 Let’s Rock: The Winter
Retro Tour is heading to Motorpoint Arena in
Nottingham and among the line-up are 80s
headliners Toyah and Dr and the Medics. Helen
Barnes caught up with both of them
With a career spanning more than 40
years, 61-year-old Toyah Willcox is making the
most of her voice being in “fantastic”
form.
What’s so great about Let’s
Rock? It’s one of those fantastic
events where it’s a real party atmosphere
– because every song you get, everyone
knows. The audience can dance and sing along
– it’s about them and their memories
too. I think 80s music has a real narrative to
it, a story to it, and people identify their
lives with it. I think all of that brings an
audience together – and let’s not
forget it’s Christmas!
Will you be singing any Christmas songs
yourself? Absolutely! We are all doing
our hits and then doing Christmas songs, so the
finale will be a big Christmas finale where we
will all be on stage together. It’s really
very exciting, as the line-up is stunning –
which is why I love doing them. You’re
always working with people you admire and have
followed for 40 years.
Who are your favourite 80s artists then?
Well, I love Talk Talk and Depeche Mode too
– I absolutely adore their music still and
find it very uplifting. It has transcended the
decade. I’ve also just been travelling
around the world with Marc Almond and he is so
much fun. Every song in his set is groundbreaking
because at the time his music came out, the world
was changing but hadn’t yet changed. Marc is
one of the people that changed the world and
music is just fabulous – I always stay
behind to watch his sets when we are working
together!
What’s the best thing you’ve
discovered since turning 60? I think
there’s an independence that comes with your
60s. I’m starting to just clear my life of
of everything that’s niggly and doesn’t
work – and that’s usually to do with
bureaucracy. I am clearing my desk of the
unnecessary, without any form of guilt and just
looking for things that are fulfilling. I think
when you hit your 60s and realise that
you’ve done your best, that’s all that
matters.
Which has been your favourite hair colour
over the years? The only colour
available back then was a vegetable dye called
Crazy Colour – today the colours are much
more sophisticated. I think I just loved the
orange and cerise pink together; It was so
vibrant that no matter how you felt, as soon as
you looked in the mirror, it was like a cup of
coffee!
Have you had any hair disasters?
Early on, in the punk days, my hair was crimson
red, and I remember standing at a bus stop; There
was a deluge and I was without an umbrella.
People were just staring at me with concern on
their faces. It really didn’t look good
– it looked like I’d been attacked.
You’ve done tons of TV presenting,
what are you more confortable doing these days
– presenting, acting or singing? At
the moment my voice is fantastic, so I’m
honouring that and this year I’ve done a
hell of a lot of concerts and next year is fully
booked, but I will only do that whilst I feel I
can be 100 percent. I feel grateful that here I
am at 61 and I can do it. Work for me is 99
percent of who I am. I’ve never felt like a
home bird or a family orientated person, so
it’s all incredibly important to me.
What have you got planned for next year?
Well, eight re-releases of my albums – I
have a very good relationship with my record
company, and I have a box set coming out.
I’m touring with Hazel O’Connor and
then doing all the Let’s Rocks, so it’s
a very busy year.As a mummy of young
children, I heard you daily on Teletubbies! How
did that come about? I am friends with
the creator and she just asked me to come in and
read the start and end, ast the narrator. It
literally took me about 30 seconds to do, but
“Over the hills and far away, Teletubbies
some out to play” and “The sun is
setting in the sky, the Teletubbies say
goodbye” are probably the most famous two
lines I have ever said, in the history of
entertainment!
My eldest shares the same birthday as
you, May 18th. On that day, this year he was
blowing out eight candles and eating a football
themed cake. What were you doing? Well,
I have a home in France, and I was there with my
husband. We’re right by the sea so we were
probably eating sea bass, caught that morning,
with some wonderful French vegetables. I’m a
bit of a sensible eater. To completely contradict
what I’ve just said, we would have gone and
had ice cream after – and lots of it!
Your name is unusual – I have never come
across another Toyah. Did you come across any
others when growing up? No, not at all. I think
you will find that the Toyahs that exist are all
younger than me, so named after me. It has now
become quite popular.
You’ve spoken before about your
childhood and being bullied. Were you ever
tempted to get back in touch with them once you
became famous? A lot have been in touch
with me. I did have one quite serious connection
from someone who abused me at school and wrote to
me – she was so distressed by what she did
to me that she had been in therapy all her life.
She asked if I could forgive her and I said I
never even think about it. It may have formed who
I am, but I don’t give it any thought. I
live in the present. I’m a pretty tough
cookie and even though I hated every minute of
school, I’m a survivor.
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