Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

RF: Bobby Willcox was invited to rock out with Toyah and Simon Darlow for their new album. So, sprayed some burning guitar over a remorseless stomper that got the guitarist bouncing…

RF: There have been some online simperings of approval for the slippers worn by Bobby Willcox at yesterday’s session for Toyah & Simon Darlow’s new album. Regrettably, for one keen to suck up all appreciative comments even and especially where underserved, these colourful accessories for any session player’s calceamental turnout were provided by Studio Darlow, in a manner simply understood by anyone who has entered a Japanese home.

• Continue reading at DGM Live. (Photo © Toyah Willcox/Robert Fripp/DGM Live)

A great new interview with Toyah, just published by Punktuation. Also includes a shorter interview with Steve James discussing the recording of Sheep Farming in Barnet.

Punktuation chats to the high priestess of punk, Toyah Willcox, about the reissue of her debut album, Sheep Farming In Barnet and her extraordinary career

Toyah is quite simply a force of nature. She is a musician and songwriter, she’s a very successful actress, and she’s a producer and storyteller. She’s had eight top 40 hit singles, released 23 albums, written two books and appeared in over 40 stage plays and ten feature films including Derek Jarman’s Jubilee and Franc Roddam’s Quadrophenia.

Now 62 years old there’s also no sign that Toyah plans to slow down anytime soon. However, the events of 2020 have forced her, like the rest of us, to readjust to the ‘new reality’.

“Yes, it’s been an extraordinary time, hasn’t it? I don’t think I’ve spent so much time at home as I have this year, ” Toyah says over the phone from her English countryside home that she shares with her husband of over 30 years, guitarist Robert Fripp.

“It’s taken a bit of time to get used to. Here we are at the end of October and Robert and I are just finding our stride. We both believe if we can get through this we can get through anything. The reality for us is that we will have to be in quarantine for a while longer as Robert is now 74 – we have to be careful,” Toyah confides.

• Continue reading at Punktuation.

“I knock the phone from the table, and the room starts purring, smash the contents from a drawer, and a photo starts twirling…”

Last Saturday’s episode of Toyah At Home featured two more live archive performances: The 1987 single, from the Desire album, Echo Beach – also a single for Martha & The Muffins in 1980 – and the truly amazing Angel & Me, from the 1982 album, The Changeling.

Click below to watch/rewatch episode 19, with a guest appearance by Robert Fripp, and Toyah reminiscing about playing Calamity Jane, currently revisiting albums including The Blue Meaning, not being part of the Band Aid single in 1984, and more. Episode 20 of Toyah At Home airs this Saturday at 11am at Toyah’s official You Tube channel, and Facebook.

The Film London Jarman Award at a glance

A world-renowned annual prize for artists’ moving image in the UK, established in 2008 | Inspired by visionary artist filmmaker Derek Jarman | Artists are nominated by art and film world experts across the UK each year | A jury of industry leaders select 6 artists for the shortlist | Works by the shortlisted artists are toured to key cultural venues across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland | £10,000 prize money

Film London Jarman Award Patrons
Spanning actors, artists, screenwriters and musicians, the Patrons’ work and support are vital in the development and success of the Award. The Film London Jarman Award Patrons are John Akomfrah, Terence Davies, Rupert Everett, Dexter Fletcher, Hetain Patel, Tony Peake, Tilda Swinton and Toyah Willcox.

The Patrons’ expertise, industry knowledge and connection to Derek Jarman in either a professional or a personal capacity help to introduce artist filmmaking to a wider audience. Together they help promote and sustain the legacy of Jarman, whose inventiveness and bold ambition is seen in the work of artists practising today and those shortlisted for the Award.

“I consider myself extremely lucky to have worked with Derek Jarman, not only on the movies Jubilee and The Tempest, but also to have been present in his personal life. To have seen first-hand his creative processes and above all to learn from him what it is to live by the rule ‘no compromise’. This is the Jarman that inspires me so much today, not only a great visionary, artist, writer and collector of ideas, but a man who saw beyond class, gender, even intellect, into the very important stories of each individual’s soul.” – Toyah Willcox, singer, writer and actor

• Continue reading at Film London. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

That Was Then… This Is Now!: This Is Now: Thursday 5th November: 7pm
Edition 1. Featuring performances from The Fizz, Toyah and Chesney Hawkes. Premiering on Thursday 5th November at 7pm, purchase your ticket now for only £10! That Was Then… This Is Now! is a new and innovative Online Streamed Music Show. Featuring huge acts of the last sixty years with exclusive live studio performances filmed in the highest visual and audio quality and introduced by broadcasting legend Mike Read & Sky TV’s Hayley Palmer.

Good Morning Universe! Catch Toyah in a live filmed performance for the new online TV series That Was Then… This Is Now! on Thursday 5th November at 7pm. Also in this series launch episode are Chesney Hawkes & The Fizz. Get your tickets by clicking below.

Nerdly: Frightfest 2020: ‘Heckle’ Review: Shot in neon-lit hues, reminiscent of Italian giallo (in particular the work of Dario Argento); with a killer in a clown mask and red rain mac that looks and feel like a total homage to 1976’s proto-slasher Alice, Sweet Alice; Heckle is a superb diatribe on perils of fame, personality and neurosis, and a warning to never, ever, meet your heroes! – Continue reading…

• Starburst: Heckle [FrightFest October 2020]: While Heckle won’t win any awards, it’s a fun distraction if you can overlook the shortcomings – Continue reading…

• Movie Ramblings: Arrow Video FrightFest October 2020: ‘Heckle’ Review: Heckle is something of a strange brew – in essence it is a straight-up slasher movie (heck, we even get a mask-wearing killer), but it also has plenty to say about the cult of celebrity, even mental health. But Heckle is certainly worth a watch and is likely to keep most genre fans reasonably happy – Continue reading…

• Eye For Film: Heckle Review: Screening as pat of Frightfest’s October 2020 selection, this is a spirited little film which, despite its dark subject matter, has obviously been made with love. Though not exactly polished, it has an innate exuberance that will encourage viewers to tick with it. That said, for all its roughness, this is an enjoyable little romp which will no doubt win itself some fans – Continue reading…

Indie Mac User: Review: Heckle ‘A Slow Burn Turns Slasher’ (FrightFest 2020): Written by Airell Anthony Hayles and directed by Martyn Pick, this slow-burn thriller turned slasher is well penned and conducted. The atmosphere is well captured in each of the scenes throughout the movie. Where it really shines is the dreary, dark, and dreadful outside of the desolate house and how many of the characters in the film meet their fate within it. The kills are very well orchestrated, and the aftermath of the kills are quite unique – Continue reading…

• The Kim Newman Website: FrightFest review – Heckle: For a horror film with a comedy theme and a comic attack, Heckle goes into some dark places – The cast is gossip-column friendly – with bits for Dani Dyer, Toyah Willcox (who does a song) and Nicholas Burman-Vince – Continue reading…

• SciFi Now: Heckle – Interview With Airell Anthony Hayles: Heckle writer Airell Anthony Hayles tells us about his love for Eighties cinema and getting Steve Guttenberg over to the dark side – Directed by Martyn Pick and written by Airell Anthony Hayles, Heckle stars Guy Combes as Joe and Steve Guttenberg as foul-mouthed Nineties comedian Ray Kelly, alongside Dani Dyer and Toyah Willcox. We spoke to Airell about the Eighties, horror and stand-up shows – Continue reading…

• The People’s Movies: Frightfest 2020 Interview – Martyn Pick & Airell Anthony Hayles (Heckle) Ever wanted to see Steve Guttenburg like never before? Then Heckle is the film for you – and we chatted with the film’s director and writer to find out its inception and how they got such an icon to star in the film. Playing as part of this year’s FrightFest, Heckle is the horror-comedy that sees our favourite charmer from Short Circuit, Police Academy, and Three Men and a Baby go a little rogue, shall we say, but there’s more to discover with this indie stand-out – Continue reading…

• The People’s Movies: Heckle Interview – Martyn Pick & Airell Anthony Hayles (Frightfest 2020 October) – Continue watching…

• Horror Channel: Interview with Steve Guttenberg, star of Heckle: Steve Guttenberg is one of Hollywood’s best loved actors and is known for playing characters you want to be with. But in Heckle, showing at FrightFest, Steve is showing his darker side – Continue reading…

• Clout Communications: FrightFest October Digital 2020 Film Stills – Continue reading…

Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch is by the water this week.

Who Won Wot? 1980 – 1989: NOW 80s: Sunday 25th October: 9am
From Smash Hits “Most Unwanted Person of 1980” to the Brits “Best Group” of 1989 – Mark Goodier’s 10 hour marathon of 80s award winners lasts nearly as long as the Oscars. (The first artist played from 1981 is Toyah, with the Thunder In The Mountains video. Mark said: “We begin 1981 with a 4ft 11 pop star who had the biggest hair of the entire decade, here’s the Most Fanciable (as voted by Smash Hits magazine readers) Toyah Willcox with Thunder In The Mountains“). Click on the screen caps to zoom.

More of your social, emotional and music tuning predicaments are addressed with care and attention by the deeply unqualified Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp. Premieres today at 6pm.

Pointless Celebrities: Challenge: Thursday 5th November: 6pm
Music. A special celebrity music edition of the general knowledge quiz in which four teams try to come up with the answers that no-one else could think of. Presented by Alexander Armstrong and co-host Richard Osman. Featuring Fish and Barbara Dickson, Nick Heyward and Toyah Willcox, Heather Small and Mari Wilson, and Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. (Photo © BBC)

All of our 2020 news, so far, has just been added to the News Archive  >> The archive dates back to the start of Dreamscape, which was created during 1999, as the old millennium was coming to an end, and launched in March 2000 at the dawn of the new one!

We are fast approaching 21 years online and during that time the website has been a constant source of Toyah news, releases, interviews, press, appearances, television, radio, films and much more…

Covering numerous eras from those years: Velvet Lined Shell, In The Court Of The Crimson Queen, Toyah & The Humans, From Sheep Farming To Anthem Tour 2011, Calamity Jane, Toyah Solo, I’m A Celebrity and many more.

Our News Archive also has many posts from the classic years of Toyah’s career (1976 – 1999). There’s a lot more news to come… 2020 has brought many great Toyah releases and next year it’s set to continue with the Safari back catalogue being reissued in deluxe formats, as well as many live dates.

• Take a trip to the Toyah past! Browse 21 years and thousands of news posts by clicking here!

Now available, personalised artworks hand-drawn by Toyah, with your favourite Toyah lyric and an autograph, on high quality paper, and ready for mounting and/or framing. A great gift for a friend, relative or even yourself! Watch Toyah’s info video at Instagram, and click below for more details or to order your personalised gift from Toyah or Robert Fripp.

“I’m crashing cymbals, in outer space, for all the aliens to hear…”.

Last Saturday’s episode of Toyah At Home featured two archive performances: The glorious (and cosmic) Good Morning Universe, from the Four More From Toyah EP, and Toyah’s uplifting 1982 single, Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard).

Click below to watch/rewatch episode 17, with lots of fun from Toyah and Robert! Toyah revealed she is currently working on the reissue of The Blue Meaning, and about to become the Patron of the Derek Jarman Film Award. Episode 19 of Toyah At Home airs tomorrow at 11am at Toyah’s official You Tube channel, and Facebook.

The World Premiere of Heckle, starring Steve Guttenberg, Clark Gable III, Toyah Willcox, Nicholas Vince takes place on Saturday as part of FrightFest 2020. Click below for further info.

World Premiere – Joe Johnson, at the top of his stand-up comic game, decides to share a Halloween weekend away with a group of friends. They decide on the theme of a 1980s retro party, and jokingly suggest that if they get drunk, high, and behave badly enough, hopefully they’ll attract their own psycho killer. The joke is suddenly very much on them though, as in turn they reach their grisly demise at the hands of The Heckler, an uninvited guest out to turn their nostalgic horror movie fantasy into a terrifying reality, before delivering an unforgettable punchline…

Holiday of My Lifetime: BBC2: Wednesday 4th November: 1.45pm
Series 2, Episode 10. Len Goodman takes celebrities back in time to recreate their childhood holidays. Len takes singer, actress and presenter Toyah Willcox back to the Llangollen Canal in North Wales to reminisce about a wonderful narrow boat holiday she had back in 1968. (Photos © Toyah Willcox/BBC)

Look out for Toyah on Edition 1 of That Was Then… This Is Now! on Thursday 5th November , with The Fizz and Chesney Hawkes. Tickets available here. See the Toyah trailer below!

Frightfest goes virtual: Our pick of the UK film festival, which runs this week

Heckle – A 1980s-themed Halloween weekender attracts an unwelcome guest in a horror featuring Toyah Willcox and Steve Guttenberg.

• Continue reading at the Metro. (Photo of Toyah in Heckle © Voodoo Productions)

That Was Then… This Is Now! is a new and innovative Online Music Show. Featuring huge acts of the last sixty years with exclusive live studio performances filmed in the highest visual and audio quality and introduced by broadcasting legend Mike Read & Sky TV’s Hayley Palmer. This innovative show can be pre-ordered as a paid online stream.

Edition One, featuring performances from The Fizz, Toyah and Chesney Hawkes, premieres on Thursday 5th November at 7pm, purchase your ticket now for only £10! Tickets are on sale now here. Watch the official launch trailer below! Visit the official website.

A Brand New, Innovative Online Music Streaming Show

80s Artists Unite For Series Featuring Brand New Live Studio Performances and Exclusive Interviews

Show Will Provide Income for Heritage Artists Affected By Lockdown

Some of the biggest British popstars of the 80s will take part in a brand new online weekly series, featuring performances and interviews, with an innovative business model that helps touring artists affected by the current lack of live shows generate income.

That Was Then… This Is Now! will arrive next month in a pay per view format hosted online, allowing for artists to share equally in the revenue. For full details on the broadcast visit www.thisisnow.tv.

The series, consisting of 5 editions, will be broadcast live at 7pm on Thursday evenings (a nod to the classic Top Of The Pops timeslot), and deliver a modern twist on the quintessential living room comfort watch of popular music television that has been missing from screens for generations.

Each episode of the series will feature multi-artist line-ups consisting of brand new and exclusive live studio performances shot in the highest 5k resolution, with presenters Mike Read and Sky TV’s Hayley Palmer, as well as interviews.

That Was Then… This Is Now! was produced independently by Mike Stock, who is best known for his work in the incredible hit-making team Stock, Aitken and Waterman in the 80’s and 90’s. Alongside hosting the series, Mike Read joins Mike Stock in an executive role in the show’s creation. Having been a broadcaster since 1976, best known for being a DJ with BBC Radio 1, and television host for music chart series Top of the Pops, children’s show Saturday Superstore, and music panel game Pop Quiz.

The first series of the show will feature artists such as Paul Young, Kim & Marty Wilde, Toyah, Steve Harley, Chesney Hawkes, The Fizz and many more.

• Continue reading at Cardiff Times. Visit the official That Was Then… This Is Now! website.