REVIEW: Toyah, King George’s Hall, Blackburn
It was a show billed as classics, hits and anthems and with a full band behind her the pint-sized punk princess Toyah delivered them all with aplomb.
Of late, many of Toyah’s live appearances have been acoustic evenings where stories from her career have shared the stage with re-worked versions of her songs.
Enjoyable they may be, but this was a night of 100 per cent full-on Toyah with swirling synths, pounding drums and howling guitar.
Somehow she’s 59, but looks amazing and her energy on a sweaty Saturday night in Blackburn never once faltered.
• Continue reading at the Lancashire Telegraph.
Acoustic shows such fun says Toyah as she heads to Colne Muni
Considering she has been touring constantly for almost 40 years, you might think that Toyah Willcox would have had her fill of live dates.
But, as she prepares to bring her acoustic show to Colne Muni at the weekend, the singer admits that these intimate performances are something she particularly looks forward to.
“We absolutely adore doing the acoustic shows,” she said. “Harmonically it’s just so nice not to have the drums banging away in the background and the songs kind of have a life of their own.
“It’s also great fun to tell the stories and it’s good to find something new people haven’t heard before.”
• Continue reading at the Lancashire Telegraph.
Singer, actress, TV personality, author – Toyah Willcox has gained fame from all of the above in a career spanning over 30 years. And, as she prepares to come to East Lancashire for a special show celebrating her music she reveals she’s probably having the best time of her whole career.
“I’m fortunate to have had such longevity,” she said. “But I really do think this is the best time for me.”
In her new show which comes to Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre next Friday, Toyah will be performing many of her hits acoustically. For those familiar with her many chart successes including Thunder in the Mountains, Brave New World and Ieya, the idea of an acoustic show may, at first, be surprising.
But Toyah can put them at their ease. “It all works fabulously well,” said the star who had eight top 40 singles and has released over 20 albums. “I thought I’d give it a go so there’s me and two guitarists who can also both sing and that’s it. When you take away the drums and a lot of the volume the songs really prove themselves. You can hear the harmonies and people have been coming up after the show saying that they like many of the songs even more the acoustic way than the original.”
• Continue reading at the Lancashire Telegraph.
The recent Chorley Guardian interview with Toyah has been slightly rejigged and published today by the Lancashire Telegraph.
No mystery that Toyah Willcox still rocks
Toyah Willcox has never been afraid to speak her mind, and, now she’s a 50-something, the former high priestess of punk doesn’t show any signs of putting the brakes on.
Toyah burst on to the pop scene with smash hits It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, and since then she’s also enjoyed a successful career as a singer, presenter and an actress, appearing in several films, stage plays and in numerous television dramas.
• Continue reading at the Lancashire Telegraph.
