Back in 1994 Toyah guested
on BBC Radio Four's The New Recruit,
advising newcomer to the music industry,
Roz King, on getting ahead and avoiding
the pitfalls. This originally aired on
18th April 1994 and runs for just under
15 minutes. Click below to listen.
(Thanks to Giddy Gavin)
Katy Perry's
Toyahesque
Imagery in 'E.T.' Video
30 March, 2011
Toyah's visual influence has
been quite evident recently: Tim Burton's
Alice In Wonderland, Andi
Fraggs, and even in Lady Gaga-ville. Now
it's Katy Perry's turn to channel Toyah
(Thanks to Minna)
Dreamscape
News Archive: March 2011 (Part
One)
30 March, 2011
March 2011 has been such a
bonkers busy month for Toyah news that I
am having to archive it in two parts.
View Part One, including Let's Dance
For Comic Relief, Daybreak,
From Sheep Farming To Anthem, Our Friends
Acoustic, Celebrity Naked Ambition
and much more, here.
FSF-A:
Leicester Square Theatre, London
30 March, 2011
The announcement yesterday
of the newest date, at Leicester Square
Theatre, London, has heightened the
excitement for From Sheep Farming To
Anthem. Book tickets by clicking
below.
Essex Echo:
Phil Spalding Interview
30 March, 2011
A
new interview with Phil Spalding has been
syndicated to various publications today,
including the 'Essex Echo'.
Phil Spalding may not be a household
name, but the music he makes is a
household sound. Millions of people have
immersed themselves in this Essex
boy’s bass guitar playing.
The Spalding sound provides texture to
the background of songs by Elton John,
Mick Jagger, Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner,
and Robbie Williams.
“I’ve worked with around 100
artists altogether,” he says.
“Together we sold loads of records
and made loads of money.”
It sounds like the sort of fabulous
success that most people can only dream
of achieving, but nobody would want to go
where Phil went. Far from enjoying the
high life, he descended into a prolonged
period of darkness. It almost ended in
tragedy...
“Almost everything that happened to
me came about by word of mouth. I never
really had to chase work,” he says.
His first major break came after a
meeting with Toyah Willcox, who
recognised a fellow spirit as well as a
powerful music-maker.
Phil went on tour with Toyah and played
on all her major record releases.
“That gave me the exposure. Other
people like Elton John and Mick Jagger
then started to get in touch,” he
says.
• Read the full interview at the
'Essex Echo' website, here.
BUAV Call To
Stop Cruel Wild Monkey Trade
30 March, 2011
Dr
Jane Goodall Joins a Host of Celebrities,
Scientists, Academics & Politicians
in BUAV Call to Stop Cruel Wild Monkey
Trade
LONDON, March 30, 2011: An Open Letter to
UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has
been signed by a host of politicians,
scientists, academics, wildlife experts
and celebrities. The letter, which calls
on the UK Government to dissociate itself
from the cruel trade in wild-caught
primates for research, is today published
in the Times and Guardian newspapers.
Support for the BUAV campaign comes from
world famous primatologist, Dr Jane
Goodall, Founder of the Jane Goodall
Institute, actress and wildlife
campaigner Virginia McKenna,
environmentalist Jonathon Porritt,
conservationist Ian Redmond, author
Richard Adams, TV wildlife presenters
Simon King, Bill Oddie, Michaela Strachan
and Mark Carwardine along with
celebrities such as Dr Brian May, Ricky
Gervais, Jenny Seagrove and Toyah
Willcox. Other individuals to sign up
include barrister Michael Mansfield,
human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell
and leading academics and scientists such
as Professor Roger Crisp, Professor
William McGrew, Revd Professor Andrew
Linzey, Professor Stephen Harris,
Professor Michael Balls, Professor Vernon
Reynolds, and Professor Jonathan Wolff.
Politicians include David Blunkett MP,
Vernon Coaker MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Zac
Goldsmith MP, Chris Davies MEP, Jillian
Evans MEP, Nigel Dodds MP and Charles
Kennedy MP.
Official
Toyah: London Concert Of Cult
Classic Songs
30 March, 2011
Great
news, announced by Toyah's Official
website last night.
TOYAH ANNOUNCES SPECIAL LONDON
CONCERT OF CULT CLASSIC SONGS
We are pleased to announce a very special
Toyah concert is now confirmed for
London. Fresh from rave reviews for its
debut performance at Liverpool’s
legendary Cavern Club, Toyah will perform
“From Sheep Farming To Anthem”
in London’s
Leicester Square Theatre on
Friday 17 June 2011 - tickets are on sale
now.
Celebrating 30 years since her
breakthrough platinum-selling album
Anthem, this live concert will include
selections from her first three cult
charting albums, Sheep Farming In Barnet,
The Blue Meaning and Anthem. Toyah, and
her full live band, will be performing
the dark and quirky anthems which put her
at number one in the indie charts for the
chart’s first twelve months. Toyah
was then a constant in the top 10 for the
following three years before her
breakthrough single "It's A
Mystery" went to number four in the
mainstream chart. Her first three albums
have been sited as the beginnings of
Goth. Anthem also won the finest accolade
of being performed live on the "Old
Grey Whistle Test" at Drury Lane
Theatre on Christmas Eve 1981 for the
BBC, attracting 12million viewers.
Expect a special evening of cherry-picked
songs with a substantial sprinkling of
material not heard live since
Toyah’s very earliest tours
including the cult classics, Victims Of
The Riddle, Race Through Space, Blue
Meaning, Bird In Flight and Angel &
Me.
Toyah/FSF-A
@ The Cavern: Now & Then!
30 March, 2011
Toyah, now and then,
at The Cavern on the first 'FSF-A' date.
(Thanks to Shel Mackay for this)
Salisbury
Journal: Toyah To Open Family Fun
Day
30 March, 2011
Eighties
icon Toyah Willcox will be singing at a
free family fun day being organised by
Salisbury’s mayor, Brian Dalton.
She
will also open the event, which includes
a battle re-enactment by the British
Armour Plate Society, and cookery
demonstrations by Jeff the Chef.
There will be performances by local
singers Jamie Eldridge and Cherise
Trueman, children’s funfair rides, a
variety of stalls, and a real ale marquee
run by CAMRA, featuring a one-off 750th
Mayor Ale brewed by Small Paul, from
Gillingham.
Cllr Dalton is looking for face painters,
hair braiders, artists and caricaturists
to join in the fun at the Harnham Sports
and Social Club from midday on April 30.
It is all in aid of the mayor’s
charity, the Caring 4 Kids Campaign.
• Read the full report at the
'Salisbury Journal' website, here.
LemonDrop:
Toyah Says Plastic Surgery Keeps
Her 'Vital'
30 March, 2011
Actress
and singer Toyah Willcox has opened up
about her feelings on plastic surgery,
health and fitness.
She told the Daily Mail she thought she
was in "really good shape" for
a 52-year-old and weighed in at 8 stone,
but looked "bigger" because
she's only 5ft 1.
The singer, who wrote a book about her
experience with plastic surgery,
declared: "Plastic surgery is
feminism's revenge on sexism."
"I'm not interested in like
gravity-defying breasts - for me it's
about looking vital and not artificially
young. I had a mini facelift - my jowls
and bags removed."
• Read the full report at the
'LemonDrop' website, here.
Daily Mail:
Toyah Willcox Under The
Microscope
30 March, 2011
A
new interview with Toyah, published in
yesterday's 'Daily Mail'.
'Plastic surgery is
feminism’s revenge on sexism': Toyah
Willcox under the microscope
Actress and singer Toyah Willcox, 52,
talks plastic surgery, hip replacements
and going to the gym.
YOU’RE
52 NOW — DO YOU FEEL IT?
I’m in really good shape considering
what women have to go through to get to
52. I’m exactly the same weight
— just under 8st — as I was in
the Eighties, but I look bigger because
I’ve shrunk an inch in height to 5ft
1in.
DO YOU REGRET HAVING PLASTIC
SURGERY?
Plastic surgery is feminism’s
revenge on sexism. I’m not
interested in like gravity-defying
breasts — for me it’s about
looking vital and not artificially young.
I had a mini facelift — my jowls and
bags removed.
• Read the full interview at the
'Daily Mail' website, here.
Chronicle
Live: Toyah Willcox Shines At
NSPCC Fundraiser
30 March, 2011
A
flashback to the 80s helped raise money
for a new Tyneside charity project. Glitz
and glamour were the order of the evening
at the retro ball in Newcastle.
And rock star Toyah Willcox was the star
of the show at the fundraiser for the
NSPCC.
Bright lights and fancy table decorations
greeted supporters at the ball at
Newcastle’s Centre for Life on
Saturday. The charity is raising vital
cash for a new centre in Newcastle,
Jesmond, which will house three teams
from the region.
The centre will provide services for
vulnerable children and young people from
across the North East.
Singer Toyah posed for pictures with fans
before the evening got under way. Every
table was named after an 80s film with
the DJ blasting out hits from the era.
Toyah said: “This is a really happy
evening and everyone has had fun.
Everyone seems to be getting into the
theme."
• Read the full article at the
'Chronicle Live' website, here.
Toyah Newsy
Bits & Pieces!
30 March, 2011
• Click above
to visit Anthony Lewis' frequently
updated blog. Lots of great retro Toyah
articles and cuttings.
• Red Nose Day 2011 was yet another
massive success for Comic Relief. Toyah
and the 80s Supergroup, who helped raise
all those millions, are featured in Red
Nose Day's Video Vault.
• The Rock
Telegraph:
It Happened On 27 March: 1979 Toyah
plays her first live show at Dingwalls
Club in London.
• You want more 'From Sheep Farming
To Anthem' dates, I want more 'From Sheep
Farming To Anthem' dates, and it looks
like Lightly
Salted
just got their wish for a London date
too.
Toyah Live
2011: Gigs Updated
30 March, 2011
The
10th 'FSF-A' date, at London’s
Leicester Square Theatre, has now been
confirmed. View full details of all the
confirmed appearances at the Gigs page, here.
Thursday
7th April: From Sheep Farming To Anthem:
The Horn, St Albans
Saturday 16th April: From Sheep Farming
To Anthem: HMV Institute, Birmingham
Friday 22nd April: Live PA: The
Canterbury City Faerie Ball
Thursday 12th May: Our Friends Acoustic:
In Aid of Mencap
Friday 17th June: From Sheep Farming To
Anthem: Leicester Sq Theatre, London
Saturday 2nd July: From Sheep Farming To
Anthem: The Regal, Oxford
Saturday 16th July: Toyah comperes at The
Rock & Bike Festival (Non music)
Friday 22nd July: Toyah: Hits &
Surprises: Harrogate Theatre: Full Band
Saturday 23rd July: From Sheep Farming To
Anthem: Atrix, Bromsgrove
Sunday 31st July: Rewind Festival, Scone
Palace, Perth
Friday 5th August: From Sheep Farming To
Anthem: Rebellion Punk Music Festival,
Blackpool
Saturday 6th August: Here & Now:
Ascot Racecourse
Saturday 20th August: Flashback To The
80s: Clumber Park, North Nottinghamshire
Sunday 21st August: Rewind Festival,
Henley-On-Thames
Friday 30th September: From Sheep Farming
To Anthem: Villa Marina, Isle Of Man
Saturday 22nd October: From Sheep Farming
To Anthem: The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton
Sunday 23rd October: From Sheep Farming
To Anthem: Jack Rabbit Slims. Hoylake,
Wirral
YouTubing
with FSF-A @ Liverpool: Pop Star
27 March, 2011
'Pop Star' at The Cavern.
Click to watch at 'YouTube' (Thanks to
WhichWay)
Toyah at last night's Retro
Ball in Newcastle, held in aid of the
NSPCC. These were uploaded to 'Twitpic'.
Please click on them for more photos from
the event.
Toyah on
Australian TV
26 March, 2011
Celebrity Fantasy
Homes : Lifestyle Home - Sunday 27th
March : 1.30pm
The essential relocation series now sets
its sights on finding the perfect
location and dream home for some more
well-known faces. How do celebrities go
about finding their dream homes? This
series offers viewers the chance to find
out, as presenter Gaby Roslin leads
celebrities on their hunt for their next
dream property. Punk pop princess Toyah
Willcox enlists Gaby’s help in her
search for a second home in Richmond upon
Thames, with a budget of £650,000. www.lifestyle.com.au
Top Of The
Pops: The Story Of 1976
25 March, 2011
Toyah
takes part in a new documentary, Top
Of The Pops: The Story Of 1976,
airing on BBC Four on Friday 1st April as
part of a Top Of The Pops night,
an entire evening of programmes dedicated
to the long-running music show.
The nation grew up with Top of the Pops
and it was always a talking point, but 35
years ago a particular kind of Top of the
Pops programme and tone held sway. This
documentary explores Top of the Pops in
1976 - as a barometer of the state of pop
and light entertainment TV.
It celebrates the power of the programme
and observes British society of the mid
70s, British TV and the British pop
scene. In 1976, glam was over and nothing
had replaced it - the charts belonged to
Showaddywaddy, Brotherhood of Man and the
Wurzels, all to be found on Top of the
Pops hosted by the Radio 1 DJs. If you
wanted rock you looked to the Old Grey
Whistle Test, while outside the charts a
new scene was rumbling.
Contributors include Tony Blackburn,
David 'Diddy' Hamilton, Paul Morley,
Toyah Willcox, Showaddywaddy, Brotherhood
of Man, the Wurzels and Dave Haslam.
Toyah on TV
25 March, 2011
Top Of The Pops: The
Story of 1976 : BBC Four- Friday 1st
April : 10.00pm
Top Of The Pops: The Story of 1976 : BBC
Four - Saturday 2nd April : 2.50am
Top Of The Pops: The Story of 1976 : BBC
Four - Monday 4th April : 1.00am
Top Of The Pops: The Story of 1976 : BBC
Four - Thursday 7th April : 8.10pm
Top Of The Pops: The Story of 1976 : BBC
Four - Friday 8th April : 1.25am
Documentary examining how the BBC's
flagship pop show reflected changes in
British music and culture during 1976. As
the popularity of glam rock faded, no
dominant musical scene emerged to replace
it, leading to chart success for bands
including Abba, Showaddywaddy, the
Brotherhood of Man and the Wurzels -
while outside the mainstream, punk rock
was rapidly growing in popularity.
Featuring contributions by Tony
Blackburn, Paul Morley, Toyah Willcox,
David Hamilton and Dave Haslam.
The Most Fertile Man In Ireland :
Sky Movies Indie - Sunday 3rd April :
1.40am
Satirical comedy starring Kris Marshall
as a fertile young virgin who discovers
he is the only man in Belfast capable of
fathering a child. With Kris Marshall,
Kathy Keira Clarke, Bronagh Gallagher,
James Nesbitt, Kenneth Cranham, Olivia
Nash, Pauline McLynn, Tara Lynne O'Neill,
Toyah Willcox, Harry Towb, Marc O'Shea
and Paddy McCarney. Directed by: Dudi
Appleton (1999).
Hole In The Wall : CBBC - Sunday
3rd April : 3.00pm
The celebrity contestants are TV chef
Simon Rimmer, singer Toyah Willcox,
actress Zaraah Abrahams and presenter
Barney Harwood, captained by rugby legend
Austin Healey and EastEnders' Joe Swash.
From Sheep
Farming: 'The Cavern' News
25 March, 2011
We've added a News page
dedicated to Toyah's From Sheep
Farming To Anthem gig at The Cavern.
There's photos, videos, set list and
more. View here.
This was the first FSF-A gig of,
hopefully, many, especially after the
great reaction to Sunday's gig. View our
full FSF-A news here.
You Tubing
with Latex Messiah @ Southport
25 March, 2011
Toyah, and "Special
Guest", performing 'Latex Messiah
(Viva La Rebel In You)' in Southport last
Saturday night at the 48 Hour Party: 80s
Weekender. (Thanks to djjohny @
'YouTube')
Daily
Express: Toyah Willcox's New
Jerusalem
25 March, 2011
How
times have changed. As students and trade
unionists finesse their banners and
chants ahead of an anti-cuts rally in
London tomorrow, one-time punk Toyah
Willcox has been delivering a rousing
speech – to the Women’s
Institute.
The singer and television presenter
addressed 900 ladies from across the
country at an annual council meeting at
Cheltenham Town Hall in Gloucestershire.
We are informed that Toyah regaled the
gathered throng with tales from her life,
heaping praise on the unifying power of
the WI before the meeting was closed with
– what else – an enthusiastic
rendition of Jerusalem.
WH Times:
CBeebies’ Mister Maker and
Toyah
25 March, 2011
CBEEBIES’
Mister Maker and singer Toyah Willcox
will star in this year’s St Albans
pantomime.
It’s panto time again! Oh
yes it is... Oh not it isn’t!
The first two stars of this year’s
St Albans pantomime, Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs, have been confirmed. They
are none other than rock singer and
actress Toyah Willcox and BAFTA-nominated
children’s presenter Phil Gallagher,
aka CBeebies’ Mister Maker on BBC.
From the same creative team that put on
2010’s record-breaking Peter Pan,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be a
fantastic festive treat for all the
family.
With the seven dwarfs already booked,
this year’s Alban Arena panto
promises to be truly spectacular.
The panto runs from Friday, December 9 to
Sunday, January 1, 2012.
Tickets are already selling well, so call
the box office on 01727 844488 or go to
the Alban Arena website.
Gloucestershire
Echo: From Punk Rock Fame...
24 March, 2011
From
punk rock fame to facing the Jam and
Jerusalem brigade -Toyah Willcox
Former punk rocker Toyah Willcox
addressed the county's jam and Jerusalem
brigade declaring age is something to be
proud of.
The singer and television presenter,
spoke to 900 Women's Institute members
from across Gloucestershire at their
Annual Council Meeting at Cheltenham Town
Hall, yesterday.
She said: "I am not a member of the
WI because I am always busy touring but I
certainly know what it is and think it is
incredibly important.
"It is not all about cooking and
baking but about the support system for
women and it is important for women of
all generations to be together and helps
women establish themselves in the
community.
• Read the full interview at the
'This is Gloucestershire' website, here.
First photo of Toyah from 'Avening WI'
article "Toyah in Cheltenham".
View that here.
Toyah Sings
The Beatles
24 March, 2011
Fresh from a successful
performance at Liverpool's Cavern Club
last weekend, Toyah revisits Liverpool's
most famous musical export this week in
the studio. Reuniting with legendary
producer Chris Neil (who produced Toyah's
1985 album "Minx"), Toyah will
be covering a song by The Beatles in a
new recording for a forthcoming album
project which sees various female
vocalists covering The Beatles.
The
working title for this album is
"Ladies Love The Beatles" and
it will be a high profile release.
'Little
Noise Sessions' have a page dedicated to
the forthcoming Our
Friends Acoustic
event.
The 80s may be gone but are by no means
forgotten, as ‘Our Friends
Acoustic’ returns for a one off show
in aid of learning disability charity
Mencap. On Thursday 12 May at The Grand
in Clapham...
Topping the bill and hosting the show
will be the one and only, 80s heart
throb, Nik Kershaw. A man whose good
looks and top tunes made many weak at the
knees, Nik is sure to rock The Grand in
Clapham like never before. In 1987, the
world met a new vocal talent in the form
of the powerful and soulful Rick Astley.
His debut single ‘Never Gonna Give
You Up’ hit the top of the charts
within two weeks of its release and
immortalised him as a true 80s hero.
Joining them is punk princess and high
priestess of TV, Toyah Willcox; whose
biggest hit ‘It's A Mystery’
and Platinum-selliing album
‘Anthem’ celebrate their 30th
anniversary in 2011 - another perfect
addition to the evening’s 80s
soundtrack.
After the live music has finished there
will be an exclusive afterparty, with DJs
spinning your favourite 80s tunes till
late.
• Book tickets at Ticketmaster.
View 'Little Noise Sessions' OFA
page, here.
The
'Birmingham Music Heritage' has a
plethora of Toyah content in the
"Sponsorship" section of their
website, including a video interview with
Toyah talking about all things 'I Want To
Be Free': the video concept by Godley and
Creme, and how the song took on a life of
its own in various parts of the world.
'Birmingham Music Heritage' are also
advertising a new Toyah gig @ Birmingham
Town Hall in October. There are a few new
Toyah gigs currently being promoted by
venues online, until they are officially
confirmed it is advisable to hold off
from buying tickets. An announcement
regarding more gigs at Toyah's
Official Facebook is
imminent anyway.
YouTubing
with FSF-A @ Liverpool: Blue
Meanings
24 March, 2011
There's some excellent
footage surfacing from Sunday's first From
Sheep Farming To Anthem gig at The
Cavern. Here is the amazing 'Blue
Meanings', not played live since 1980.
(Thanks to Paul Lomas - cleverly mixing
footage from Sunday's gig with 'Blue
Meanings' from the ATV documentary)
YouTubing
with FSF-A @ Liverpool: It's A
Mystery
24 March, 2011
'It's A Mystery' from The
Cavern (Thanks to themachman @ 'YouTube')
Snow White
in St Albans?
24 March, 2011
It
always feels slightly odd talking about
panto anytime before, at least, November,
but anyway, it looks like Toyah will be reprising
her Wicked Queen
this Christmastime in Snow White
& The Seven Dwarfs in St Albans.
With comedy, singing, dancing,
audience participation, stunning sets and
dazzling costumes, this year’s
pantomime promises to be truly
spectacular.
From the same creative team that brought
you 2010’s record-breaking smash hit
Peter Pan, Snow White & the Seven
Dwarfs will be a fantastic festive treat
not to be missed! With phenomenal sales
already, do not leave it too late to
book!
From Sheep
Farming To Anthem: Dreamscape
News
23 March, 2011
Check out all of our FSF-A
news by clicking below. Collected
together for your convenience :)
DJ Cruel
Britannia's Toyah Interview To Re
Air
22 March, 2011
DJ
Cruel Britannia's interview with Toyah,
first broadcast on 'Phoenix Radio' on 3rd
April 2010, will be re aired a number of
times next month.
The re-airing will take place on DJ
Cruel's monthly show for 'Nightbreed
Radio' called Cruel Britannia's Other
Fadeout.
This
episiode will commence from Sunday 3rd
April at 8.00pm (exactly a year from when
it last went out!), repeating at the same
time every Sunday until the end of April
(10th, 17th & 24th).
You can tune in by logging
onto http://nightbreedradio.com &
hitting the 'Listen Now' button.
In May the entire show will be streamable
from DJ Cruel Britannia's blog at
http://theotherfadeout.blogspot.com.
It’s an interesting chat covering
numerous topics; beginning with ‘The
Blue Meaning’… Toyah talks
about the early albums, as well as
‘In The Court Of The Crimson
Queen’, The Humans, playing the
House Of Commons(!), the Robin gig, the
Thunder/Free/BNW videos, The Power of
Three, developing a chat show for
daytime tv, Jubilee, the
‘Here & Now’ tours and much
more.
YouTubing
with FSF-A @ Liverpool
22 March, 2011
Check out WhichWay's
'YouTube'' channel for four excellent
uploads from Sunday's gig at The Cavern:
'Ieya', 'Our Movie', 'Danced' and , the
sublime, 'Bird In Flight'. Click below to
go there.
The Blue
Meaning: By Mark Satchwill
21 March, 2011
The era/album between 'Sheep
Farming' and 'Anthem'... 'The Blue
Meaning' is a formidable period in
Toyah's timeline, and Mark Satchwill's
incredible "Blue Meaning"
artwork captures the mood of the album
perfectly. FSF-A = a great
"excuse" to feature this
amazing Toyah art here again. View more
of Mark’s work at his website here.
The site includes another Toyah painting,
War boys.
FSF-A: The
Cavern, Liverpool: Photos
21 March, 2011
Four Caverntastic
photos of Toyah from last night's From
Sheep Farming To Anthem premiere
gig. Please click on each for a larger
version. (Many thanks to Glyn Whelan for
these great photos)
FSF-A: The
Cavern, Liverpool: Set List
21 March, 2011
What an utterly
stunning set of songs. 'Pop Star', 'Bird
In Flight' and 'Blue Meanings' live in
2011!! Bliss! Not that I'm counting but,
that's six from 'Sheep Farming In
Barnet', two from 'The Blue Meaning', six
from 'Anthem'. Plus 'Bird in Flight', and
four songs "post-Anthem":
'Thunder In The Mountains', 'Good Morning
Universe', the awesome 'Angel and Me',
and a nice surprise, one of the best
songs of the Noughties, 'Little Tears of
Love'.
Check out Toyah's
Official Facebook
for photographs, numerous mini reviews
and comments on last night's gig. (Huge
thanks to Merx for the set list •
Thanks also to Paul Lomas and WhichWay)
Official
Toyah: Toyah Rocks The Cavern
Club
21 March, 2011
TOYAH
ROCKS THE LEGENDARY LIVERPOOL CAVERN CLUB
Toyah triumphed with a long-awaited
performance at Liverpool's legendary
Cavern Club last night, kickstarting a
tour which celebrates her unique songbook
and thirty years since It's A Mystery hit
the singles charts.
Performing a special concert at the
renowned venue, Toyah delighted the
audience with a set list taking in the
hits Thunder In The Mountains, Good
Morning Universe and I Want To Be Free
alongside songs Pop Star and We Are from
her Platinum-selling album Anthem.
Material not heard live since Toyah's
early tours also made it to the set list,
including Blue Meanings, Bird In Flight
and her very first single, Victims Of The
Riddle. In addition, Liverpool Cavern
Club cast Toyah's name into brick which
will be displayed on Liverpool's Wall of
fame cited next to the music venue
alongside other music legends Robert
Plant, Jimi Hendrix and Robert Fripp. The
"Sheep Farming To Anthem: Classics
Revisited Live" tour continues with
dates in St. Albans and Birmingham in
April. Click here
for full live dates.
Toyah Newsy
Bits & Pieces!: FSF-A +
21 March, 2011
• The world
famous Cavern Club Liverpool has cast
Toyah's name into a brick which will be
displayed on the Liverpool Wall of Fame
next to the Club & the Beatles
Museum. Respect! :-) (Source: Toyah's
Official Facebook)
•
Toyah wore a black sparkly dress with
matching jacket, she said the reason
'Bird in Flight' was rarely done live is
because "it's a bastard to
sing", this was only the second time
she has played 'Pop Star' live, and she
said 'We Are' "should have been a
single". (Thanks to Paul Lomas)
• From Toyah's
Official Facebook:
"you never know...... there might be
a live album of it. Cross those
fingers."
• Toyah was mentioned in yesterday
morning's Stiff At The BBC on
Radio 4. They did a Top 9(!) rundown and
'Thunder In The Mountains' was "up
three to number five..." (Thanks to
PJ)
• Just 24 hours before hitting
Liverpool's The Cavern, Toyah played her
first full band set of the year in
Southport at the 80s 48 Hr Party,
alongside Go West. It was by all accounts
a great gig and even had David Van Day,
of Dollar, tweeting about how good it
was!
YouTubing
with From Sheep Farming To Anthem
@ Liverpool
21 Mar, 2011
An amazing 'Ieya' from last
night's Cavern gig. Click to watch at
'YouTube' (Thanks to WhichWay)
From Sheep
Farming To Anthem: Counting Down
#7
20 March, 2011
The
countdown is complete, the first gig is
tonight, and I'm ending this with a
slightly controversial choice. Is this
song part of the FSF-A era? It came with
'FlexiPop' number 8, published around the
time of the release of 'Anthem' (the
magazine even includes a review) so, yes.
FOR YOU: This is Toyah's
"lost" gem. The second song on
a flexi disc given away with a
short-lived pop magazine, and yet this is
a fantastic song, with beautiful lyrics (Secure
as a clifftop in wind and snow...),
great melody and vocals by Toyah. Of
course it won't be included on the set
list but in an ideal world it would be.
DID YOU KNOW: Toyah
forgot she wrote and recorded this
wonderful song? In 1998, just before
'Anthem' and 'The Changeling' were
reisuued on CD, and 'For You' was finally
liberated from its flexi-disc tomb,
"Remember The Eighties"
interviewed Toyah and asked her about it
and she said :"I don't know it!
Oooooh, I must go and listen to it! But
I'd forgotten about 'Stand Proud' too,
and 'Sphinx' and all of those... I'm
going to go back and listen to it!".
Sheep
Farming In Barnet Era: Three Rare
Photos
20 March, 2011
Three, fairly, rare photos
of Toyah from around the time 'Sheep
Farming In Barnet' was released in 1979.
Please click below for larger versions.
(Thanks to Andi)
Counting
Done!
20 March, 2011
The final
"Countdown" page will be online
shortly. I wonder how many of these,
magnificent, seven will be played
tonight? Knowing my powers of prediction,
I'll take a guess at... none! :)
If
I had to choose just one it would be the
one the final songwords page is dedicated
to. A song that definitely has zero
chance of being played.
PS. Thanks for the nice
comments about the mock ad. There's just
something incredibly iconic about those
three Toyah images, isn't there!
This Week..
Today.. Right Now.. We Are Mostly
Listening To..
20 Mar, 2011
... But then we always
have... It's been the soundtrack to our
lives!! Thanks Toyah!
From Sheep
Farming To Anthem: The Tours
20 March, 2011
Three years, six tours: From
'The Resurrection Tour 1979' to the
'Anthem Tour 1981'.
FSF-A:
Overseas Features & Releases
20 March, 2011
Of
course it wasn't just the UK that was
obsessed with Toyah From Sheep
Farming To Anthem...
Just
a small selection of overseas Toyah
articles and releases from that 1979 -
1981 era.
Please click to the left to
view a larger version.
(Thanks to Andi for the
articles scans - if anyone wants larger
versions of the articles let me know)
From Sheep
Farming To Anthem: Live!
Tonight!!
20 March, 2011
It's finally here! Toyah
premieres "From Sheep Farming To
Anthem" tonight! For those of you
not lucky enough to be in Liverpool or
heading in that direction stay tuned
today to Dreamscape for our FSF-A
updates. Have a great night Toyah and
fans. (Awesome photo by Mick Mercer)
From Sheep
Farming To Anthem: Counting Down
#6
19 March, 2011
It's
the penultimate countdown song page!
Toyah plays The Cavern, Liverpool
tomorrow night on the very first
"From Sheep Farming To Anthem"
gig.
BLUE
MEANINGS: This probably seems
like an obvious choice (whaddya mean all
my choices are? :)) but it would be
incredible to hear this song live in
2011. It's intrinsic to the band's early
era, and its inclusion in the 1980 ATV
TOYAH docu is probably one of the reasons
(along with Toyah's force-of-nature
personality back then) Toyah moved onto
massive success mere weeks after the docu
aired on ITV. View the sixth countdown
page here.
DID YOU KNOW: The
reason for 'The Blue Meaning' title is:
"I called it "The Blue
Meaning" because there are a lot of
sexual innuendoes in the album songs and
also it's depressing in places, so I
called it "The Blue Meaning"
which meant whatever the colour blue
triggers off." (Toyah
explaining the album's title in
'Intergalactic Ranchouse' #1).
Toyah in
Liverpool 1979/2011
19 March, 2011
Toyah plays The
Cavern, Liverpool tomorrow night. Toyah
first played the city on 14th April 1979
on 'The Resurrection Tour', supporting
The Damned at Eric's. The venue closed in
March 1980 so its legend ties in with the
FSF-A era. The "new" Cavern is
across the road from where Eric's once
was.
Tickets for the
Cavern gig can be bought online at www.rspromo.co.uk.
Toyah
Interviews: Post Sheep/Pre Anthem
19 March, 2011
A couple of post-Sheep
Farming/pre-Anthem tabloid interviews
with Toyah. Please click on either for
the larger, original versions. (Thanks to
Andi - who sent me these for the site
many years ago)
IOM Today:
Toyah Willcox Heads For Villa
19 March, 2011
Toyah Willcox will
perform at the Villa Marina in September
during a tour of special live gigs
throughout the British Isles this year.
From Sheep Farming To Anthem: Classics
Revisited Live! celebrates the 30th
anniversary of her breakthrough hit
It’s A Mystery and the platinum LP
Anthem. The show will include selections
from her first three albums, Sheep
Farming In Barnet, The Blue Meaning and
Anthem. It is on Friday, September 30, in
the Promenade Suite. Doors open at 7.45pm
and Toyah is expected on stage at 9pm.
Tickets are £17.50 if bought before May
1.
Visit www.printaticket.co.uk
Sing If You
Can: New ITV1 Show
19 March, 2011
Toyah is mentioned in a
number of articles, published yesterday,
as one of the participants in a new ITV1
entertainment show, Sing If You Can.
The programme is due to begin airing next
month.
The show, which will be hosted by Vernon
Kay and Stacey Solomon, sees two
celebrity teams trying to sing while
facing challenges designed to distract
them.
Celebrities who are confirmed for the
show include musicians like Jedward,
Chesney Hawkes, Boyzone's Mikey Graham,
Ray Quinn, Camilla Kerslake, Jonathan
Ansell, Toyah, Sinitta, Steps star Faye
Tozer, Michelle Gayle and Brenda Edwards.
Counting
down to Sunday's premiere
"From Sheep Farming To Anthem"
gig at The Cavern, Liverpool.
Through until Sunday we're dedicating a
page a day to a classic Toyah song that
should, though not necessarily will, be
included in the FSF-A set list.
ELUSIVE
STRANGER: What can be said about
this song... ? People have, for over 30
years now, enthused about 'Danced', 'Neon
Womb', 'Ieya'... and yet 'Elusive
Stranger'... I think the adjective
"epic" was possibly invented
just to be used to describe the sixth
track on 'Sheep Farming In Barnet' ...
maybe :). View the fifth countdown page here.
DID YOU KNOW: Toyah
"revisited" the Elusive
Stranger four years after originally
recording the song for 'Sheep Farming In
Barnet': Elusive stranger, come on
lay it on the line, alone in the madness,
I'm alone for all time, I'm alone for all
time... she sang on 'I Explode' from
the 1983 album 'Love Is The Law'.
From Sheep
Farming To Anthem: The Bands
17 March, 2011
The Toyah band 2011 have
been rehearsing their socks off fine
tuning the forthcoming 'From Sheep
Farming To Anthem' set list... Meanwhile,
here are the three original FSF-A bands,
circa '79 - '81!
Toyah Newsy
Bits & Pieces!
17 March, 2011
•
As most of us are aware, Toyah plays
Liverpool's Cavern in a few days time,
but back in October 1993 on her
successful 'Take The Leap!' UK tour she
played another Cavern, this one in
Exeter. View a great little blog post, here,
reminiscing about that gig.
•
80s Acoustic has two tickets up for grabs
for the 'Our Friends Acoustic' gig in
May. To enter they simply ask you to
retweet their recent tweet. Go here to
do so. View ticket info about the 'Our
Friends Acoustic' gig at The Official
Toyah gigs page, here.
• Even Graham Norton
got into the Let's Dance For Comic
Relief groove last Saturday. He
played 'I Want To Be Free' on his BBC
Radio 2 show. (Thanks to Kev Toa)
• Toyah is namechecked in today's
'Bexley Times' in an article about Sir
Edward Heath's former home. View here.
•
View the 'Tellurian' (former Official
Toyah fanclub website) archives, here.
Some great Toyah features to explore.
The Official
Toyah Facebook: FSF-A
17 March, 2011
Some tantalising 'From Sheep
Farming To Anthem' updates @ Toyah's
Official Facebook
over the last few days:
• So the set list for FROM SHEEP
FARMING TO ANTHEM: Live at the legendary
Cavern Club is amazing. Let's have some
bets on what the opening song is...
•
"i am not part of the old movement
called punk; i am part of the
future." (Toyah, ATV Documentary,
1980)
• 32 years ago this month, Toyah
kicked off The Resurrection Tour
(27/03/79) which went on to play Eric's
in Liverpool. This Sunday, "Sheep
Farming To Anthem: Classics Revisited
Live" premieres at Liverpool's
legendary Cavern Club.
• A week tonight, the original 1980s
"POP STAR", Toyah takes to the
stage of the world famous Cavern Club in
Liverpool for the premiere gig of FROM
SHEEP FARMING TO ANTHEM: CLASSICS
REVISITED LIVE.
From Sheep
Farming To Anthem: News Page
17 March, 2011
We now have a
dedicated news page for "From Sheep
Farming To Anthem".
View all the related news, charting the
first mention of the dates last December
right through to this week's build up to
this Sunday's first gig.
Counting
down to Sunday's premiere
"From Sheep Farming To Anthem"
gig at The Cavern, Liverpool.
Through until Sunday we're dedicating a
page a day to a classic Toyah song that
should, though not necessarily will, be
included in the FSF-A set list.
BIRD
IN FLIGHT: The third single from
Toyah, released on 1st February 1980, and
a non-album track. This is raw, yet
melodic, with emotive lyrics and a great
vocal delivery from Toyah. This didn't
appear on any Toyah album for almost 15
years (Best Of Toyah, first CD
compilation, 1994), and is certainly one
of the early band's finest moments. View
the fourth countdown page here.
DID YOU KNOW: After
Mark Henry left the band following the
'Sheep Farming In Barnet' UK tour in late
1979, Toyah auditioned over 80 bassists
before deciding on Charlie Francis, who
co-wrote and played bass on this single,
before heading out on the 'Bird In
Flight' UK tour in January 1980.
From Sheep
Farming To Anthem: Mock Ad
16 March, 2011
Unfortunately this, mock
"From Sheep Farming To Anthem"
ad, didn't go exactly to plan, but I've
always loved these three Toyah images so
I thought I would add it here anyway...
From Sheep
Farming To Anthem: Counting Down
#3
16 March, 2011
We're
counting down to Sunday's
premiere "From Sheep Farming To
Anthem" gig at The Cavern,
Liverpool.
Through until Sunday we're dedicating a
page a day to a classic Toyah song that
should, though not necessarily will, be
included in the FSF-A set list. Though,
every song from the first three albums
are utter classics anyway.
OBSOLETE:
The second song on 'Anthem', and
it couldn't be more different to the
first: Frantic and driven, never losing
pace, and a brilliantly sudden end. I
first heard this when I was 12 and I
still love it as much today!View
the third countdown page here.
DID YOU KNOW: The lyrics in the
second verse of 'Obsolete': We
scanned their skies with stardust eyes,
and kissed their rainbow minds, so we
jumped right down and played the clown,
to their glittering kind, they clapped
and cheered, it was mighty weird, but we
had to go back home, so we went to the
ship for our cosmic trip, right through
their dome... is part of a poem
Toyah wrote when she was aged just 12?
Toyah &
Chesney @ 'Twitpic'
16 March, 2011
Another 'twitpic' of Toyah
and Chesney: "Hands on Toyah!".
View here.
(Thanks to Phil Ellery)
• The world
famous Cavern Club Liverpool has cast
Toyah's name into a brick which will be
displayed on the Liverpool Wall of Fame
next to the Club & the Beatles
Museum. Respect! :-) (Source: 
The final
"Countdown" page will be online
shortly. I wonder how many of these,
magnificent, seven will be played
tonight? Knowing my powers of prediction,
I'll take a guess at... none! :) 
