Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Britain’s Favourite 80s Songs: 5Select: Wednesday 25th August: 00.05am
1980. Episode 1. Gary Davies narrates this look at the music of 1980, featuring revealing interviews with the singers and band members who made it one of the biggest years in pop. From the Specials and the Jam to Blondie and Bowie, and not forgetting the biggest girl band of the time – the Nolans, it was a year of music and pop videos to remember. Sheena Easton was singing about her man working 9 to 5, Madness stormed the charts with Baggy Trousers and Dexy’s Midnight Runners had a memorable number one with Geno. Contributors include Toyah Willcox, Paul Gambaccini and Katie Puckrik.

Toyah Willcox is an English musician, actress and TV presenter. From fronting a band to releasing solo music, there is little that she hasn’t done across a four-decade career

My childhood was definitely privileged. We had hot water, heating, food, we had our own home, and I went to a private school.

Having a limp, dyslexia and a lisp. I wasn’t even aware of it. I was having a perfectly happy childhood until people pointed out that I had a physical difference to everyone else in the room. Then, when I was sitting my 11-plus people realised that I was not on the same page as everyone else because of dyslexia. Alan Sugar, Richard Branson—you could name a thousand people who have exactly the same experience as me and we’re doing perfectly well. I have such a wonderful life. I have overcome so much.

I wouldn’t say that that specifically made me tougher. What made me tougher was being the only woman in the music industry. My way of learning, my way of working, means that I have to just be a little bit ahead of everyone else. And I think any woman in acting or music would say, “I feel the same too.” You never arrive.

• Continue reading at the Reader’s Digest.

Toyah Willcox to headline Kidderminster’s Mr Tee in the Park

Punk princess Toyah Willcox will be headlining this year’s much-anticipated Mr Tee in the Park event in Kidderminster.

The St George’s Park festival in honour of late Horsefair record shop owner Francis Terry Thomas, also known by many as Mr Tee, returns for its third instalment on Sunday (August 22).

There will be free events taking place all over the weekend in the Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill area of Kidderminster.

On Saturday (August 21) there will be activities, stalls and entertainment at Springfield Park from 11am until 4pm, including a performance from the Black Country Beatles.

• Continue reading at the Kidderminster Shuttle.

Favourite Singers With Nick Heyward: NOW 80s: Saturday 21st August: 9am
Mr Favourite Shirts is back on NOW 80s – this time he selects his Favourite Singers! Including some who influenced him the most such as David Byrne & XTC’s Andy Partridge.

Toyah plays Lady Daphne Witcombe in the new AUK Studios’ audio production of Supermind… – Coming to your headphones this year! (The great graphic which accompanies the announcement is a design by Robert Hammond)

“I’m your manager, not your friend. Only my mother calls me Daphne. And my husband, on our wedding night. Not a mistake he made twice.”

This is Series One, subtitled: The Brain Drain. Written by Barnaby Eaton-Jones.

Prepare to hear the brilliant Toyah in the brand-new AUK audio production Supermind, coming to your headphones this year! Set in 1930s, Art Hardwicke, Colin McFarlane is an urban illusionist – Supermind. Toyah plays Hardwicke’s manager!

Colin McFarlane tweeted: “Had a wonderful day in the home studio recording this brilliantly witty new audio series by Barnaby Eaton-Jones with awesome Toyah”.

• See AUK Studio’s tweet on this. See also Colin McFarlane’s tweet about the recording, which includes a photo of Toyah.

BBC Music Introducing in Hereford & Worcester, had tea with Toyah. The multi-million selling singer/songwriter, author and actress invited them to chew the fat at her place. This aired last Sunday (15th August). Listen to the interview by clicking below.

It’s A Mystery from Toyah’s gig at Lavenham Air Theatre on Tuesday evening. Click here for I Want To Be Free from the gig. See Toyah’s Official Gig Guide for all of 2021’s live dates.

There’s just nine days until Posh Pop, Toyah’s highly anticipated new studio album, is released. Here’s a round-up of all the relevant, and related, Posh Pop news from the past few months. (All Photos/Images © Toyah Willcox)

• Posh Pop – Pre-order Toyah’s new studio album here. The album is available on Deluxe CD+DVD, Standard CD, Colour Vinyl and Digital Download.

• A Limited Edition CD and Colour Vinyl, with an exclusive Toyah signed print, were also available but sold out very quickly.

• Posh Pop, was officially announced on 25.06.21. Watch Toyah announce the release of the new album. Read the official press release at toyahwillcox.com.

• Levitate, the first single from Posh Pop was released on 26.06.21, with the video premiering one day later – Stream the single at Spotify. Watch the video at You Tube – Levitate… No gravity, we’re getting higher…

• Read Toyah’s album interview – talking about the creation/making of Posh Pop and much more – at the NME.

• Within hours of being announced Posh Pop was high up in Amazon’s pre-release charts – See info on this.

• Watch Toyah talk about Levitate and the making of Posh Pop in an episode of Toyah At Home from 26.06.21.

• See the Posh Pop Tour 2021/22 announcement here. Toyah is playing 29 dates between September 2021 and March 2022!

• Zoom Zoom, the second single from Posh Pop was released on 16.07.21, with the video premiering one day later – Stream the single at Spotify. Watch the video at You Tube – Do you want to start a revolution? You can do it in your bedroom…

• Toyah talked Posh Pop, and more, in an interview with ITV News. Listen to the interview.

• Toyah made a selection of Posh Pop Personalised Artworks available last month. See further info on these.

• Summer Of Love, the third single from Posh Pop was released on 06.08.21 – Stream the single at Spotify. Watch the video at You Tube – All we need is a summer of love, let’s get it on, ban the bomb…

• Read Toyah’s August 2021 “Summer Of Love” blog.

• There’s a Posh Pop Toyah At Home Special coming very soon. See info on that, and two new Posh Pop photos, here.

• Space Dance, the video for this song will premiere on 21.08.21. See a video still preview.

This looks exciting! The premiere of Toyah’s new video for the song, Space Dance, is happening on 21.08.21 – this coming Saturday, at 12pm BST.

• Posh Pop, Toyah’s highly anticipated new 2021 studio album, is released next Friday, 27.08.21. Pre-order the album here. (Video Image © Toyah Willcox)

Sheep Farming In Barnet will be available to buy as a Limited Edition HQ print later this year.

The print will be available in two sizes: 20x25cm and 50x70cm.

Toyah: Sheep Farming In Barnet
Album Cover Print (20x25cm / 50x70cm)
£99.00 / £199.00
Released: 11th November 2021

Toyah Sheep Farming in Barnet album cover designed by Bill Smith and photographed by Andrew Douglas. The location for the shoot was a secret military installation in Yorkshire. Design by Bill Smith from the book Cover Stories. Signed by the photographer. Numbered edition of 150 copies. Size 50 x 70 cm. Printed on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308gsm paper with a matte finish. Wrapped in acid-free tissue and sent in cardboard tubes. 50 x 70 cm.

Numbered edition of 300 copies. Size 20 x 25 cm. Printed on Hahnemuhle Gloss Baryta 305gsm paper with a silk finish. Wrapped in acid-free tissue and sent in hard-backed envelopes. 20 x 25 cm.

• Further details and pre-order at HMV.

Press coverage for this week’s Sunday Lunch (Love Letters #3) with Toyah & Robert. Robert Fripp is touring the USA with King Crimson and Toyah is home alone. Transatlantic time differences and being apart is a wicked game to play for the Sunday Lunch lovebirds. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

• NME: Watch Toyah serenade Robert Fripp with ‘Wicked Game’ cover – It’s the third instalment of the ‘Love Letters’ offshoot of their Sunday Lockdown Lunch series – Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp have shared the third instalment of their Love Letters offshoot of the Sunday Lockdown Lunch series, featuring Willcox serenading her husband with a cover of Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’. The couple’s usual lockdown covers videos have had to be put on hold after Fripp headed back out on tour with King Crimson – Continue reading…

• Guitar.com: Watch Robert Fripp Reacts To Toyah’s Cover Of Wicked Game By Chris Isaak – Toyah has taken it upon herself to continue the Sunday Lunch Series solo – Robert Fripp is currently on tour with King Crimson, but his wife Toyah Willcox is going strong and continuing their Sunday Lunch series. In this week’s upload, Fripp shares his reaction to Toyah performing Wicked Game by Chris Isaak – Continue reading…

• Metal Sucks: Toyah Willcox Covers Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” for King Crimson’s Robert Fripp – Robert Fripp is on tour in the U.S. with King Crimson at the moment, but that doesn’t mean his infamous “Sunday Lunch” cover videos with his wife, the actress and singer Toyah Willcox, have taken a pause – Continue reading…

• Tone Deaf: Watch Toyah Willcox serenade Robert Fripp with solo ‘Wicked Game’ cover – With Robert Fripp currently on tour with King Crimson, Toyah Willcox has once again serenaded her husband with a rendition of ‘Wicked Game’ – Continue reading…

• DGM Live: Toyah & Robert’s Weekend: Toyah & Robert’s Weekend, Across The Pond, At Home & On The Road! Sunday Lunch – Love Letters Part 3… Burning Guitars #7 – Continue reading…

Southampton festival goers ‘back together as a community’ as Let’s Rock returns

One of Southampton’s major music festivals has returned to the city for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. Let’s Rock was back on Southampton Common with 80s legend Toyah opening the proceedings (14 August).

Toyah, like other musicians and singers had to give up live performance during the pandemic, but she’s said that return of live music was “a whole cultural social event.”

“It’s not just about people like me who sing,” she said. “It’s about people who put that stage up, do the sound, do the lighting, sell the tickets, It’s about all the caterers and we are back together as a community and I am so happy.”

• Continue reading/Watch a short interview with Toyah at ITV News.

Toyah and Robert are back with a transatlantic Burning Guitars remotely burning across the water, and pixels. This is Burning Guitars #7!

Toyah’s Sack The Stylist?! Top 30: NOW 80s: Tuesday 17th August: 11am
Pop legend Toyah brings 30 memorable videos featuring a cavalcade of clothing calamities from superstars including Bowie, Madonna, Adam Ant and many more in this crazy countdown!

Music, chat and more of your questions which this week comes from Toyah as she is on tour away from home… Toyah At Home & On The Road. Look out for an exclusive rendition of a 1981 single plus the premiere of a new acoustic in-session version of what is becoming a firm new fan favourite, Summer Of Love, with Simon Darlow. Watch/Rewatch at You Tube by clicking below.

Toyah guests on BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester’s Tammy Gooding show tomorrow afternoon for “Tammy’s Big Toyah Willcox Interview”. The show airs from 2 – 6pm. Toyah has previously guested on Tammy’s radio show a number of times over the past few years, most recently in March 2020.

Tomorrow’s Toyah interview will most likely centre around the new album, Posh Pop, which is released in just two week’s time (Friday 27th August). Pre-order Posh Pop here.

BBC Hereford & Worcester: Tammy Gooding: Friday 13th August: 2pm
Tammy’s big Toyah Willcox interview. What you need to know where you live on a Fantastic Friday with Tammy.

• Listen live at their BBC website or post-airing at BBC Sounds.

To Be Someone, starring Sam Gittins, Leslie Ash, Mark Wingett, Toyah Willcox, Trevor Laird, Gary Shail, Perry Benson and Laura McMonagle, and directed by Ray Burdis, is now available to own on DVD and digitally.

The co-owner of a popular Mods nightclub and with a successful scooter shop business on the side, life couldn’t be better for entrepreneur and British Mod, Danny.

That is until he’s introduced to the club’s secret financier, Mad Mike, an unhinged underworld mobster who is determined to coerce Danny into pulling off an illegal drugs run to The Isle of Wight in return for his shares in the club.

Seeing their friend at an all-time low, Danny’s friends step in with an ingenious plan – they will all go to The Isle of Wight’s annual Mod festival and use the thousands of Mod enthusiasts descending onto the island as a cover!

A feel-good tale of modern-day mods, music, and scooter culture from the producer of ‘The Krays’ and ‘Love, Honor and Obey’.

‘To Be Someone’ stars a number of the original cast of the iconic, cult mods n’ rockers film, ‘Quadrophenia’.

• Buy To Be Someone on DVD, or on digital download, at Amazon UK.

A new interview with Toyah at Wickham Festival 2021. Watch below or at You Tube.

There’s a Posh Pop Special of Toyah At Home on the horizon. Leave a comment or question – about the LP, videos, creative process – with #AskToyah, at Toyah’s Official Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

NB. This announcement was accompanied by two previously unseen Posh Pop photos of Toyah (below top left & right)! (Photos © Toyah Willcox)

Toyah performing Sweet Child O’ Mine with The SAS band at Wickham Festival 2021.

Dreamscape’s You Tube channel has a great selection of rare Toyah footage to view…

Our You Tube is pretty much what you’d expect from a fan based channel. We’ve compiled a selection of retro interviews, Toyah TV appearances and more from throughout Toyah’s career (which I believe is now in its 45/46th year if Glitter – filmed 1975, aired 1976 – is regarded as the very beginning!). Most of the footage is taken from my old VHS tapes, which I thought I’d do before they disintegrate!

We are rollercoasting towards 2K of subscribers, and our most popular video is Toyah: This Is Your Life, which as of writing has been viewed 360K times. Please click below to visit Dreamscape’s You Tube Toyah channel (which also includes some rare Madonna footage).