Review:
Vampires Rock,
Grimsby Auditorium
28 October 2009, By Trevor Ekins
Something
to get your teeth into...
As darkness descended on Grimsby
Auditorium, the vampires came out
to play and, boy, did they play
– and it wasn’t even
Halloween!
According to Steve Steinman, the
writer, producer, director and
star of Vampires Rock, this is
not a musical but a concert.
It’s against the backdrop of
a story that we are treated to
some of the greatest rock anthems
as numbers by Billy Idol, Queen,
AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Gun
‘N’ Roses, to name but
a few, are literally belted out.
This show has it all: kitsch,
humour, pyrotechnics, sexy
costumes, eye-catching dancers,
talented musicians and
blood-sucking vampires.
Toyah plays her character with
exactly the same attitude I first
witnessed almost 30 years ago,
delivering an energetic
performance that belies her years
whilst her rendition of Sweet
Child O’ Mine was deservedly
a crowd pleaser.
Meanwhile, Steinman’s Bat
Out Of Hell was equally well
received and he sings with such
power that it is difficult to
believe he can sustain this night
after night.
Some interesting
info, from the MySpace of Lee
Fletcher (Halo), on Toyah's
latest collaboration, This
Fragile Moment:
Recorded in Estonia this summer,
the album centers around
predominantly improvised
performances by Toyah, bassist
Chris Wong (of Toyah's other
current band The Humans),
producer & touch guitarist
Markus Reuter, plus the members
of Estonian duo Fragile; Arvo Urb
(drums) and Robert Jurjendal
(guitar)... It's a very unique
album, which stands apart from
Toyah's previous work, though in
some ways there are tenuous links
with The Humans' project, not
least due to the added
involvement of fellow band-mate
Chris Wong... The self-titled
album will be released next month
(November 2009) via Unsung
Records, housed in distinctive
artwork created by designer Ritxi
Ostáriz.
Visit Lee's MySpace Blog here. Visit Unsung
Records website here.
.Vampires
Rock - Nottingham Concert Hall
.Saturday
31st October, 2009 • Thanks to
Richard Smith...............Pictures
Toyah, pictured
after Thursday's Vampires
Rock show, at Nottingham
Concert Hall. Vampires Rock
plays the Brighton Centre
tonight, Chatham Central Theatre
tomorrow, and a sold out show at
Norwich Theatre Royal on Monday.
.Happy
Halloween - Toyah Wallpapers
.Saturday
31st October, 2009 • Thanks to
Andi..............................Pictures
Random Toyah Goodie
For Halloween 2009: Two Toyah
wallpapers - A fantastic photo
from 1981. Please click on either
for larger wallpaper versions.
• Vampires
Rock is gearing up for
another spooky show this
Halloween. Toyah, Steve and the
gang play the Brighton Centre
this Saturday night. On the
scariest night of the year
there's bound to be a few bumps
and surprises during the show!
• Vampires Rock
played at the Grimsby Auditorium
last night, and is at Nottingham
Concert Hall tonight, Northampton
Derngate tomorrow night and, the
aforementioned, Brighton Centre
on Saturday.
• It started out as a
working title but it looks like
there is a possibility that Power
Of Three could become the
official release title of Toyah's
forthcoming film after all. At
the moment it is known as Three
To Tango but that could
change. Keep an eye on the film's
Official site here and Facebook here.
• The legendary and
evergreen Quadrophenia
may be released yet again in the
coming months. This time on
Blu-Ray. More details if and when
this happens (Thanks to Paul
Lomas).
• The 'Chester Standard'
reported a cute story on 21st
October: 'Punk' pigs get a
new home at Chester Zoo: The
pigs are called Iggy, Toyah,
Malcolm and Nancy. Click here to read the full
story.
• Toyah was namechecked in a
recent 'Daily Mail' article on
Leslie Ash. Read it here.
.In The Court
Of The Crimson Queen - It's
Everywhere!
Toyah's 'In
The Court Of The Crimson Queen'
is now available to download from
various online music stores. The
album was exclusively available
as a download via iTunes but is
now listed at many other stores,
including play.com.
This fantastic album
deserves as much exposure as
possible so the more
availability, the better. Toyah's
Official website has a dedicated
'Crimson Queen' section here, and Dreamscape's
feature can be viewed here.
Dreamscape's
Toyah news for September 2009 has
now been archived. Look back at
an incredibly busy month for
Toyah news: 'These Boots Are Made
For Walkin' - the digital single,
video and pictures, Psychic
Therapy - the Toyah
documentary on Bio, the Vampires
Rock 2009 Tour opens, Toyah
on the cover of 'GScene/Out &
About' magazine, the PA at New
Foresters in Nottingham, BFBS
Radio coverage of the Rewind
Festival, more news on Three
To Tango, Casualty
info, a guest appearance on Celeb
Experiences, plus numerous
Toyah press interviews with 'The
Sentinel', 'Basildon Recorder',
'Bury Free Press', 'Bournemouth
Daily Echo', and 'Inverness
Courier', and much more.
.YouTubing
with Toyah! - Naughty
Toyah/Palais Paris
More
YouTubing with Toyah!
Naughty Toyah pulls a face,
during the video/photo session
for 'Lesser God' in 2007. Plus,
'Ieya', and an interview clip,
from Palais Paris 1981.
There are also links to 'Furious
Futures', 'Thunder In The
Mountains', 'It's A Mystery' and
'Masai Boy' from Palais Paris
at YouTube.
An interview with
Toyah, published in Vol.
1/October 09 issue of 'The
Midlands Magazine':
Her career spans
thirty years of music, theatre,
film and TV and she shows no sign
of slowing down. The
irrepressible Toyah Willcox comes
to Birmingham's Alexandra Theatre
in November as the Devil Queen in
the hit show, Vampires Rock
As an Eighties icon, she was up
there with the best of them. She
blasted onto the pop scene in a
blaze of neon hair, outrageous
fashion and powerhouse energy.
The punk princess from
Birmingham, who came in with a
bang and made you sit up and
listen with hits like It’s a
Mystery, sung with her trademark
lisp.
And, while Madonna may hold the
reputation for being the mistress
of reinvention, Toyah Willcox
must surely rank as one of the
most successful multi-media
artists.
A glance back over her 31 years
in the business shows just how
effectively the recording star,
who enjoyed superstar success on
the pop scene as a song writer
and performer, simultaneously
managed to carve out highly
successful and prolific theatre,
film and TV careers with a
longevity that is extraordinary.
Her range has been epic,
seamlessly moving from rock and
pop albums to films such as the
groundbreaking Quadrophenia and
theatre work including the Taming
of the Shrew, Emile Zola’s
Therese Racquin, the
award-winning comedy Three Men
and a Horse, and the lead role in
the major national touring
production of Calamity Jane,
which was nominated for an
Evening Standard Award for Best
Musical.
As she explains,
having parallel careers has been
her aim from the very start.
“I always wanted to sing and
act, but I never wanted to
combine the two at the same time.
That was quite unusual a few
years ago, as people had to focus
on one thing. As I grew older,
the bindings loosened, the
Svengalis and managers let go,
and I found that incredibly
liberating. I have enjoyed life
ever since, not being bound and
gagged to one medium.
“Thirty years ago there was
a snobbery that kept people away
from doing that. Now major
A-listers are doing TV series and
soaps - perceptions are
changing.”
Toyah has continued to push the
envelope artistically ever since.
This autumn, she is playing to
full houses with a UK tour of the
hit theatre production Vampires
Rock, which has been compared to
The Rocky Horror Show of the
Eighties. Set in the future,
it’s a rock-comedy bloodfest
of vampires, fantastic sets,
costumes, dance and pyrotechnics,
set to a sound track that
includes some of the most iconic
rock hits from the likes of
Meatloaf, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper,
The Rolling Stones and Queen.
Toyah stars, opposite Steve
Steinman, as the Devil Queen and
spends a good deal of the show
wearing skin-tight rubber
costumes, thigh-high boots and
skyscraper heels. The production
comes to the Alexandra Theatre in
Birmingham on November 6.
Read the full interview at 'The
Midlands Magazine' here.
.Three To
Tango - Charity Preview - Red
Carpet - For Real
Photos from
the charity preview screening of Three
To Tango, held earlier this
week. The event included an
auction which raised over £4,000
for Breakthrough Cancer. There
was also a camera crew present
filming the evening. Please click
on the photos to visit the Three
To Tango Facebook for more
pictures.
Currently the most
popular Toyah downloads at iTunes
are the original versions of
'Thunder In The Mountains' and
'Danced', from 1981 and 1979.
These are included on the '25th
Anniversary Commemorative Album
of Safari Records', but can also
be downloaded as individual
tracks.
The remainder of the Toyah Top 10
consists of songs from last
year's 'In The Court Of The
Crimson Queen' album:
1. Thunder In The Mountains
2. Danced
3. Legacy
4. Come
5. Hyperventilate
6. Bad Man
7. Love Crazy
8. Angel In You
9. Lesser God
10. Heal Ourselves
The original
recording of 'Thunder In The
Mountains' has been available as
a download via various online
digital music stores for a while,
but only as part of the 'Smash
Hits Party' album, rather than
individually.
Another Toyah
related album available at iTunes
is 'How To Dress Sensibly' by
English Eccentrics. Toyah's
vocals can be heard on the song
'One Cup Of Tea'. Check it out here.
.Nottingham
Evening Post - "I'm An
Original" - Toyah Willcox
A new
Toyah interview, from today's
'Nottingham Evening Post':
The Newark-based singer and
musical producer Steve Steinman
has created a monster with the
musical Vampires Rock. The show
has grown year on year and this
year, like last, it features a
star name in Toyah Willcox, who
plays the Devil Queen.
"I'm an original and I'm a
name," she boasts of her
contribution. And she's not done
there... "I'm an
award-winning singer and actress.
And I have other things going on
which I think adds kudos."
She's going to tell us exactly
what...
"I have a single out, These
Boots Are Made For Walking, with
my band The Humans, which
features my husband (King Crimson
guitarist) Robert Fripp. And my
co-writer is Bill Rieflin who has
been drumming with REM for seven
years. So that's a hell of a
pedigree."
Boasting aside, Willcox admits
that her involvement with the
show has been a two-way street.
" It's a great, fun show.
The songs are great. There's so
much talent in the band and then
there's the visual elements too.
It's a show for people who like
rock but want a different
experience from just standing in
a nightclub.
"It's easy to see why Steve
has such a strong following
because some of the songs are
better than the originals."
Steinman first came to prominence
by impersonating Meat Loaf on
Stars in their Eyes and his first
success with musical theatre came
with his touring productions of
the Bat Out Of Hell albums.
Mr Loaf isn't a fan, says
Willcox.
"I know first-hand that Meat
Loaf doesn't agree with people
impersonating him but Steve does
it so well.
"There's clearly a big
audience out there for these rock
shows. On this tour, we're going
to places that Steve hasn't
played before, so there's
definitely a demand for it."
Toyah's career in music, which
started in the early eighties
with hits like It's A Mystery,
Brave New World and I Want to Be
Free, has been built on a quirky
persona -- and the character of
the Devil Queen is no exception.
So how close is it to her own
personality?
Read the full interview at 'This
is Nottingham', here.
The Official
Toyah Facebook report that... Toyah
is being interviewed for Record
Collector this month for a
feature which will have some very
nice input from
toyahwillcox.com.. we'll bring
you publication details soon.
'Record Collector' magazine is
the UK's longest running monthly
music publication. Its history
dates back to the early 1960's
with a supplement included in
'The Beatles Book' magazines.
Work began on a standalone
magazine in 1979 and the first
issue of 'Record Collector' was
published in March 1980. The
magazine has been published every
month since.
Toyah was "back cover
star" of the magazine in
June 1982 (issue 154).
The Humans have
dedicated pages/sections at each
of the venue websites where they
will play dates next February.
Visit the Cambridge Junction here, Leamington Spa
Assembly here, and Scala London here.
.Bournemouth
Daily Echo - The Devil Is In The
Detail
It's the year 2030,
in New York City the undead are
livelier than ever. Over in club
Live and Let Die, Baron Von
Rockula and The Devil Queen hold
court as he begins his search for
a new bride, much to his
Queen’s chagrin.
“Over my dead body!”
she would say were she not
already dead.
The baron has set his sights on
Pandora, an innocent singer in
need of a job.
It’s all the encouragement
he needs to let loose a flood of
rock classics played by his house
band, The Lost Boys, as the baron
and his sidekick, Stringfellow,
try to convince Pandora to
surrender her soul to rock
’n’ roll.
If this all sounds like a top
night out then you need to be at
Bournemouth’s Pavilion
Theatre tomorrow night as Toyah
Willcox and top Meat Loaf
impersonator Steve Steinman star
in Vampires Rock.
“I’m thrilled to be
part of the show again in
2009,” says Toyah.
“I’ve done a lot of
theatre in the past and this show
is so much fun. Where else could
you get to dress up in costumes
like this and sing your favourite
rock songs?”
The Three
To Tango charity preview
screening, plus Q&A session,
took place last night at The
Everyman in Hampstead. The event
was in support of the
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
charity. Please click below to
visit the Official Three To
Tango website, full of info
about the forthcoming movie.
Something
that may, or may not, depending
on what is available, become an
(ir)regular feature on
Dreamscape... YouTubing
with Toyah. This
week: Toyah and her legendary
infamous "Mum" ad from
the late 1980's, plus more 80's,
with Toyah, and lots of other
"talking heads",
discussing mobile phones.
Over the
last week Vampires Rock
has played at Bournemouth
Pavilion, and two sold out shows
at Mansfield Palace. The next
dates are The Grand Opera House,
York (tomorrow night), Sands
Centre, Carlise (Friday) and The
Opera House, Manchester (Sunday).
.Tea &
Ten - A Virtual Cuppa With Toyah
.Saturday
17th October, 2009 • Thanks to
Sharyn........................Interview
We met
up with Toyah Willcox (pictured
centre) for a virtual cuppa while
she was rehearsing in Estonia.
She is a one woman dynamo best
known for her outlandish hair and
makeup along with her 80's rock
hits. She sings, writes, dances
and is now enjoying more acting
roles including a lead in a new
feature film due out this October
- Three to Tango.
What is the most unique
thing about you?
I believe that we're all unique,
yet utterly the same. My uniquest
bit is probably my ability to
pre-empt a question accurately
and infuriatingly before the
questioner has finished asking
it.
What makes you dance?
I'm a rock singer as well as an
actress, so my job keeps me
dancing. But virtually anything
positive encourages me to dance,
it's cheaper than going to the
gym and twice as much fun.
Dancing cures all ills,
frustration, anger, lethargy,
writers block and weight gain!
Who do you believe in?
I believe in most things and in
most people because I believe
that part of the privilege of
being a human being is our
ability to believe. I also
believe in my writing partner
Bill Rieflin. I believe in my
husband Robert Fripp because he
is my greatest sounding board
whether I choose to believe his
answers or not. Whilst filming
Three to Tango I believed my
fellow actress's. Our continual
feed back was the essence of our
group identity, very important
and trusting.
Toyah first said she
could do only 20 shows, vamping
it up as the Devil Queen in a
special guest star role in Steve
Steinman’s touring musical
Vampires Rock.
Steve, however, talked her into
playing 44 performances last year
and the Eighties’ pop star,
film and stage actress,
television presenter and author
has agreed to return to the rock
musical for another run of 55
shows between September and
mid-February.
Why? “I’m enjoying
doing other people’s songs
because your memories are very
different. They tend to be much
more romantic than when
you’re writing your own
material to deadlines,” says
Toyah, who returns to the Grand
Opera House, York, on Thursday
night.
“The songs we sing are great
and mean something to everyone;
the band is really phenomenal,
the girls are phenomenal and
it’s just a great show.
“It’s fun, and
it’s a tough environment at
the moment, people are
struggling, and so this show is a
real tonic for the audience and
performers alike.”
Vampires Rock is a musical spoof
cum fantasy concert set in the
year 2030 in a New York City
where the undead are livelier
than ever, especially Steve
Steinman’s evil,
club-owning, 2,000-year-old Baron
Von Rockula.
Cue covers of Meat Loaf, Queen,
AC/DC and some new additions for
Toyah: “Live And Let
Die… that’s going to be
quite a challenge, that one; Shot
Through The Heart; Knockin’
On Heaven’s Door.
That’s part of the
show’s humour. Obviously,
with Knockin’ On
Heaven’s Door, there’s
just such an irony to singing
that,” she says.
The 51-year-old Toyah “loves
the dressing up” for playing
the Devil Queen, a woman as red
hot in her wardrobe as her name
would suggest.
“There are new costumes for
this tour, but I want them to be
a surprise. One is red; there are
two sets of armour, eight costume
changes and three pairs of shoes
over ten inches high; three sets
of thigh-high boots; a silver
thong and a gold thong.
There’s great fun in
planning them as you never know
when you’ll find.”
You can see an example of
Toyah’s costume designs in
the video for her new single, a
cover of Nancy Sinatra’s
These Boots Are Made For
Walkin’, recorded with her
new group The Humans.
“I have a place in Seattle
now with my husband Robert Fripp
and I’m going out to America
regularly, playing in the band I
have there with REM drummer Bill
Rieflin and Chris Wong,” she
says. “We now have an
American manager and we’ll
touring next year in the
spring.”
First vampires, now Humans,
whatever next awaits Toyah?
• Toyah Willcox stars in
Steve Steinman’s Vampires
Rock, Grand Opera House, York,
Thursday, 7.30pm. Box office:
0844 8472322 or
grandoperahouseyork.org.uk
The Humans’ album, We Are
The Humans, was released on
September 21.
.Sunday
Mercury - Ozzy Osbourne and Toyah
Willcox Back Campaign
Ozzy
Osbourne and Toyah Willcox back
campaign to get Roy Wood a star
on Birmingham Broad Street
Brummie rock icon Ozzy Osbourne
has added heavyweight support to
the Sunday Mercury’s Get
Woody A Star campaign.
The Prince of Darkness, who was
the first person to be inducted
onto Birmingham’s Walk Of
Stars, says Roy Wood has made
such an important contribution to
Brum’s music scene that he
MUST be honoured.
"I’m amazed that Roy
wasn’t up for one of the
first stars," said
60-year-old Ozzy, while promoting
his autobiography in Birmingham.
Last night, Ozzy’s praise of
Woody was echoed by Birmingham
chart star Toyah Willcox.
"Roy is a genius whose music
has represented Birmingham all
over the world," said the
51-year-old singer from Kings
Heath.
"He certainly deserves his
place on the Walk of Stars, and I
wholeheartedly support the Sunday
Mercury campaign."
Toyah, who now lives in the
Worcestershire town of Pershore,
is currently touring with a 1980s
revival pop package. She has just
recorded an album with her new
band The Humans, and plans to
tour with the group in the New
Year.
An interview with
Toyah, with 'Cosmetic Surgery
Today', from July 2008:
The name
Toyah Willcox conjures up images
of wild hair, outlandish makeup
and the distinctive voice and
vibrant energy of the 1980s chart
topper and star of cult classic
Quadrophenia. But what happens
when you grow up and grow old.
Stung by media criticism of her
looks, Toyah made the
life-changing decision to embrace
cosmetic surgery and have a
facelift in 2004. What makes her
stand out is her honesty about
her experiences, giving comfort
to many women who feel distanced
from those in the public eye who
claim to be all natural while
secretly indulging in every
age-defying treatment available.
How long had
you been contemplating cosmetic
surgery before you had your
facelift in 2004?
I had been
considering cosmetic surgery
since my twenties. Like a lot of
young people I had been unhappy
with what nature had given me. My
eyes always looked tired and I
felt there was room for
improvement. But the prospect had
scared me because in the 1980s
not much was known about cosmetic
surgery. In fact, the only things
you heard about were the horror
stories of procedures that had
gone wrong. You never heard about
the successes.
It is a
common complaint that show
business is a hard business to be
in as an older woman. Had you
started to notice an impact on
your career?
I decided to have
the surgery for me. But since I
have had it I've never been
busier. In my business, having
surgery shows a commitment to
your work. My music career has
gone from strength to strength,
mainly because promoters want to
see sex appeal. As for acting,
well cameramen insist on you
looking your best whatever your
age. I suspect that casting
agents feel the same too, even to
the point that you being
overweight can be a problem for
them.
Was my career
slowing down because of my age?
No, I have always been
fantastically busy. But I was
starting to get press purely
based on my appearance and not
about my talent. All they seemed
to talk about was how I was
ageing.
Overnight viewing
figures for last Saturday's TV
schedules had Casualty
with 4.61m, a 19.3% share of the
overall audience. This figure
will most probably rise when
official figures are released
next week.
It's a particularly respectable
total, especially as Casualty
was up against the all-conquering
X Factor on ITV1.
We mentioned Toyah's
'Radio Borders' interview, with
Hugh Brown, last week. This is a
Hot-Disc production and really is
worth watching as Hugh talks to
Toyah about her early career in
music and acting, as well as more
recent years right up to Vampires
Rock.
There's conversation about early
songs, including of course 'It's
A Mystery', and acting roles,
including Quadrophenia.
Please click on the screenshot or
logo below to visit the Hot-Disc
website. There are links on the
site (or in our news update
below) to watch the full
interview.
.Kent On
Sunday: Review - Devilishly
Entertaining
.Sunday
11th October, 2009 • Thanks to
Michael.......................Magazines
Yes!
Hot on the heels of 'GScene' and
'The Guide', it's another pretty
amazing Toyah/Devil Queen cover.
This is the 'Review' supplement
from 'Kent on Sunday', published
on 27th September.
Toyah Willcox Rocks As A
Scorned Vampire
Hell Hath No Fury... Toyah
Willcox is vamping up her career
The thought of Toyah Willcox clad
in tight-fitting leather could be
a vision of heaven for many of
her fans.
But for her latest role, Willcox
plays a devastating creature from
hell as she struts her stuff in
the red hot musical Vampires
Rock. Alongside co-star Steve
Steinman, she models some
eye-popping costumes and belts
out classic rock songs in the
guise of a 2,000-year-old Devil
Queen.
"At 51 years of
age, I'm kind of made for this
role," she said. "The
story is set way in the future,
in New York, at a nightclub run
by vampires and the lead
character wants to trade in his
2,000-year-old wife for a younger
version."
This could be the ultimate
demonstration of the fact that
hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned. More importantly, it
gives Willcox and the rest of the
cast opportunities to sing
popular hits by the likes of Led
Zeppelin, AC/DC, Queen, Meat
Loaf, Suzi Quatro and many more.
Read the full
fantastic feature here, and click here for a larger
version of this latest Toyah
magazine cover.
The Official Toyah
Willcox Discography has been
updated, with the
"Collaborations"
section now having further info
on The Humans releases. This
includes details on the highly
rare 'These Boots Are Made For
Walkin' one-track promo CD.
The Humans debut single, released
exclusively as a digital
download, is available at iTunes here.
.Vampires
Rock - Toyah Performs Live And
Let Die
.Sunday
11th October, 2009 • Thanks to
Nikki......................Music/Theatre
Toyah
performs the Wings James Bond
70's classic 'Live And Let Die'
during Vampires Rock at
the Opera House, Blackpool on
Tuesday 6th October.
Toyah's
iconic and timeless 'Brave New
World' video was part of the
"rage gets HAIRY"
playlist special yesterday on ABC
Australia.
rage is getting hairy on Saturday
the 10th October! A follicle
focused special showing some of
the crazy and wonderful hair
styles sported in music videos!
Notable hairdos will be all the
rage so get ready for a load of
clips featuring untamed manes,
manicured moustaches, mullets,
perms, signature styles, afros,
baldies, beehives, weaves and
more.
Featured artists include A Flock
Of Seagulls, The Cure, 4 Non
Blondes, B-52s, Coolio, Cyndi
Lauper, Boy George, The Prodigy,
Bjork, Peaches, Bob Marley,
Sinead O’Connor, Spilt Enz,
Super Furry Animals, Ludacris, ZZ
Top, Beck and many more!
On rage from 10.00am Saturday
morning on ABC1 (if you sleep in
and miss it flick on ABC2 at
5.00pm for an encore) then tease
your hair and tune in from
11.25pm Saturday night on ABC1.
Last
night's Casualty is now
available to watch online at BBC
iPlayer. This will be there to
view until next Saturday, just
before the next Casualty
episode airs.
• After two
successful shows at the Palace
Theatre in Newark, Vampires
Rock plays the Sunderland
Empire tonight.
• To the right: Four
vamptastic Toyah covers. The
Devil Queen look is now becoming
so familiar it will surely be
joining some of Toyah's other
iconic images from through her
career. Please click on the
picture for a larger version of
thse covers.
• Playlist News: 'It's A
Mystery' was included on 'Dublin
City FM 103.2' in their
"Morning Live Drive"
playlist on Friday 2nd October. A
variety of Toyah songs also
continue to be played
sporadically on 'Star 107.9'.
(Thanks to Minna)
• Toyah on TV: Quadrophenia
: Sky Movies Modern Greats -
Thursday 15th October : 10.10pm
.Devilishly
Entertaining - Soon!
.Saturday
10th October, 2009 • Thanks to
Michael....................Magazines
Check back
tomorrow for yet another great
magazine with Toyah's Devil Queen
as the cover star. Along with the
interview with Toyah that
accompanies it.
Welcome to One To
Watch. We pick out the best of
the day's TV programmes across
terrestrial and digital so you
don't have to.
Casualty (BBC One,
9.25pm): We're used to
famous faces occasionally turning
up at Holby in desperate need of
treatment - and there's another
one to look forward to this week.
Toyah Willcox has been a
performer for more than 30 years,
originally bursting onto the
scene as part of the punk
movement. She was an
anti-establishment figure, but is
now regarded by fans as a
national treasure - certainly
back in 1979, she would never
have dreamed of appearing in a
prime-time medical drama.
But times change. Toyah also once
claimed that she liked scripts
"the wackier the
better", so brace yourselves
Casualty fans, because this
edition could be a humdinger to
say the least. She plays Hazel, a
sick mother who, during a fall,
injures her own baby.
Ruth, who's been having doubts
about following a career as a
surgeon, impresses Sarah Evans
with her skills while operating
on the ill youngster. But as
she's pregnant herself, Ruth
feels torn - should she
concentrate on her career, or
keep the baby?
Review:
Vampires Rock,
Eden Court, Inverness
01 October 2009, By CM
Toyah
adds star appeal to crypt
classics
A show that does exactly what it
says on the coffin lid,
"Vampires Rock" has
enough classic rock anthems to
fill a crypt along with a
splattering of non-scary gore and
a mild bit of sleaze.
Calling it a musical though is
stretching the case. This is no
"Rocky Horror". The
plot is so slight that it
evaporates not far into the
second half and the company gets
on with the business of belting
out familiar rock numbers by an
eclectic collection of artists
from AC/DC and Alice Cooper to
Bonnie Tyler and Billy Idol and,
given star Steve Steinman's past
life as a tribute act, a decent
helping of Meatloaf.
As innocent singer and Count
Rockula's potential bride
Pandora, Emily Clark delivered a
sassy performance with a powerful
singing voice, but there still
remains a question over Toyah
Willcox's involvement.
Billed as special guest star, her
role hardly stretches her acting
abilities, even if it allows her
to wrap her vocals around more
rocky material than is usually
associated with the former punk
princess. She does, though, add
some welcome star presence to a
production that is a fun night
out if you are in the mood to go
with the flow and forgive its
rough edges.
Read the full review
at the 'Inverness Courier' here.
Review:
Vampires Rock,
Palace Theatre, Newark
08 October 2009, By Patrick
Astill
With flame-throwers,
blood, fireworks and bats, this
show is something of a shameless
romp through some top rock
anthems, with the music of Queen,
Billy Idol, Rainbow, AC/DC,
Bonnie Tyler, and even good old
Suzi Quatro.
The show lent itself well to the
talents of Meat Loaf tribute
artist Steve Steinman (the man
who dreamed it all up) who -
apart from appearing completely
bemused by a quiet audience
during the first half - gave a
solid and passionate performance
as Baron von Rockula, owner of
the Live and Let Die club, who is
searching for a new bride.
The evergreen Toyah Willcox as
The Devil Queen in foxy
skin-tight red leather is a
powerhouse, screaming on to the
stage and putting all her energy
into hits like She Sells
Sanctuary and Live and Let Die.
Toyah turns out to be the star
turn, full of energy, vitality
and cheekiness. Although she's
not the female lead. That's
reserved for Emily Clark as
Pandora Honeybox, who becomes the
object of Rockula's attentions,
annoying his hissing, jealous
queen.
Some of the signposting is rather
tongue in cheek, when characters
utter "it must be the final
countdown", to usher in the
old Europe song, or "I think
you give love a bad name"
(Bon Jovi).
But the audience IS there to have
fun and eventually enter
Steinman's world, with a little
panto banter between stage and
punters developing. A sneaky
section in the second half
invites the audience to stand -
and that's when Newark finally
got into full swing, let its hair
down and enjoyed a rocking good
night.
Review:
Vampires Rock,
Music Hall, Aberdeen
03 October 2009, By Dod M
This musical comedy
is set in the year 2030, the city
is New York, the undead are among
us and livelier than ever!
Steve Steinman, with his unique
tongue in cheek humor, plays
Baron Von Rockula, owner of the
Live and Let Die Club.
Explosions and flames start the
show with the entrance of dancing
vampires in sexy corsets.
The story line is of Pandora a
naive young girl looking to star
in a rock band but ends up in the
wrong part of town where vampires
lurk and is persuaded to come
back and meet Baron Von Rockula,
who falls in love with her and
wants her to be his bride but his
current devil queen played by
punk idol Toyah Willcox, is not
too impressed as you could
imagine.
All the crowd is
enthralled, many make the effort
to dress up and by the end of the
evening all are standing up from
their seats and dancing.
The Three
To Tango website has
recently undergone a major
redesign. The site, which looks
great, includes photos of Toyah
throughout, an extensive gallery
of photos from the film's shoot,
and much more. Click here (or below) to visit
the site, and here for larger versions
of a few of the Toyah photos.
• A new video
clip of Toyah has been added to
the Three To Tango page
at YouTube. Toyah talks about the
film and the Breakthrough Cancer
charity. View the video at Three
To Tango Facebook here, or YouTube here.
• Brümilda van
Rensburg, who plays Olivia in Three
To Tango, is interviewed in
the latest issue of 'SA Promo'
magazine. Read the full interview
online here.
• The Three
To Tango website has been
completely revamped (see news
item above). Visit it here.
• The 'Camden
New Journal' published a short
article on the film last week.
Read that here.
• A reminder
that the Three To Tango
charity preview screening takes
place on 20th October, with Toyah
and cast & crew attending.
There are a limited number of
tickets available. This is in
support of the Breakthrough
Cancer charity. Please click here for further details
on the Three To Tango
event.
.Newark
Advertiser - Raunchier Look For
Rock Return
Cult
musical, Vampires Rock, is
returning to the Palace Theatre,
Newark, — and its guest
star, Toyah Willcox, promises to
be raunchier and rockier than
ever.
The show, at the Palace on
Thursday (October 8) and a week
today (October 9) features Steve
Steinman, of Newark, as Baron Von
Rockula. Set in New York in 2030,
the undead are among the audience
and the Baron is in search of a
new young bride.
Toyah said: “I am looking
forward to being back at the
Palace as I had so much fun there
last time.
“This time I have got
different songs to sing such as
Live And Let Die, School’s
Out, Rebel Yell, Shot Through The
Heart, Sweet Child, Changes and
Knocking On Heaven’s Door.
“I have got some new
costumes too — two suits of
armour, three pairs of killer
10ins shoes and some surprises,
and yes, they are all a tight
fit, as usual.
“The show is really great
fun. There’s never a dull
moment and the audience’s
reaction wherever we go is just
fantastic.”
As well as touring with the show,
Toyah has filmed an episode of
Casualty, which can be seen on
October 10, finished the film
Three To Tango, and has released
the single, These Boots Are Made
For Walkin’ with her band,
The Humans.
One of the
best Toyah interviews/articles
for a while. Written by someone
who actually knows about Toyah's
music career. Read the full
feature here or by clicking
below. Click here for the stunning
cover of 'The Guide' featuring
Toyah.
Toyah mania returned
to Edinburgh on Monday night,
with Toyah literally being mobbed
post-show at the Vampires
Rock store/signing session.
Not since the Toyah band played
Edinburgh Playhouse in the early
80's have such scenes been
witnessed! Vampires Rock
plays Newark Palace tonight and
tomorrow.
.Radio
Borders - Toyah Willcox Interview
with Hugh Brown
.Thursday
8th October, 2009 • Thanks to
Stephen.......................Interview
A new
interview with Toyah, talking to
Hugh Brown of 'Radio Borders'.
Watch below or double click
either to view at YouTube. Full
run time is 19m12s.
.
Toyah Willcox shot
to fame in the punk era but since
those heady days she's been
involved in all areas of the
entertainment business. As an
actress her appearance in the
ground-breaking movie
"Quadrophenia" was a
memorable one. During her run on
the "Vampires Rock"
tour she spoke with Radio
Borders' Hugh Brown. Two part
interview at YouTube by
www.hotdisc.net
.TV Choice:
Saturday - Casualty
.Thursday
8th October, 2009 • Thanks to
Minna........................Press Clips
'TV Choice' magazine
have published a small photograph
of Toyah and listed Casualty
as their "Today's
Choice" for Saturday.
Toyah Willcox guest stars in
tonight's episode of the hospital
drama as a mum who brings her
baby into Holby's emergency unit
with head injuries following a
fall - Casualty: BBC1
9.25pm
Please click on the mini-article
to view a larger version.
This episode, subtitled
"Comfort Zone", is the
6th (of 49) of Series 24 of Casualty.
It will be available to watch at
BBC iPlayer as of 10.15pm this
Saturday.
Visit the Official BBC Casualty
page for this episode here.
Eighties punk rocker
Toyah Willcox will take to the
stage alongside a spellbinding
cast at Grimsby Auditorium on
October 28 – in the gory but
humorous production of Vampires
Rock.
With the recent success of
vampire-romance flick Twilight
and similar films and TV dramas,
it's no surprise the show –
starring Steve Steinman as Baron
Von Rockula – has already
sold out in venues across the
country.
The musical, which has been
touring for five years, sees
Toyah in the role of the Devil
Queen.
The actress and singer, who
turned 50 this year, dons a saucy
leather costume in the show, set
in New York in 2030. Toyah stays
in shape by doing pilates and
sticks to singing in the show,
rather than dancing.
"The show has acquired a
cult following and it's a bit
like the Rocky Horror Picture
Show," she said. "We
did 60 shows last year and there
is a full band on stage. The
musical doesn't cut any
corners."
"The story is very funny and
about 60 per cent of the audience
come dressed up. It's a fantastic
night out."
The production follows the tale
of Von Rockula, who owns the Live
And Let Die Club. In search of a
bride, he must convince his
chosen one to agree to eternal
immortality and be his queen.
The show includes classic rock
songs by AC/DC, Guns 'N' Roses,
Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi and Queen.
Toyah said: "It's a real
feel-good show and if you like
rock and roll, this musical is
definitely for you."
Tickets for Vampires Rock cost
£20 or £19 for children,
students and senior citizens.
Call Grimsby Auditorium on 0844
8472426. To find out more about
Toyah, visit www.
toyahwillcox.com
.Edinburgh
Evening News: The Guide - Vampire
Rock Queen
Another great Vampires
Rock/Devil Queen magazine
cover for Toyah: 'The Guide', the
entertainment supplement to the
'Edinburgh Evening News'.
This was published on Friday 2nd
October and included a two-page
Toyah interview/feature inside:
Toyah gets her teeth
into a new band
IEYA! The vampires are swarming,
rocking their way towards
Edinburgh and The Humans are hot
on their heels.
Which can mean just one thing,
Toyah Willcox is heading to town
with a show to star in and an
album to launch.
The latter sees the diminutive
star - just 4ft 10ins in her
stockinged feet - teamed up with
REM's Bill Rieflin and guitarist
Chris Wong, deconstructing pop as
The Humans, while the former
brings her to the Playhouse on
Monday, to rock out as the
Vampire Queen in Steve Steinman's
Vampire's Rock.
"Steve had been asking me to
do Vampire's Rock for a couple of
years," says Willcox, who
makes a number of special guest
appearances on each tour.
"Eventually I decided to
give it a try because I like the
music and I must admit, I have a
lot of fun doing it."
Featuring rock anthems from the
likes of AC/DC, Guns 'N' Roses,
Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, Meat
Loaf, Joan Jett and Queen,
Vampires Rock is a musical
comedy. Set in New York in 2030,
Steinman is the charismatic but
evil Baron Von Rockula, owner of
the Live and Let Die Club.
A vampire in search of a new
bride, the Baron must convince
his chosen one to agree to
eternal life as his new queen.
Willcox is his less than happy
current queen.
"Everyone on the stage has
an amazing voice and the band is
just staggering," adds the
actress, singer, TV presenter and
author, who has become a regular
visitor to the Capital.
She first toured here in 1979 as
a flame-haired punk rock star,
appearing with her eponymous band
at the legendary Tiffany's. As
her star continued to rise she
graduated to the larger Odeon in
1981, before selling-out the
3000-seat Playhouse less than 12
months later.
Click on the mag
cover above for a larger version
of this.
A Toyah
interview/feature, on The Humans,
from Birmingham's 'Sunday
Mercury'. This was published on
20th September.
If you just love Brummie pop icon
Toyah Willcox for her 1980s hits,
then you’re in for a rude
awakening. If you thought she was
wonderful as Calamity Jane, and
adore her on the panto stage,
look away now. Because the 51
year-old singer and actress has a
new band so darkly disturbing
that it will send the unwary
running for cover. The Humans
comprise Toyah, husband guitarist
Robert Fripp, bass virtuoso
ChrisWong and REM drummer Bill
Rieflin. But don’t expect an
easy ride. From the album insert
image of a porcelain baby doll
smoking a cigarette to a setlist
of songs suggesting the future is
bleak, this is edgy.
Remember the way Bowie
deconstructed pop in Low and
Lodger? Toyah pulls off the same
trick, only more so. “I love
European film noir,” she
says. “It’s a love
affair reflected in the album.
It’s bleak territory
exploring the deeper emotions
that are only hinted at on the
surface. “We’ve
stripped down the traditional pop
song, then rebuilt it, adding
things you don’t hear on
first listen, but which later
creep up and surprise you.”
Certainly, the band’s taster
single, a cover of Nancy
Sinatra’s These Boots Are
Made For Walkin’
doesn’t prepare you for the
stark sonic surrounds of the main
course. And what about that doll?
“Despite all the efforts of
the NHS, and news coverage of the
importance of a healthy
lifestyle, the tobacco industry
causes more damage than anything
else on the planet,” she
says. “We had to use the
doll because in the USA,
you’re not allowed to show
images of people smoking. And
it’s more disturbing,
too.” We Are The Humans is
released tomorrow, a second album
has already been written, and
they’ll tour in February
next year. The real Toyah is
back.
By Paul Cole. Please click on the
picture to view a larger version
of the article.
THE HUMANS, Toyah
Willcox’s remarkable new
band, will perform a trio of
headline UK dates next year.
The band - featuring
Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin (REM)
and Chris Wong with a special
guest appearance from the
legendary Robert Fripp, will
perform at Leamington Spa
Assembly on 22 February,
Cambridge Junction on 23 February
and The Scala, London on
Wednesday 24 February.
The shows are the
first time in 20 years that
Toyah has shared a UK stage with
her husband Robert Fripp. The
last time was when their 1989
band, Sunday All Over The World,
played a handful of UK dates.
THE HUMANS comprise
a very different musical
direction for Toyah, not
surprising given the band line-up
with their own individual
musical backgrounds. Their
first single “These Boots
Are Made For Walkin” has
just been released along with
their debut album “We Are
The Humans”. Both the album
and single are available for
digital download through iTunes,
Amazon, Play.com, HMV, Tesco and
all good digital download stores.
A new physical CD edition of the
album will be available from
mid-October from www.remembertheeighties.com
THE HUMANS -
In Concert
feat Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin
& Chris Wong + special guest
Robert Fripp
Tickets for for all
three dates are on sale
now. Tickets are priced £18
for the 22nd and 23rd and £18.50
for the 24th. They are available
from the following outlets:
Review:
Vampires Rock,
The Edinburgh Playhouse
06 October 2009, By Josie Balfour
*****
Catalogue of classics gives
this vampire show real bite
Through Vampires Rock a whole new
level of obscure pub quiz trivia
has been born. After all, even
the most knowledgeable musical
theatre buff would be hard
pressed to find a way to link
Roman Polanski, a Broadway flop
with Michael Crawford at the
helm, Toyah Willcox and a
contestant from Stars in their
Eyes. Yet through a unique chain
of events involving the
Polanski-directed German musical
Tanz der Vampire, former Meatloaf
impersonator Steve Steinman has
found a way to indulge his love
of rock while earning enough to
pay the rent.
If it hadn't been for the failure
of Tanz der Vampire's English
translation to the New York
stage, then there wouldn't have
been room for Steinman to pick up
the themes of the play and build
his own rock tribute based on
several of composer Jim
Steinman's (no relation) works.
While both shows feature
vampires, Jim Steinman's hit
Total Eclipse of the Heart and a
penchant for bondage gear; Steve
Steinman's production plays out
as a tribute to some of the
greatest rockers of our time
rather than as a musical in
itself.
In fact, Vampires Rock has no
discernible narrative, the set
looks like a Kiss concert
leftover and the choreography
could be described only as heavy
metal by numbers.
But then, it's not about what the
show is lacking, as what it's got
in buckets – and that's
attitude. Particularly with Toyah
Willcox storming the stage as a
disgruntled, PVC clad Vampire
Queen.
Set in Baron Von Rockula's
nightclub in 2030, the hunt is on
to find a new singer to take the
place of the Vampire Queen.
Sneaking out of school for the
audition is naïve Pandora (Emily
Clark), blissfully unaware of the
Baron's nefarious plans for her.
What follows is a set list of
some of Britain's favourite
anthems linked tenuously by a
series of themed skits saved from
the bargain basement comedy bin
only by the pantomime banter
Steinman, as the Baron, shares
with the audience. The punters
lapped it up for what it was, a
kitsch, tongue-in-cheek night out
singing along to some old
favourites.
With a good band and outstanding
vocal performances from Steinman,
Willcox and Clark, the performers
ripped through Killer Queen, It's
A Mystery, School's Out and Since
You've Been Gone as a first half
warm up.
Opening the second half with
AC/DC's Hell Bells, featuring a
prodigious guitar solo, the show
got into full swing as it worked
its way through White Wedding,
Poison and I Love Rock And Roll
to Steinman's standalone
rendition of Bat Out of Hell.
Ending on an encore of Knocking
on Heaven's Door, one couldn't
help but wonder if some of the
audience hadn't touched a little
bit of paradise themselves.
The Official
Toyah website has been
updated, with Toyah's October
2009 Blog. Read up on all the
latest from Toyah, including The
Humans, Vampires Rock,
and Three To Tango.
There's also a News
page update, with info on The
Humans' concerts, just announced
for 2010, Three To Tango,
and Casualty.
The Calendar has
also been updated, and a new
photo of Toyah, from The Humans'
'Bootz' session, has been added. The Humans
MySpace and The Official
Toyah MySpace have also been
updated.
.The Paul
Franks Show - Toyah Radio
Interview
.Wednesday
7th October, 2009 • Thanks to
Phil................Radio/Interview
Toyah was
interviewed on The Paul
Franks Show on BBC Radio
West Midlands last week. She
talked about numerous aspects of
her career in an entertaining
chat.
This may still be available to
listen to here but possibly not
for much longer. For those of
you, like me, who missed this, a
full transcript of the interview
is available at The Toyah
Willcox Interview Archive.
Toyah talks about
The Humans, Estonia, the 80's
"revival", Robert, Vampires
Rock, acting, Three To
Tango, and much more.
•
Toyah was mentioned in a huge
article in Saturday's 'Guardian':
Spandau Ballet, the Blitz
Kids and the birth of the New
Romantics. Read this
interesting feature here.
• ITV1's Loose
Women celebrated their 10th
birthday with special shows last
week. They included a montage of
all 87 Loose Women
presenters. This included Toyah,
who, for just one show, was a LW
presenter.
• On Friday the
'Daily Star' reported on the NME
Radar Tour, likening the lead
singer of Marina & The
Diamonds to Toyah: "Marina
And The Diamonds, however, is
primed for household name status.
A beautiful bundle of hair armed
with a voice switching from
fragile falsetto to full-on
banshee wail at the drop of a
lazy eyelid. She’s like a
21st Century Toyah (without the
lisp) mixed with a dash of Kate
Bush's other-worldly
quality." Read the full
article here.
• Another Vampires
Rock article: This from
Friday's 'Dumfries & Galloway
Standard' - Lose Your Soul To
Rock 'N' Roll - Read it
online here.
• The 80's
Rewind Festival, of which Toyah
was a highlight this year, have
announced another weekend of
concerts for 2010, again taking
place at Henley on Thames on
20-22 August. No artists have yet
been comfirmed.
• Toyah/The
Humans are included in the latest
news update at 'Remember The
Eighties'. Visit RTE here.
• There's a new
Toyah Video MySpace, with lots of
videos and fantastic Toyah
pictures to browse through.
Lovingly created by Minna of The Toyah
Willcox Interview Archive. Visit it here.
• The 'Sunday
Mercury' ran a feature on the
Humans recently. Check back to
Dreamscape soon to see this.
• Toyah was the
cover star of the 'Edingurgh
Evening News' supplement 'The
Guide' last Friday, with a great
two page interview/feature
inside. I'll also be adding this
to the site very soon.
.Toyah on TV
- Casualty
.Wednesday
7th October, 2009 • Thanks to
Minna.....................Television
A photo of Toyah
from this Saturday's episode of Casualty.
She plays Hazel, the mother of a
baby brought into casualty with
head injuries resulting from a
fall.
Casualty airs this
Saturday night on BBC1 at 9.25pm
and will be available to view
online, for a week, immediately
after it airs on BBC iPlayer..
Toyah Willcox is one of the
UK’s most easily
recognisable household names.
She’s the wild punk/new-wave
queen whose late-70s/80s music
was the rallying call to a
generation who discovered through
the outspoken star that
individuality was a positive
attribute in a world of
conformity and blandness. It made
her an essential addition to any
self-respecting punk's record
collection and gave her gay icon
status. From punk and Shakespeare
to the Teletubbies and everything
in between, she is hardly ever
off our TV screens and still
refuses to succumb to the
expectations of age and gender.
This Halloween sees Toyah on
stage at the Brighton Centre in
one of the UK’s largest
touring shows: VAMPIRES ROCK. She
stars as the Devil Queen, a role
that seems to fit the
singer/actress like a glove.
“The Devil Queen is a great
role to play,” she enthuses.
“Being evil is so much more
fun than being nice!”
Indeed, being evil is a theme
that runs right through the
spectacular rock show. It has a
cult following, playing to packed
houses of dressed-up, fullyfanged
vampire lovers. In fact, it is a
phenomenon that has seen critics
liken it to The Rocky Horror Show
for its tongue-in-cheek audience
participation and fanatical
following. Vampires Rock is a
show full of pyrotechnics and
special effects and is packed
with some of the best classic
rock songs. “My favourite
song to sing in the whole show is
‘Rebel Yell’,”
says Toyah, whose gutsy vocals
are perfect for the rock music
genre. Toyah also doesn’t
disappoint in the costume
department, wearing a constantly
changing wardrobe of skin-tight
lycra, body armour and horns.
“The costumes are great to
wear,” she says.
“They’re an extention
of me.”
Toyah is no stranger to
outrageous outfits, being famous
for her groundbreaking images of
the ’80s that found her
favourably compared to rock
chameleon David Bowie.
“Vampires Rock in Brighton
this Halloween will be the best
night of the whole tour!”
enthuses Toyah. Hordes of fanged
fans are set to descend on the
seafront venue for a rocking
night of bloodsucking mayhem,
making it THE Halloween stage
attraction in the city. As if
touring with a rock musical
wasn’t enough, Toyah has
also recently starred in a new
movie Three To Tango, released a
solo album In The Court Of The
Crimson Queen to much critical
acclaim, and has also released an
album under the name of The
Humans with collaborators Bill
Rieflin (of REM) and Chris Wong,
which is making waves in the UK,
US and Europe. The Humans have
released their first single on
iTunes – a sexy,
guitar-driven version of Nancy
Sinatra’s These Boots Are
Made For Walking with special
guest artist, the legendary
Robert Fripp of King Crimson.
There seems to be no stopping
Toyah the Devil Queen – long
may she reign!
The seventh show of
the new Vampires Rock tour
takes place tonight at Inverness
Eden Court. This is sold out.
It's the start of a very busy
October for Vampires Rock.
Over the next week the show plays
Dunfermline Alhambra tomorrow
night, Aberdeen Music Hall on
Saturday, Edinburgh Playhouse on
Monday (5th Oct), Blackpool Opera
House next Tuesday (6th Oct), and
Newark Palace on Thursday (8th
Oct).
.Press &
Journal - A Rocking Show To Get
Your Teeth into
A new Toyah
interview from 'Aberdeen Press
& Journal':
For a show with
plenty of bite, it’s hard to
beat Vampires Rock, which returns
to Inverness and Aberdeen for the
second time in under a year,
writes Susan Welsh
It says something when less than
a year after playing to sellout
crowds, a show returns to the
same cities for a second bite
– and immediately sells out
again.
When it comes to a show with
plenty of bite, nothing beats
Vampires Rock, the
tongue-in-cheek horror musical
starring legendary 80s singer
Toyah Willcox.
“There’s something
about Scottish audiences and
vampires that seems to send them
over the edge,” said Toyah.
“You’ve got to look at
the Scottish culture, to see why.
You have some fantastic writers
in your history, so perhaps the
romanticism of vampires is the
blood and DNA of the Scots.”
“It is very interesting that
this show does sell out
everywhere it plays in Scotland,
which is great for us.”
Toyah revealed that the show,
which visits Eden Court Theatre,
Inverness, tonight and
Aberdeen’s Music Hall on
Saturday, has seen a few little
changes made since it was here
last November.
“I can’t tell you what
the changes are, as that would
spoil it for the audience, but I
can say they are really, really
good and have heightened the
show, adding more energy and
plenty of the feel-good
factor,” said Toyah.
One alteration which can be
mentioned is the number of
Toyah’s costume changes.
“I set out with the
intention of simplifying my
costume changes for this tour,
but somehow I managed to do the
complete opposite,” she
said. “There are two sets of
armour, eight actual costume
changes, three sets of thigh-high
boots and a silver and gold
thong.
“I’ve ended up with
four new outfits, which shows my
attempts to simplify just
haven’t worked –
it’s just as complex as
before.
“In fact, I’d go as far
as saying I’ve made things
worse, but the costumes look
good, so I’m sticking with
it.”
Dreamscape's
Toyah news for August 2009 has
now been archived. Look back at
The Humans' 'Bootz' teaser, Toyah
playing the 'Here & Now'
Festival in Whitehaven and 80's
Rewind Festival in Henley,
interviews with 'High Spirit',
'Whitehaven News', 'BBC News', Junglophilia,
the first release of Urgh! A
Music War on DVD,
Dreamscape's 'In The Court Of The
Crimson Queen' feature, and much
more.
Overnight viewing
figures for last Saturday's TV
schedules had Casualty
with 4.61m, a 19.3% share of the
overall audience. This figure
will most probably rise when
official figures are released
next week.
A photo of Toyah
from this Saturday's episode of Casualty.
The full
'GScene' Toyah feature:
![[ Celebrating Three Classic Toyah Albums - & 30 Years Of Toyah as a Recording Artist! ]](tyom09nb.jpg)
![[ SUPERFEATURE: 25 Years of The Changeling ]](change25ad.gif)
![[ TOYAH50 - Dreamscape Mini-Site ]](t50adb.jpg)
![[ Toyah's Magic Patch - Travel in Time & Space with Toyah! ]](tmpad09.jpg)
![[ SUPERFEATURE: Jubilee - Toyah is Mad! ]](jubileead07.jpg)
![[ SUPERFEATURE: Toyah's GLITTERing beginning! ]](glitterad07.gif)