will take place on

Saturday 20th February at St. Michael’s & All Angels’ Church, School Road,
Bishops Cleeve, Gloucestershire, GL52 8BA.

Sunday 21st February at St. Anne’s Church, Church Street, Wyre Piddle,
Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 2JD

Doors 7pm, Performance 7.30pm.

To reserve tickets, please e-mail info@moriartymusic.com with the subject of “The Humans at Bishops Cleeve” or “The Humans at Wyre Piddle” stating how many tickets you require and include your contact details.

Tickets for both shows are VERY limited. If you arrive without a confirmed reservation we cannot guarantee you admission!

Admission is FREE but there will be a collection for the local parish community.

February is all about The Humans; With the gigs in Leamington Spa, Cambridge and London just over a week away, as well as the Haiti Earthquake Fundraiser. Now is as good a time as any for a recap of some of the positive reviews ‘We Are The Humans’ has garnered over the last nine months.

The album itself is a startling work. Startlingly brave and ambitious – and startlingly different from the general public perception of what a Toyah album is, despite her own creatively diverse body of work since the ‘glory’ days of the early ‘80s. Spacerock

Remember the way Bowie deconstructed pop in Low and Lodger? Toyah pulls off the same trick, only more so. Sunday Mercury

Quicksilver is a genuine score, however, with Labyrinth a close contender. Both capture a genuine sense of other-ness without seeming as arch as the other tracks. Die Shellsuit Die

Toyah’s bitter-sweet, rasping vocals are always appealing. Northern Echo

As well as the Official Toyah MySpace streaming of ‘Is It Wrong’, it’s also available via DGM Live as a free download. You will have to register with DGM. ‘Is it Wrong’ features Robert Fripp, and was recorded live in Estonia in May 08. (Thanks to Michael and Stephen)

An Official Toyah eNews update was mailed out last night; A special on The Humans forthcoming live dates.

The Humans – featuring Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin (REM), Chris Wong – and guest band member Robert Fripp – play three UK concert dates later this month.

Performing for the first time live, (outside of Estonia) the gigs will see performances of material from their debut album We Are The Humans, the single These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ and brand new songs Sugar Rush, Sweet Agitation, Fragment Pool and Put A Woman On The Moon.

Tickets are now on sale and can be bought online for: 22 Feb at Assembly, Leamington Spa (+44 (0) 1926 523001), 23 Feb at The Junction, Cambridge (+44 (0) 1223 511 511) and 24 Feb at The Scala, London (+44 (0) 20 7833 2022).

• ‘Is It Wrong’ featuring Robert Fripp, recorded live in Estonia (May 2008) is now streaming on the Official Toyah MySpace… a taster of what’s to come from the gigs. Take a listen at www.myspace.com/toyahofficial.

• The Humans webpage now updated at www.toyahwillcox.com/thehumans.

• The Humans, with details on their gigs and Haiti Fundraiser, are included in the latest news update at www.remembertheeighties.com. The site will also be running an exclusive competition on the band soon.

Another Humans competition. This time tickets for The Scala gig in London are up for grabs. Comp entry closes 19th February.

The band – featuring Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin (REM) and Chris Wong with a special guest appearance from the legendary Robert Fripp, will perform at Leamington Spa Assembly on 22 February, Cambridge Junction on 23 February and The Scala, London on Wednesday 24 February.

The shows are the first time in 20 years that Toyah has shared a UK stage with her husband Robert Fripp. (The last time was when their 1989 band, Sunday All Over The World, played a handful of UK dates.)

The Humans comprise a very different musical direction for Toyah, not surprising given the band line-up with their own individual musical backgrounds. Their first single These Boots Are Made For Walkin has just been released along with their debut album We Are The Humans.

Click here for the chance of winning one of five pairs of tickets.

To celebrate The Humans first ever string of live concert dates (anywhere in the world outside of Estonia…..) we have a prize of a sealed copy of the debut album WE ARE THE HUMANS limited edition CD packaging version PLUS a copy of the very rare 1-track radio promo CD of the single THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN’ featuring Robert Fripp.

To win these two CDs simply send the answer to the following question to: humans@toyahwillcox.com by 19 February 2010.

Apart from last year’s launch concert in Estonia, what year did Toyah and Robert Fripp last share the stage as part of the same band?

With only three weeks to go until The Humans embark on their UK tour things are gearing up…

The set list for the concerts will include some new songs which may include some or all of the following: “Sugar Rush”, “Put A Woman On The Moon”, “Sweet Agitation” and “Fragment Pool”.

Check out Toyah’s new blog for February 2010 at www.toyahwillcox.com and www.myspace.com/toyahofficial for the full scoop on preparations for the tour.

You can buy tickets for the three live dates from the links below….

22 Feb 2010 Assembly, Leamington Spa
23 Feb 2010 The Junction, Cambridge
24 Feb 2010 The Scala, London

Additionally, The Humans are confirmed as one of the acts performing a short set at a concert raising funds for Haiti at The Roundhouse on 25 Feb, the night after their Scala London gig. The benefit gig has been organised by Bill Drummond and acts are being announced daily…. so far alongside The Humans, those playing live sets include KT Tunstall, Paul Weller and The Futureheads. 

Just Announced! The Humans will perform a live set at the Haiti Earthquake Fundraiser at The Roundhouse on Thursday 25th February. Please click below for line-up and ticket info on the fundraiser event, plus donation details.

Further news on The Humans, from Official Toyah Facebook: With only three weeks to go until The Humans embark on their UK tour things are gearing up… The set list for the concerts will include some new songs which may include some or all of the following: ‘Sugar Rush’, ‘Put A Woman On The Moon’, ‘Sweet Agitation’ and ‘Fragment Pool’.