Dreamscape: A Toyah Willcox Fansite [www.toyah.net] :
somewhere in the distance : archived Toyah news for the
month of June 2005
June
30, 2005: 'Snow White & The
Seven Dwarfs' - Not just hear'say |
Thanks
to one of my friends, who works
for the Ambassador's Theatre
Group, who has informed me that
Toyah's 2005 panto co-stars,
confirmed by the Milton Keynes
Theatre yesterday, are Richard
O'Brien and (ex-Hear'Say singer)
Suzanne Shaw. Not only
that, but, apparently, Richard
has it written in his contract
that, somewhere in the show, he
must perform 'The Timewarp'!!!
The
names previously being discussed
to appear alongside Toyah were
(believe it or not) Don 'Miami
Vice' Johnson and Martine
McCutcheon.
|
June
30, 2005: 'Fitness First'
magazine - New Romantic |
Toyah is
interviewed, in a three-page
special, in the 'Fitness First'
magazine's Summer 2005 issue. In a
career spanning almost 30 years
Toyah Willcox has been a
succesful recording artist, film
and stage actor, writer and
businesswoman. She talks to
Fitness First about beauty, image
and writing her compellingly open
and honest account of her recent
facelift.
Q.
We live in a very image-obsessed
age and on one hand, some might
see this as evidence of our
shallowness, others might argue
that failing to make the effort
to look one's best indicates
somehow a lack of self-respect or
ambition. Do you feel that
society should place so much
importance on image and do you
think this puts too much pessure
on people - particularly the
young?
A.
Society has placed importance on
image from as far back as the
Pharaos. Image has set Kings and
Queens apart from the comon
hordes throughout the centuries
therefor it is only natural in
all cultures for people to
question if their image reflects
their successes in life, whether
it be in finding a mate, or
getting a job or in getting a
role in a movie. There is nothing
shallow about self-appearance
because I believe it is natural
to care about one's looks.
Do
we put too much importance on
image? Only when obsessed with an
unnatural level of perfection. I
do get despondent with the media
for selling us what is beautiful
and what is not, because surely
beauty should be about
celebrating diversity, but it
seems we only get the 'Barbie
doll' images shining happily from
our magazine pages.
I
have always said that if we can
teach our sons to believe they
are leaders from an early age
then we can teach our daughters
the same and that goes for
enforcing self-worth. It is a
crime to give the young the
impression that ageing is
something to fear or to be
ashamed of. That said I neither
fear nor feel shame in the ageing
process I simply want to prolong
a quality of life in an industry
that will always be image
conscious. I love my work and I
love the entertainment industry,
telling me to go away and have
therapy so I can learn to age
gracefully would be like telling
a porn star to have therapy to
remain a virgin. I fully accept
the values of my workplace.
Q.
In Diary Of A Facelift you
recount a story about how,
despite Katharine Hepburn's
incredible talent her earliest
reviews were all (negatively)
about her appearance. Did you
feel that your own achievements
over the years were being
sidelined by the public's
preoccupation with looks?
A.
It is true that in recent years
my looks dominated my
achievements when it came to
critical comment. You say in your
question 'the public's comments'
- the public have nothing to do
with this, they are passive
readers. The comments I received
were media reaction, people who
decided it was more worthwhile to
say I looked 'haggard' than to
say 'wow what a great
performance', that's life, it
doesn't alter my talent,
Iam still talented, it doesn't
alter my ambition, I am still
ambitious, and all it does is
stop me buying the newspapers and
buy their rivals instead.
Q.
Fitness First recently
commissioned a survey that
revealed that 15 per cent of
British people would be prepared
to pay over £10,000 to wake up
tomorrow and find their body in
the best shape it could possibly
be. Do you feel that beauty will
become more viewed as a
commodity?
A.
I find it surprising that only 15
per cent said this, I thought it
would be more like 60 per cent.
undoubtedly to some, beauty is a
commodity, I can think of a
hundred examples and not all of
them are flattering. But what I
have undergone is not about
beauty it is about 'freshening
up' and liberating myself from a
potential 40 years of ageist
reviews and comments such as 'are
you angry?', 'have you been
crying?', and 'are you not
well?'. I'm 46 I have at least
another 40 years in me and I want
those years to be happy, after
all I have worked for it and have
saved for it, so is beauty
increasingly going to be seen as
a commodity, yes - but I have
news for you - it has been since
printing was invented.
Q.
You refer to Sharon Osbourne and
Debbie Harry as being the only
people prepared to admit their
cosmetic surgery. Why do you
think there is so much more
stigma attached to facial surgery
as opposed to say, breast
enhancement?
A.
I admire them for being honest
and admitting to surgery in a
hostile environmant. Breast
implants are asscoiated with
young women and latest fashion
and face lifts are associated
with sad, ageing women, now that
is what I call shallow. Face
lifts have been around for over a
century and have almost
exclusively been the practice of
the super-rich.
In
recent years surgery has improved
to the point that one need never
have to admit to having had it
because it's all starting to look
natural (in the good cases). The
danger here is that if we don't
talk about it, misinformed women
could go to 'cowboys' for surgery
and we need to regulate this
industry. Also we need to
eradicate from our minds that
ageing means we step outside of
society. Personally I have never
been more qualified in life to
work and advise and I am showing
no signs of slowing down. We have
all seen in the space of a few
years that the 30's are becoming
the new 20's and 40's becoming
the new 30's, we are all
remaining healthier longer, this
will mean we will remain sexually
active longer and I don't know
anyone who has sex and doesn't
care about their image.
Q.
Having your Diary published was
an extremely brave and possibly
risky step - was your motivation
to achieve some sort of catharsis
or a genuine desire to help
others by recounting your
experiences and your delight with
the obvious positive result?
A.
I wrote the book because if I see
another advert for a beauty
product with a
surgically-enhanced model
promoting it, I will scream and
if I meet another woman who tells
me she looks 10 years younger
than she is, because she drinks
water, I will scream again.
Surgery is very, very common. It
needs to enter our every day
vocabulary in order to protect
those who are considering it.
Q.
During your career you have
successfully reinvented yourself
on numerous occasions and it is
quite evident that you are
thrilled with both your
appearance and your self image at
the moment - do you have any more
surprises left for us?
A.
Do I have any other surprises
left? Well of course. Where there
is secrecy there is the element
of surprise, just watch this
space.
Diary
Of A Facelift by Toyah Willcox is
avaialble at all good bookshops
priced £14.99 in illustrated
hardback.
It
includes a detailed appendix of
practical advice aimed at anyone
considering or about to undergo
facial surgery.
Many
thanks to Steven Askey for this
article.
|
June
28, 2005: Vote for Toyah - Best
Ever Female Punk Singer poll |
Vote for
Toyah in the 'Psycho' website's
Punk Polls . She is doing fairly
well so far. You can visit the
site daily and vote for Toyah.
However please don't multiple
vote as these will be invalid and
could lead to Toyah being
disqualified from the list. "The
Punk polls are continuing to get
hits daily and we will give you a
monthly provisional top ten of
each poll chart. Dont forget you
can vote daily in each of the
polls. Multiple voting for one
act on the one day from any PC,
which will be identified by its
IP number, will result in these
votes deemed invalid and removed
from the poll."
Apparently
the website will soon have
"The Psycho
Interviews", which will be
exclusive one on one interviews
with the leading names in the
Punk/Oi music industry.
Please
click on the picture to add your
vote.
|
June
28, 2005: Somewhere In The
Distance! - German Articles |
Meanwhile....
Somewhere In The Distance...
1981/82 to be precise... Toyah
brings a riot of colour to German
magazines! These
amazing looking features,
including rare pictures rarely
seen in the UK at the time of
publication, took Toyah and her
various early Eighties images to
Europe.
Apologies!!
I cannot speak even ein wort of
German so I haven't a clue what
the articles say.
The
first article, including a small
but cool pic of the Toyah band of
the time, is titled "Rock
Hexe Toyah".
The
second, which I (most probably
incorrectly) translated as
"Make-up and fashion tips
from Toyah", is a
reproduction of an original
"Toyah fashion" feature
that was published in 'Jackie'
magazine in mid 1982. Whether it
uses the same text I'm not sure
but it probably does.
More
soon. And a HUGE THANKS to Andi
Westhorpe for these.
|
June
26, 2005: Toyah in Blackpool -
"If only my **** could
sing!" |
Toyah
Superfan ;oo Paul
"necronomicon 2000"
Lomas is currently offering other
Toyah superfans the chance to buy
a CD of Toyah's Blackpool PA,
from March of this year, for the
bargainalicious price of £4. Tracklist:
1. Echo Beach, 2. Hanging On The
Telephone, 3. Thunder In The
Mountains, 4. It's A Mystery, 5.
Sweet Child 'O Mine, 6. I Want To
Be Free, 7. River Deep, Mountain
High, 8. Don't Stop Me Now.
As
well as the eight-song
appearance, the CD also has the
bonus tracks 'Don't Stop Me Now'
from Queen Mania and 'Sweet Child
'O Mine' from The Lee Mack Show.
Please
click on the picture to visit the
thread @ the Dreamscape Forum
with info on how to buy a CD.
Paul
offered to donate half the sales
total towards Dreamscape's
webhost bill, but I told him to
go raffle his donut! ;o)
|
June
26, 2005: 'A View Of Wales' -
Toyah: How Green Is My Valley? |
As
mentioned back in January by
Dreamscape, Toyah is featured in
'A View Of Wales' tourist guide,
in a lavish article that includes
great new pictures of her in
Wales. Toyah is also namechecked
on the cover. The
Spring/Summer issue of the Wales
Tourist Board's award-winning
View of Wales
magazine is full of inspirational
articles, including features from
Toyah Willcox, Helen Willetts,
Hazel Irvine, Dr Mark Porter and
respected travel writer Simon
Calder.
How
Green Is My Valley?
Very
green, if you happen to live in
the Vale of Conwy. It's a verdant
swathe of farmland and forest
stretching from the coast of the
foothills of Snowdonia. Not only
that, but along the way there's
Bondant, one of Britain's finest
gardens. Toyah Willcox, an
enthusiast of all things green,
takes a look:
Katharine
Hepburn once said to me that
Wales was the most beautiful
place on Earth. She was referring
to North Wales - Snowdonia to be
precise. According to the
brochures, it's a 'land carved by
glaciers and bathed in mystery,
so much so it will draw you back
time and time again'. Well it has
only taken me 26 years to return,
but I have been somewhat busy. If
I'm not on stage, on the TV or
writing a book I'm probably
starving in the depths of the
Australian jungle or trying to
get the tea stains off my best
porcelain mugs. I don't know how
I do it but I always manage to
forget to have holidays.
Now
I am winding down the A470 from
the coast towards Betws-y-Coed.
It may sound romantic and believe
me, it is! I am on my way through
the Vale of Conwy and thinking I
should have come back sooner.
I
have the grand boast of being
able to say I spent two months in
Betws-y-Coed in 1978 making a
film with the late, legendary
Katharine Hepburn and director
George Cukor. We were filming a
remake of Emlyn William's The
Corn Is Green, a Welsh classic.
Most of our time was spent
waiting for the rain to thin and
the fighter jets from some nearby
air base to stop 'buzzing' us.
but that said, the warmth of the
people and the magnitude of the
natural beauty left an indelible
and delectable mark on my memory.
Now I'm
pulling into the drive of
Tan-y-Foel Country House (the
English pronounce it 'ton of
oil') after a pleasant and not
too long journey from London.
On
first appearances it looks like a
small, well-maintained guest
house, albeit one with
magnificent views over Snowdonia.
Then I step through the front
door and am blown away.
Tan-y-Foel is a little gem.
Take
the snappy modernism of London's
Soho House and the grandeur of
Bath's Ston Easton Park, remove
the stuffiness and pomp of both
and condense them into a
six-bedroom private country house
and you have Tan-y-Foel. The
locals call it the 'posh Japanes
place on the hill'. I call it
'yummy'. It's clean, crisp,
friendly, incredibly relaxing and
plainly adored by the Pitman
family 'mother', father and
daughter' who created it and run
it personally.
I
arrived with the world on my
shoulders, worrying about
misplaced e-mails, VAT accounts
and a leaking immersion tank.
Within five minutes the lot was
forgotten. My only criticism was
that my room was so comfortable
(four-poster bed, large
batheroom, etc, etc) that I could
easily have stayed put and not
walked a single hill.
Next
morning I was greeted by the view
over the rocky peaks of Snowdonia
that gives Scotland, Switzerland
or France a run for their money.
But I wasn't here to climb
mountains but to look at
something a little less wild.
Beneath me lay a beautiful, broad
vale carved by the River Conwy.
It was a garden in itself, with
neat fields and rivermeadows
flanked by hills and forests. My
destination, however, was the
genuine article.
Gardens
spring from the soul, they are
the last true freedom of
expression we have in this day
and age. Within six miles of the
hotel is one the National Trust's
showpiece properties - Bodnant
gardens, 32 hectares of sumptuous
colour laid out in a stunning way
and filled with rhododendrons,
azaleas, camelias, magnolia,
hydrangeas, clematis and
freesias.
So
much pleases the eye here -
almost too much if such a thing
were possible. Don't even try to
spend a few hours at Bodnant.
Think about most of the day,
because this is an experience you
really shouldn't hurry as hectare
upon brilliantly conceived
hectare unfolds before you.
I
almost started off on the wrong
foot, if you are not careful or
vigilant you, like many, could
miss Bodnant's most famous
feature, the Laburnum Arch, which
is immediately on your left as
you enter. Originally planted in
the 1880's in the form of a
curved tunnel, it is an
overwhelming mass of yellow
blooms from mid-May to mid-June.
Strolling
through the arch, surrounded by
reflective golden light thrown
from a galaxy of grape-like
flowers I bumped into a superstar
among gardeners, Martin Puddle,
Bodnant's third-generation Head
Gardener. He wasn't hard to find.
He was the one everyone was
stopping to congratulate on
keeping a garden of such enormity
so pristine.
Martin
walked with me to the five grand
terraces. I stopped in awe.
Bodnant's unique character comes
from the way in which it has used
the fall of the land to such
striking effect, stepping down
the hillside in a sequence of
huge Italianate terraces into the
wooded Dell at the front of
everything.
Ahead
of me was a lily pond the size of
a small football pitch and
tumbling below that was the Rose
Terrace, followed by the Canal
Terrace. And it didn't stop
there! The formality of these
terraces has a counterpint in the
Winter Dell, a delicious mix of
tangled woodland, shrubs and
water features leading to an old
mill.
We stood
in admiration for the great mind
(and income) that created this
homage to Gardener's World.
Bodnant is one of those
fingerprints that the can-do
industrialists of old left on the
land along with satanic mills and
titanic bridges. First on the
scene was Henry Davis Pochin, a
successful chemist (he invented,
of all things, white soap!). But
it was his grandson, the second
Lord Aberconway, who really left
his mark, creating Bodnant's
glorious terraces.
Martin
explained that at one end of the
Canal Terrace was a stage for
outdoor performances and at the
other was the Pin Mill. It didn't
look anything like a mill to me,
even though I am reliably
informed that it once served as a
pin factory. It seemed more like
the 'great big Greek thingy' you
see on the hill as soon as you
enter Athens.
What
I love about this garden is that
surprises like that keep on
coming. Bodnant has so many
levels, literally and
metaphorically. Once you have
explored the Laburnum Arch,
navigated the terraces and
admired the perfectly framed
views across to Snowdonia, you
still have The Dell in which to
delve.
On
the descent I discovered a
magnolia (Magnolia Wilsoni)
growing low enough to the ground
for my short little legs to reach
a bloom and sniff. It has the
most extraordinary fragrance of
passion fruit and vanilla. And,
providing yet another contrast,
in The Dell I had to peer
skywards to see the top of the
largest giant redwood (Sequoia
sempervirens) in Britain, one of
the many magnificent specimens of
200-year-old native and
introduced trees.
After
the splendour and the crowds -
for Bodnant is incredibly popular
- I headed back into the Vale of
Conwy. gardens and gardening are
a passion in these parts. I'd
been told about the small, neat
village of Rowen, just across the
valley. Every two years, the
villagers open up their gardens
to visitors and hill walkers.
Although this won't be happening
again until 2006, it's worth a
visit at any time. Rowen, the
complete opposite to the lavish
wealth of Bodnant, is brimming
with affordable inspiration and
ideas. It's a rare sight in
modern Britain to see such an
unspoilt, timeless village.
there's even a fabulously,
uncrowded tea room - a huge
welcome after the queues st
Bodnant - called Pen-y-Bont where
you can nourish yourself with
everything from chicken breast in
wine to home-made lemon sponge.
And it's cheap but delicious!
Even
though I had by now been
thoroughly spoilt by the vale I
always like to save the best till
last. I have such vivid memories
of filming in Betws-y-Coed I
couldn't wait to return to see if
it had changed in the 26 years
since I was last there.
In
many ways it hadn't. The hotel I
had stayed at looked exactly the
same. But further up into the
town, I couldn't believe the
number of shops - many, many of
them, selling outdoor gear to
crafts. I suppose this is no bad
thing since when I was last here
it was nearly impossible to feed
yourself past sunset. But, one
thing, I'm pleased to report,
hasn't changed - those magical
walks.
Good
walking routes sprout in every
direction from the centre of
town. I chose the Swallow Falls
Walk. I was on my own but still
felt very safe. In this area
there's a huge love of the
outdoors, so wherever you venture
you bump into like-minded people.
The
Swallow Falls Walk takes you
through shaded pine trees where
the heady scent reminded me of a
hot Mediterranean evening. I was
there in the height of summer and
the famous falls were what I
would call friendly, trickling
and welcoming, but I'm sure that
after a serious rainfall the
whole experience would change
dramatically. As the sun started
to fade this was a moment of
bliss. It allowed me to visit old
territory in my memories; of
Katharine Hepburn chatting with
the locals, completely under
their spell; of the film crew
lugging huge lights up the
hillsides to shoot the night
shots; of the phone calls to the
Ministry of Defence asking them
to re-route the fighter jets.
But
my most enduring memory was of
sitting in a field with Miss
Hepburn talking about glamorous
Hollywood and at the sam time
thinking to myself, 'nothing
compares with this'.
The
article also includes a
substantial 'travelfile', with
details on how visitors can
experience everything Toyah did.
Please
click on the cover to go to the
'Visit Wales' website, where you
can request a brochure.
|
June
26, 2005: Toyah on TV - *update* |
The Most Fertile Man
In Ireland : Sky Movies 5 -
Wednesday 29th June : 00.30am
The Most Fertile Man
In Ireland : Sky Movies 3 -
Monday 4th July : 00.25am
The Most Fertile Man
In Ireland : Sky Movies 5 -
Sunday 10th July : 02.05am
Light-hearted comedy
about sex and fertility. A young
man acquires a reputation as a
man with a high sperm count and
is soon in demand to make babies
in Belfast - with both Catholics
and Protestants. Director: Dudi
Appleton. Starring: Kris
Marshall, Bronagh Gallagher,
Kiera Clarke, James Nesbitt,
Kenneth Cranham, Pauline McLynn,
Toyah Willcox, Tara O'Neil, and
Marc O'Shea. Brum
: CBeebies - Saturday 2nd July :
7.20am
Brum : CBeebies -
Saturday 2nd July : 10.20am
Brum : CBeebies -
Sunday 3rd July : 7.20am
Brum : CBeebies -
Sunday 3rd July : 10.20am
Brum and The Airport
Adventure. The adventures of a
little car who lives in a motor
museum, narrated by Toyah
Willcox. When precious gems are
stolen from a famous celebrity at
the airport, Brum is soon on the
trail of the two thieves.
The
Late Edition : BBC2 - Thursday
7th July : 11.50pm
Marcus Brigstocke hosts
the comic topical talk show, with
guests Peter Tatchell and Toyah
Willcox.
|
June
26, 2005: 'Rye & Battle
Observer' - Hastings Beer
Festival |
Fans of versatile
presenter and songstress Toyah
Willcox will be partying in the
park on Saturday, as she heads up
the final evening's festivities,
supported by festival favourites
Utter Madness and The Electric
River Project. And,
don't forget, there are over 50
real ales and lagers to try
between acts...
Tickets
for Friday and Saturday cost £10
and £12 respectively. Gates open
at 6pm and close at 11.15pm. For
booking and information, log on
to www.hbmf.co.uk or call the
ticket hotline on 781128.
[
Source: 'Rye & Battle
Observer' - Saturday 25th June
2005 ]
|
June
26, 2005: 'This is Malvern' -
Toyah adds voice to recycling
call |
Singer and TV presenter
Toyah Willcox was at the
(Operation Target 75) show to
launch a recycling project. Toyah,
who lives in Pershore, is
passionate about recycling.
"It's
so important and it's something
we can all do that makes a real
difference to the planet,"
she said.
She
was particularly keen to stress
the importance of recycling
aluminium: "We sell around
five billion aluminium drinks
cans in Britain every year and
they can be recycled over and
over again."
Toyah
was also keen to involve children
in recycling: "Children seem
to grasp better than adults how
easy it is to do something
important for the planet,"
she said.
The
diminutive star is wholeheartedly
behind Operation Target 75, a
partnership between the local
county and district councils
which aims to increase kerbside
recycling and reduce waste going
in to landfill.
A
special bus with leaflets,
displays and interactive
activities will be touring
Worcestershire and Herefordshire
over the next few weeks.
[
Source: 'This Is Malvern': -
Saturday 25th June 2005 ]
|
June
25, 2005: 'Speak No Evil' -
Volumes 5 - 8: Interview CD's |
I've
just compiled another set of
'Speak No Evil' Toyah interview
CD's, featuring rare and
hard-to-find Toyah interviews and
specials. These
are a follow up to Volumes 1 - 4
from last year.
The
set includes: Radio 1: Rock On:
'The Changeling' interview from
1982. Toyah talks to Mark Ellen
about her new album, aliens,
fairies, her 'Brave New World'
image and much much more. Also
includes a selection of songs
from the album. This is a
fantastic interview about a
fantastic album and Toyah
era.
And
much more...
Special
THANKS to Sean Polley for his
help with these.
If
anyone is interested, please feel
free to email me: david@toyah.net
(it's working again ,at last!)
|
June
25, 2005: Toyah on TV - 'The Late
Edition' |
The
programme Toyah guested on, on
BBC 4 back in late March, Late
Edition, will be shown on BBC
2 early next month. Toyah talks
candidly about her facelift. Highlights
of the interview included Toyah
saying of her facelift:
"Sometimes it is a selfish
act, and I did it because I
wanted to do something. But
having a facelift doesn't stop
you ageing, you're gonna carry on
ageing, nothing will stop that,
but hopefully I'll do it a little
more attractively..."
She
also asked the interviewer,
Marcus Brigstocke, "Am I
boring you shitless?"
He
went on to check behind Toyah's
ear to have a look at her surgey
scars, while she sat on his
knee!
The
Late Edition : BBC2 - Thursday
7th July : 11.50pm
Marcus Brigstocke hosts
the comic topical talk show, with
guests Peter Tatchell and Toyah
Willcox. (BBC Four on BBC Two).
Thanks
to Andrew York for the screen
capture. View more at
Dreamscape's CAPTURED section.
Please click on the picture.
|
June
25, 2005: 'Dr Joshi's Holistic
Detox' |
Toyah is
quoted in a new detox book, just
published: Dr
Joshi's Holistic Detox: 21 days
to a healthier you - for life.
Toyah
Willcox
"You feel
fabulous, fresh and energised for
a long, long time."
Book
Description:
He's the stars' secret
weapon in the battle to stay
healthy, gorgeous and energised.
Now his unique approach to
nutrition and well-being is
available to every one of
us.
Please
click on the book for further
info on it @ Amazon.
|
June
24, 2005: Win 'The Safari Records
Singles Collection' - Volume 1 |
Win one
of three copies of 'The Safari
Records Singles Collection' -
Volume 1, in a new Dreamscape
competition, courtesy of those
generous people at 'Cherry Red
Records'. This
first CD, of two, is a must for
any collection, featuring great
artwork, Toyah discography (Part
One), retro memoribilia, press
adverts and Toyah photographs.
The CD also boasts Toyah tracks
making their debut on the CD
format.
Victims
Of The Riddle Part 1
Victims Of The Riddle
Part 2
Neon womb
Indecision
Waiting
Our Movie
Danced
Last Goodbye
Bird In Flight
Tribal Look
Ieya
The Helium song
Danced (Live)
Ghosts (Live)
Neon Womb (Live)
It's A Mystery
Revelations
Warboys
Angels And Demons
This
from the 'Cherry Red Records'
website:
"Originally
from Birmingham Toyah Willcox was
a professional actress whose film
appearances included Jubilee and
Quadrophenia, when she suddenly
found parallel success as a
highly visual punk/pop singer.
She is now also a frequently seen
TV personality.
The
first in our 2 part series, this
release contains all the 'A' and
'B' sides from the first 6 Toyah
singles. They all reached the Top
10 of the INDIE SINGLES CHART,
and 'It's A Mystery' reached No 1
and was in the Indie Chart for 24
weeks. It also made No 4 in the
official chart.
As
if that wasnt enough for
starters, this brilliant release
also features several tracks that
have never been available on CD
before."
To
enter the competition simply
answer the following:
Q.
What is the name of the
guitarist, and the person who
Toyah cites in the CD sleevenotes
as "the bond I remember
most", who co-wrote many of
Toyah's best songs?
Please
send answers, via email, to: comps@toyah.net
Competition
closes on Sunday 10th July 2005.
Good Luck!
Thanks
again to 'Cherry Red Records' and
Doug Shipton in particular.
|
June
22, 2005: Toyah included on 'This
Is Not Retro, The Eighties Up To
Date' CD |
The
latest compilation including a
Toyah track, 'This Is Not Retro -
The Eighties Up To Date', will be
available from Monday 11th July. This
will be the first time that
Toyah's 2002 single 'Little Tears
Of Love' will be available on a
compilation, which will cost
£12.
This
taken from
www.remembertheeighties.com, who
have compiled the release:
"New
and recent material from NINETEEN
of the artists who helped define
the eighties, including SEVEN
tracks commercially available for
the first time on this
compilation.
Released
on July 11th but available to
preorder in a special limited
edition below.
The
first ONE THOUSAND copies of this
album will be packaged in a
DVD-style case and come with a
twenty-four page booklet.
If
you PREORDER BEFORE July 4th we
will personalise the back cover
for you. Click HERE to preorder a
personalised copy
Subsequent
pressings will be packaged in a
normal CD jewelcase with
sixteen-page booklet and
personalisation will not be
available."
Tracklist
is as follows:
1.
Revolution Of The Heart - Howard
Jones, 2. Tears - Kajagoogoo, 3.
Broken - Peter Cox (Go West), 4.
Scar - Katrina Leskanich
(formerly with Katrina & The
Waves, 5. Close - The Alarm, 6.
American Beauty - Peter Coyle
(formerly with The Lotus Eaters),
7. Let It All Fall - T'Pau, 8.
Pussywhipper - Sigue Sigue
Sputnik, 8. Why So Rude? -
Neville Staple (formerly with The
Specials), 9. What Would You Do
(skin)? - Midge Ure, 10. Age Of
Unreason* - Spear of Destiny, 11.
Die laughing - Nik Kershaw, 12.
Little Tears Of Love - Toyah, 13.
Sleepsong - Dr Robert (formerly
with The Blow Monkeys), 14. This
Is Not My World - Heaven 17, 15.
All Day All Night - Go West, 16.
So Lonely - Tony Hadley (formerly
with Spandau Ballet), 17. Blue
Was Never My Colour - Leee John
(formerly with
Imagination), 18. Mi Chica Latina
- Modern Romance.
|
June
22, 2005: Toyah compiled! |
To
celebrate Toyah's inclusion on
yet another compilation (see
above) I've updated Dreamscape's
COMPILED page. The page
now has details on 34 Various
Artists compilations that feature
Toyah songs, with 13 additions
since the last update over a year
ago.
One
of the more interesting additions
is the 'Wave Pop Generation' 3 CD
set, released on Sony, that
includes 'Soldier Of Fortune,
Terrorist Of Love, the opening
track on Toyah's 1985
CBS/Portrait album, 'Minx'.
Please
click on the picture, taken from
the reverse of the 1999
compilation 'Back To The
Eighties' to visit the COMPILED
section.
|
June
22, 2005: Toyah on Sky Movies /
kids TV *Updated* |
The Most Fertile Man
In Ireland : Sky Movies 5 -
Wednesday 29th June : 00.30am
The Most Fertile Man
In Ireland : Sky Movies 3 -
Monday 4th July : 00.25am Bedded
by his town's good-time girl,
Eamonn quickly acquires a
reputation as a man who can make
babies.
While
both sides of Belfast struggle
with their sperm-counts, the
lucky man becomes the hot
property of both Catholics and
Protestants. Crown jewel
comedy.
Director:
Dudi Appleton. Starring: Kris
Marshall, Kathy Kiera Clarke,
Bronagh Gallagher, James Nesbitt,
Kenneth Cranham, Toyah Willcox
and Olivia Nash.
Brum
: CBeebies - Saturday 2nd July :
7.20am
Brum : CBeebies -
Saturday 2nd July : 10.20am
Brum and The Airport
Adventure. The adventures of a
little car who lives in a motor
museum, narrated by Toyah
Willcox. When precious gems are
stolen from a famous celebrity at
the airport, Brum is soon on the
trail of the two thieves.
|
June
22, 2005: Toyah @ 'Remember The
Eighties' |
The
latest Toyah news item @
'Remember The Eighties': Toyah
has begun to line-up live shows
for 2006... the singer has seven
shows scheduled for 2005
including a gig with Nick Heyward
and Limahl at the South Shields
Cookson Festival, and has
announced a further four for
2006.
Toyah's
'RTE' interview is still
available to read at the website
too. It's a cool read, with Toyah
commenting on the 'Anthem' and
'The Changeling' CD reissues, and
much more...
|
June
19, 2005: Rare Toyah & Robert
interviews |
Available,
for a limited time, to download -
A little-heard Toyah interview
from 1991. Along with a Robert
Fripp one too! Joel
Krutt, of WHUS, interviewed
both back in 1991 and has very
kindly, via Owen Keenan, allowed
me to place them on Dreamscape
for Toyah (and Robert) fans to
enjoy.
Please
note that these files are quite
large and may take a while to
download (approx 10 minutes with
a Broadband connection). If you
choose to download can you please
note Joel has requested that
these should NOT be used in any
commercial way whatsoever.
Thanks
to Joel Krutt and Owen Keenan.
While
on the subject of downloads,
don't forget that selected edits
of Toyah's 'Nightingales' PA, and
the complete PA from 'The Club
Stoke', both from 2004, can be
found in Dreamscape's Live
section (all courtesy of Merx),
and two great clips from Toyah's
first ever TV acting appearance
'Glitter', can be found in the
Castaways section (courtesy of
Andi Westhorpe).
|
June
18, 2005: 'Mayhem' - On CD! |
Hot on
the heels of 'Warrior Rock',
'Love Is the Law' (both on the
Edsel/Demon label), 'The Safari
Records Singles Collection - Part
1' and the forthcoming 'The
Safari Records Singles Collection
- Part 2', all being released on
CD in 2005, comes the news that
Toyah's 1985
"mish-mash" album
'Mayhem' is likely to be issued
on CD later this year too. Cherry
Red Records, who released the two
singles compilations, have now
confirmed that they have
negotiated with Safari Records
and have been given the go ahead
to release the album. Always a
firm favourite with Toyah fans,
it has never been available on
CD.
'Mayhem'
was originally released in 1985
by Safari Records, after Toyah
had left the label to sign to
CBS/Portrait, and is made up of
demos, early versions of songs
that were later released with
different titles/arrangements,
unreleased versions, and the
track Toyah recorded for ITV's Pop
Goes Christmas, 'I Believe In
Father Christmas'.
'Mayhem'
was sub-titled: 'A special
collectors edition album of rare
and archive recordings'.
The
cassette version included three
extra songs. These will be
included on the new CD version.
Tracklist:
1. Clapham Junction, 2. Change Of
Scenery, 3. Problem Child, 4.
You're My Hero, 5. Cotton Vest,
6. Gaoler, 7. Guilty, 8. Three
Sided Face, 9. Paradise Child,
10. Israel, 11. Christmas Carol,
12. The Merchant & The
Nubile, 13. Danced (Unreleased
version), 14. I Believe In Father
Christmas, 15. Island Race.
More
info on this exciting release as
and when it becomes
available.
Thanks
to Steve @ the Dreamscape Forum,
Paul Williams, and to all @
Cherry Red.
|
June
18, 2005: 'Three Counties
Newsdesk' - Pop Star Pops In To
Three Counties |
Pop
Star Pops In To Three Counties Pop star
and television celebrity, Toyah
Willcox, is to make a guest
appearance at this weekends
Three Counties Show (17 19
June 2005).
The colourful star, who
lives in Pershore,
Worcestershire, and has enjoyed a
successful and diverse career
spanning almost thirty years, is
supporting Worcestershire County
Councils recycling project;
Mission Impossible
Operation Target 75.
She
will be at their stand on Friday
17 June, for the official project
launch, and will judge all
entries in a competition to
design a poster, or write a
limerick or poem to encourage
people to recycle more materials.
Journalists
and photographers are invited to
a photocall at the stand on
Avenue F, Row 5, at 12.30pm.
Said
Sharon Gilbert, Press Officer for
Show organiser, the Three
Counties Agricultural Society:
Mission Impossible is a
very worthwhile project, and we
are delighted that the council
have chosen to launch it at this
Show.
The
Showground has welcomed many
celebrities over the years, and
we are very pleased to add Toyah
to what is becoming an all-star
cast! I am sure that show
visitors will look forward to
meeting her this weekend.
The
Three Counties Show features
livestock competitions, rare
breeds, food and wine, country
crafts, flowers, poultry,
antiques, a fun fair, country
pursuits, vintage tractors and
much more.
Main
Arena entertainment for this year
includes the Grand Parade of
Livestock, the Red Devils
Parachute Team, the White Helmets
Motorcycle Display Team, and Paws
For Thought Dog Agility.
Additional
Information:
Toyah
Willcox began life as an actress
at the Old Rep Drama School in
her home town of Birmingham. Her
first notable role was in 1977,
when Derek Jarman offered her the
part of Mad in the
film Jubilee. She
went into music at the tail end
of the seventies, and was signed
as a solo artist by CBS in 1985.
Photograph
courtesy of:
http://www.toyahwillcox.com/
[
Three Counties Newsdesk -
Wednesday 15th June 2005 ]
|
June
18, 2005: 'Worcestershire County
Council' - Toyah sets Target 75 |
Toyah
sets Target 75 Local
well-known pop star and TV
celebrity Toyah Willcox will be
officially launching the
Operation Target 75 recycling
exhibition vehicle at the Three
Counties Show on June 17.
Worcestershire County Council in
partnership with Herefordshire
Council, the six district
councils and Welcome to Our
Future, will launch Mission
Impossible Target 75 at the
Worcestershire County Council
stand, at 12 noon.
Target
75 is part of the Mission
ImPossible campaign which aims to
increase kerbside recycling and
minimise waste going to landfill.
The new scheme aims to increase
participation in kerbside
recycling schemes to more than 75
per cent by March 2006.
The
recycling exhibition vehicle has
displays and interactive
activities to promote kerbside
recycling. After its official
launch at the Three Counties Show
the vehicle will be going on a
tour of Worcestershire and
Herefordshire.
Local
schoolchildren have been invited
to design a poster or write a
poem to encourage people to use
their home recycling collection
scheme. Children should bring
their entries along to the stand,
Toyah will be judging the entries
and giving out prizes.
[
Worcestershire County Council -
Monday 13th June 2005 ]
|
June 18, 2005:
Somewhere In The Distance! - Open
Your Minds! |
After a
year and a bit, it's another
'Somewhere In The Distance'...
The, very, occasional look back
at events from Toyah's past... This
rare poster was part of the
National Association of Youth
Club's 'Open Your Minds'
campaign: "Open your hearts,
Give today, Give youth a
start"
The
campaign ran, I think, in the
late 1980's, using a great pic of
Toyah... on a bike!
Toyah,
for a time around 1987/88, was
the Vice-President for the
National Association of Youth
Clubs in the UK, and spoke about
various projects she wanted to
start up.
These
included a tour of the
"Inner cities" of the
UK, talking to kids and
encouraging them to get involved
in music, theatre etc. As well as
raise money for various youth
charities.
|
June
16, 2005: Toyah in Worcestershire |
Toyah will be in
Worcestershire tomorrow, as part
of a recycling project in the
area. The
'Worcestershire Express &
Star' mentioned this week that
she would be doing something to
help promote recycling. No
further info, I'm afraid.
Thanks
to Katy (@ the Dreamscape Forum)
and her brother James.
|
June
13, 2005: Hastings Beer &
Music Festival - The Official
Site |
Tickets
available now for Toyah Willcox The
legendary Toyah Willcox is our
featured performer for the
Saturday evening session
complimented by Utter Madness and
tremendous local talent
Tickets
are available and can either be
purchased in advance by credit
card from the Hastings
Information Centre either
by phone on Hastings 01424 781128
or by calling at their office at
the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre
which is open Monday to Friday
from 8.30 to 6.15; Saturdays from
8.30 to 5.00; and Sundays from
10.00 to 4.00pm.
Tickets
will also be available on the
gate, subject to availability.
|
June
13, 2005: Toyah Live 2005:
Hastings Beer Festival |
Toyah's
2005 is filled with sporadic live
appearances all over the UK, at a
variety of interesting live
events and festivals. Her next
appearance is at the 'Hastings
Beer Festival' on Saturday 2nd
July. Toyah is headlining the
festival with full band
accompanying her.
ArrowFM
rcently ran a poll, asking who
festival goers were looking
forward to seeing most. The good
news is that Toyah placed second
(with 22.22% of the vote), beaten
only by local boys. and chart
regulars. Keane.
Please
click on the graph to go to the
ArrowFM website.
|
June
13, 2005: Toyah Live 2005: Live
On The Lawn |
NTS
Live On The Lawn FULL
LINE-UPS ANNOUNCED FOR 'NTS -
LIVE ON THE LAWN' GIGS
The
National Trust for
Scotlands summer music
festival, NTS - Live on the
Lawn has announced the full
line-ups for its weekend gigs
throughout Scotland at Crathes
Castle, Newhailes House and
Culzean Castle.
The
final weekend (12th-13th August)
will take place at Culzean Castle
in Ayr, with a Friday night of
80s nostalgia featuring The
Stranglers, Kim Wilde, Toyah and
TPau. The final gig on the
Saturday night is a pop party of
Glasgows finest, Darius,
plus Girls Aloud and a solo
debut from ex-S Clubber, Jo
OMeara, as well as punk/pop
triplets The Noise Next Door and
new band, D-Side.
Ian
Preece, Head of Marketing at the
National Trust for Scotland said
There really is something
for everyone a great mix
of pop, punk, opera, classic
rock, swing, alternative and a
bit of nostalgia thrown in for
good measure. Our properties will
provide an excellent backdrop and
a real atmosphere for a summer
evening of music.
All
of the gigs have capacity for
6,000 and tickets are available
only from www.nts.org.uk (click
on events) or the dedicated
booking line 0870 1181931.
CULZEAN
CASTLE, AYRSHIRE 12TH AND
13TH AUGUST
12-
The Stranglers and Kim Wilde with
T'Pau and Toyah - £27 per
ticket
13- Girls Aloud, Darius,
Jo OMeara, The Noise Next
Door, D-Side - £20 per
ticket
Gates
open for each gig at 5pm, with
performances starting at 7.30pm,
all tickets are subject to a £3
booking fee.
|
June
13, 2005: Toyah Live 2005:
Cookson Summer Festival |
Cookson Summer
Festival
21st August 2005
Cookson Summer
Festival
South Shields, Tyne
& Wear (UK)
Join
Toyah in the summer sunshine as
she appears along side Nick
Heyward and Limahl at this
outdoor festival.
Throughout
the summer, South Tyneside buzzes
with kid's entertainment, rock,
pop and folk music, brass bands,
street theatre, fun days and
Sunday concerts with a galaxy of
top stars.
The
Festival is FREE so there is no
excuse for not joining in the
fun.
Time:
12:30am to 05:30pm
Price: Tickets Free
Venue: Bents Park
Telephone: 0191 424 7985
http://www.visitsouthtyneside.co.uk/
|
June
13, 2005: Toyah Live 2005:
Butlins '80s Madness' 2005 |
80's
Madness
18th - 21st November
2005
Butlins, Bognor Relax
its the best of the
eighties!
It
aint what you do its
the way that you do it
thats the theme of the
Butlins Fantastic 80s
party. From Yuppies to New
Romantics, puffballs and pixie
boots to power dressing. The
extravagant eighties had unique
styles and sounds
Its a Kind of Magic and
its happening all over
again at Butlins, so lets put on
our red shoes and dance the
blues!
These
Top Gun weekends
go like the wind but
Dont worry, be
happy - if you book your
break early!
Original
artists include:
- Alexander ONeal
- Toyah
- Dr & the Medics
Tributes
& Bands:
- Heart of Glass
tribute to Blondie
- George Tiwary
Tribute to George Benson
- Complete Madness
Tribute
- Wham Duran
tribute to the 80s
- More Specials
Tribute to Specials
|
June
13, 2005: Toyah on KID'S TV -
'Brum' |
Brum : CBeebies -
Saturday 25th June : 7.20am
Brum : CBeebies -
Saturday 25th June : 10.20am
Brum and The Airport
Adventure. The adventures of a
little car who lives in a motor
museum, narrated by Toyah
Willcox. When precious gems are
stolen from a famous celebrity at
the airport, Brum is soon on the
trail of the two thieves. |
June
10, 2005: 'Live On The Lawn' -
The 80's are back with style! |
A
half-page press advert for
August's NTS (National Trust for
Scotland) 'Live On The Lawn'
concert. has appeared in today's
'Daily Record'. 'Live On
The Lawn' takes place on Friday
12th August at Culzean
(pronounced Culain ;o)) Castle in
Ayrshire. Gates open at 5pm with
the concert starting at
7.30pm.
Toyah
is on a bill that also includes
The Stranglers, Kim Wilde and
T'Pau.
The
concert is being held in
association with Lloyds TSB's
'notefornote'.
Tickets
are priced £27, plus £3 booking
fee, and can be purchased via the
National Trust for Scotland
website, by clicking on the press
ad. Or by telephoning the booking
line: 0870 118 1931.
Culzean
Castle
Maybole,
South Ayrshire,
KA19 8LE
[
www.nts.org.uk ]
|
June
10, 2005: Toyah @ 'Wasted' - More
opinions |
Audiolect
Music: Then it was a dash
across the road to catch
Toyahs set in the Arena.
The band looked professional,
shiny and just a little bit
scared as they looked out on the
Wasted crowd. This you felt was
not their normal gig. Toyah
danced on in a black tutu and
they were off. To be honest I was
never a great Toyah fan, but she
went down a storm and offered a
bit of a change to the usual
Wasted band. [
http://www.audiolectmusic.co.uk ] Ray's
Gigs: Next was Toyah showing
off her recent facial plastic
surgery . For the age of 47 she
looks incredible and very sexy in
her little black tutu. I feared
she would get bottled off but her
friendly stage banter won the
punters over. Of course she
played " Its A Mystery
" and " I Want To Be
Free" and a neat cover of
The Cults " She Sells
Sanctuary" [
www.raysgigs.com ]
Doom
Wolf: I went back to the
Platform to see Toyah's spoken
word performance. I was expecting
her to read from her new book or
something similar - instead she
told a Russian children's story
and answered questions from the
audience - which was nice
enough.... Toyah came onstage to
roaring applause dressed as a
sort of goth ballerina. She
played a mix of her very
well-known stuff and a few new
tracks, then finished with a
cover of The Cult's "She
Sells Sanctuary" - which was
actually quite good! (honest!)
The one thing that did kinda
annoy me was that she forgot her
guitarist's name.... [
www..d00mw0lf.com/Wasted.htm ]
|
June
10, 2005: News release from The
Hastings Beer & Music
Festival |
Hastings
set to welcome Toyah and
Co. The 24th
Hastings Beer and Music Festival
is now just three weeks away and
Alexandra Park in the town is
readying itself for an invasion
of rock and pop fans. Around
12,000 revellers are expected to
attend the four day event, which
begins on Wednesday June 29th and
runs through to Saturday July
2nd.
Last
year the Festival, organised by
Hastings, Battle and Bexhill
Round Tables, had nostalgia fans
flocking to see the likes of Tony
Hadley, Showaddywaddy and The
Sweet and this year those
who crave the old music are in
for a treat.
Saturday
night sees the visit of Toyah
Willcox, whose hits spanned the
70s and 80s. Nowadays
much less of a rebel rock star
and more a cultured media
personality, Toyah will,
nevertheless bring the house down
with her electrifying show based
around her hits. Supporting Toyah
will be perennial Festival
favourites Utter Madness.
Headlining
the Friday evening will be the
Robbie Williams tribute show
presented by Millennium and ably
supported by the Bootleg Blues
Brothers.
In
addition, on Wednesday evening
theres ParkLive, a unique
music event for young people
featuring an exciting line-up of
local youngsters, including DJs,
live bands, dancers, singers and
much more. And on Saturday
afternoon theres the
traditional showcase for local
bands. All this plus a huge
selection beers and lagers to
choose and food from Festival
sponsors Simply Italian.
Tickets
are selling well for the event
which is great news for St
Michaels Hospice and the
other local charities that stand
to benefit from the event. Over
£250,000 has been raised from
the event in the last five years
and with the sold out concert by
Keane added to this years
programme, the organisers are
hopeful of adding considerably to
that sum Tickets are still
available for Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday nights. These can
either be purchased in advance by
credit card from the Hastings
Information Centre either
by phone on Hastings 01424 781128
or by calling at their office at
the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre
which is open Monday to Friday
from 8.30 to 6.15; Saturdays from
8.30 to 5.00; and Sundays from
10.00 to 4.00pm. Tickets will
also be available on the gate,
subject to availability.
|
June
9, 2005: 'Have I Been Here
Before?' & other 05 screen
caps |
Now
Online - Screen caps from Toyah's
edition of Have I Been Here
Before?, aired on ITV1 a
fortnight ago. Toyah
was regressed, and recalled a
miserable life of solitude and
darkness as an Anchoress in 15th
Century Holland.
Please
click on the picture to view the
captures @ Dreamscape's CAPTURED
section.
The
CAPTURED section also includes
captures from many of Toyah's
other 2005 TV appearances; The
Way We Were, LK Today
(GMTV), Late Edition, The
Wright Stuff, Celebrity
Life Skills and Loose
Women.
|
June
9, 2005: 'Andromeda Rising'
- Neon EP |
You may
remember I mentioned a few weeks
ago that Andromeda Rising had
covered Toyah's brilliant 1983
single 'Rebel Run'. The song
is available now on the newly
revised and remastered edition of
the "NEON" EP. The EP
can be purchased for the
bargainesque sum of £5.
The
CD now features 4 tracks
including "Fixated",
"Rebel Run", "High
Life" and a demo version of
"Merry-Go-Round".
Please
click on the pictures to visit
THE RISING SIGN - Home of
ANDROMEDA RISING info & music
on the web!
|
June
8, 2005: 'Herald' - Hooked on the
warrior Queen |
Toyah
was mentioned in an interview
with author Vanessa Collingridge
in yesterday's 'Glasgow Herald'.
Vanessa was talking about her new
book about 'Boudica'. Toyah
Willcox, the red-haired British
singer, actress and
businesswoman, author, presenter
and wife, who recently revealed
she had undergone a facelift at
the age of 46, is another fan.
When Collingridge contacted her
for her opinion on Boudica, she
was stunned by Willcox's
response.
"She
talked non-stop for a whole
hour," she says. "She
said that back in Boudica's day,
women were warriors and leaders,
but that the greatest conspiracy
in the his-tory of mankind has
been to deny women their power.
"I
reckon that any woman who is
willing to go against the grain
could be called a latter-day
Boudica."
Boudica,
a Groundbreaking Biography of the
True Warrior Queen, by Vanessa
Collingridge, is published by
Ebury at £18.99.
|
June
8, 2005: Toyah newsy bits &
pieces! / Toyah on kids TV |
Toyah's webletter
for June 2005 is now online at
the Official site. Read up on
exactly what she thinks of that
'Daily Mail' article from last
week! As well as her thoughts on
the 'Wasted' Festival, a secret
gig she played last month, and a
private trip to Barcelona.
Just who could Toyah's potential
co-stars in her 2005 panto, Snow
White & The Seven Dwarfs,
at the Milton Keynes Theatre be?
I've been sworn to secrecy but
the initials DJ or MM could be
relevant. Only time will tell...
Toyah has just completed a short
film with the sculptor Tim
Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkiens
great nephew. The film is for the
BBC and will be broadcast later
this year.
Toyah is namechecked in a review
of Beangrowers' new album 'Dance
Dance Baby', in the latest issue
of SPLENDID magazine: "It's
an effective crash course in new
wave revivalism: pounding drums,
a herky-jerky guitar intro, a
bass line that may well have been
sampled from Is This It and an
icy, seductive Teutonic vocal
(from singer-guitarist Alison
Galea) that recalls obscure
British postpunk diva Toyah
Willcox and early eighties
Siouxsie."
Wasted - More favourable reports
of Toyah's 'Wasted' Festival set:
"We
got back into the Market to see
Toyah, now Toyah was always a pop
star rather than a punk singer,
but the crowd gave her a really
good reception. She came on stage
in a tutu, with black knee length
boots on, and I expected her to
get splattered with beer or
water, but that never happened.
In fact she went down really
well, and everyone was jumping up
and down to her. She included of
course her main song, 'Its a
Mystery'." [Source: Punk
& Oi In the Uk]
Toyah on kids TV:
Brum : CBeebies -
Saturday 11th June : 7.20am
Brum : CBeebies -
Saturday 11th June : 10.20am
Brum and The Airport
Adventure. The adventures of a
little car who lives in a motor
museum, narrated by Toyah
Willcox. When precious gems are
stolen from a famous celebrity at
the airport, Brum is soon on the
trail of the two thieves.
|
June
3, 2005: Toyah @ 'Wasted'
wallaper |
Huge
THANKS to John Shepherd for this
rather excellent Toyah @ the
'Wasted' Festival wallpaper. Featuring
five of John's brilliant Toyah
pictures, it's a cool addition to
Dreamscape, as well as to many a
desktop over the coming weeks I'd
guess.
Please
click on the picture to go to
Dreamscape's Wallpapers page.
Toyah @ 'Wasted' can be
downloaded in two resolutions.
Don't
forget that John is selling
prints of some of his Toyah pics.
See below for further info.
|
June
3, 2005: 'Daily Mail' - You Only
Live Twice |
As previously mentioned,
on Saturday 21st May the 'Daily
Mail' (boo, hiss, spit etc...)
ran a Toyah interview in a
two-page feature on the Have I
Been Here Before? programme. I've now
managed to get hold of the
complete article, though I've
only reproduced the section
relating to Toyah:
Does
Reincarnation Exist? In a New TV
Series, Celebrities Are
Hypnotised and Regressed to See
If They Have Lived Before, While
a 'History Detective' Looks for
Factual Evidence of Their
Stories. Here, Three of the Stars
Describe the Experience.
Actress
TOYAH WILLCOX, 47, discovered
that her past life was spent as a
hermit in a church cell. She
says: I've done past lives
regression several times and it's
never the same experience - but I
have come up with quite
surprisingly tangible characters.
Once I was a gamekeeper, John
Adams, on an estate near
Bournemouth in 1750, and, when we
looked into it, we found he was a
relative of my husband, Robert.
I'd never heard of him and Robert
hadn't, either. So that was quite
disturbing.
The
theory is that, if it's a good
marriage, you stay with your
partner through several lives,
swapping sexes - and I've been
married to Robert for 19
years.
This
time I came up with the story of
an anchoress - a woman who would
have been bricked up inside a
church to live the life of a
hermit. I was in a film called
Anchoress some years ago, so I
knew something about them, but
the anchoress I emerged as during
hypnosis seemed to be part of a
completely different cult, from
an exclusive community of women
who were hostile to men.
Most
anchoresses were educated, well
looked after and had gone into it
voluntarily. But I was living in
my own excrement, which rang
alarm bells with the historian. I
had foot rot and my hair was
falling out.
I
named her - she was Naomi Gunter
- and I said I was in Holland.
Most anchoresses had all the
comforts. People came to see them
to tell them their sins. But mine
was bricked up in the lepers'
corner of this church and the
visitors had stopped coming. She
was dying and she'd been
forgotten. I said the village had
gone pagan.
Also,
she'd been forced into this life,
aged 14.
The
researcher said that wasn't what
usually happened, which led him
to explore further, and his
detective work suddenly pulled
the strings together.
In
14th-century Holland, there were
women called the Beguines and,
unusually, one of them was always
chosen as an anchoress - so I
could have been there
unwillingly.
If
I had time, I'd research it
further.
Personally,
I believe that we have genetic
memory, as well as, very
possibly, a memory of past lives.
I think it's all there, stored
away in the biological microchip
of who you are. So I'm very
openminded. The experience didn't
really affect me, but the John
Adams regression, years ago, did,
because at that point I didn't
believe in reincarnation. I
thought about it for years after
that.
Have
I Been Here Before? is on ITV1
every weekday at 1.30pm.
|
June
3, 2005: Meanwhile... in the
Sixties! |
Here's a
rare, and gorgeous, shot of Toyah
on the set of her 1996 film Julie
& The Cadillacs. Toyah
played the character Barbara
Gifford in this musical set in
the Swinging Sixties. The film
also featured Thora Hird, and a
young Billy Boyd, the Glaswegian
actor who later went on to star
in the Lord Of The Rings
trilogy of movies.
It
was on the set of Julie &
The Cadillacs that Michael
Aspel surprised Toyah with her
very own This Is Your Life
show.
|
June
3, 2005: Toyah on TV *update* |
What Women Really
Want : UK Style - Friday 3rd June
: 00.30am
What Women Really
Want : UK Style Plus 1 - Friday
3rd June : 01.30am
Money. It's grumpy old
men with heels on! Er no, it's
feisty high-profile women of all
ages giving forth on everything
from sex and singledom to plastic
surgery and pregnancy. Today's
hot topic is money - find out
what Toyah Willcox, Jenny Eclair,
Nadia Almada and other celebs
have to say about loot. Narrated
by Ulrika Jonsson. What
Women Really Want : UK Style -
Tuesday 14th June : 00.00am
What Women Really
Want : UK Style Plus 1 - Tuesday
14th June : 01.00am
Girlfriends. Get up
close and personal with the
female psyche in this pacy new
series featuring feisty celebrity
opinions and gripping true-life
stories. In this episode, Jenny
Eclair, Toyah Willcox, Jodie
Marsh and Sarah Cawood discuss
why their girlfriends are so
important to them. Discover which
celeb hates her own company, and
who admits that even her best
mates bitch about her behind her
back. Miaow! Narrated by Ulrika
Jonsson.
What
Women Really Want : UK Style -
Thursday 16th June : 00.00am
What Women Really
Want : UK Style Plus 1 - Thursday
16th June : 01.00am
Sex. Fast-paced series
presented by Ulrika Jonsson, with
an array of female celebrities
discussing what they really want
out of life in the noughties.
Christine Hamilton, Toyah
Willcox, Vanessa Feltz and others
talk candidly about sex. Find out
which celeb finds one-night
stands easier than commitment,
who lies to her men about sex,
and who was called 'undresser' at
school - naughty!
Personal
Passions : BBC Prime - Friday
17th June : 03.40am
Toyah Willcox talks to
Peter Curran about her drive to
restore the glories of a garden
once owned by Cecil Beaton.
|
June
1, 2005: Toyah on 'Have I Been
Here Before?' |
Toyah
guested on last Friday's Have
I Been Here Before? on ITV1 In the
introduction Toyah said:
"This life, Toyah Willcox, I
have found incredibly
frustrating. I have not enjoyed
being a woman. I do believe that
I've been made a woman as
punishment for being a
heartbreaker in my last life.
I've always had a strong feeling
about that. I feel as though I
have a male soul trapped in a
female body.
I
think there's nothing better than
escaping what you're used to. I
really dislike anything habitual,
anything predictable. I sometimes
feel that being me is a prison
sentence, and I know my critics
would agree (she laughed while
saying that), but there's
something quite awful about the
thought of remaining one person
forever, I really don't
like it. Therefor I'm very
optimistic about departing this
body."
She
was regressed back to 15th
Century Holland (1405 to be
precise), to a 'previous life' of
solitude and darkness as an
anchoress, Naomi.
Toyah
painted a very vivid picture of
life as an anchoress: "I'm
enclosed inside a dark room...
I'm an anchoress... I will die in
this room! No one comes into the
room... I have sores, I'm
undernourished... I'm just lying
on the ground, I'm really, really
weak... I just want to
go... I have no regrets, I
have no desires, I have nothing
to remain for..."
Anchoresses
gave up their lives for prayer
and solitude, they lived in tiny
rooms.
It
was left up to the viewer to
decide whether or not Toyah's
regression was to a genuine past
life or a trick of her
subconcious, or even just
fantasy.
|
June
1, 2005: 'Daily Mail' - Just
what's tormenting Toyah? |
Hmmm...
A more than vaguely scathing,
two-page, article on Toyah's
private (and public) life in
Monday's 'Daily Mail'. JUST
WHAT'S TORMENTING TOYAH? enquired
Alison Bowyer, who then goes on,
into minute detail, about what
she thinks is doing so.
She
has leafed through 'Living Out
Loud', read the synopsis of
'Diary Of A Facelift' and spoken
to "a close friend"
(possibly someone who met her
briefly in 1986) of Toyah, and
cobbled together a fairly
obnoxious feature.
The
worrying thing is that many
readers will believe all this,
when in reality, if you'll excuse
the pun, Toyah (as this website
and her official site testify) is
far busier than most, if not all,
of her 80's contemporaries.
Can't
really comment on the points made
about Toyah's private life. We
haven't a clue so why should we
believe Alison Bowyer's
"revelations"?
And,
for the record, Toyah won't be
stripping off for any TV drama in
the forseeable future.
Thanks
to Alec Kelly.
|
June
1, 2005: 'Now' & 'Best' -
Toyah clippings |
NOW
magazine: [ Your Shout ] A vain
attempt: In your feature My
Facelift Changed My Life, Toyah
Willcox said she thinks she's
'brave' for having surgery. Well,
genuinely brave women have
surgery to rid themselves of
life-threatening cancers, not a
few lines and bags. How vain
and insecure she must be. If her
skin has no natural elasticity,
then she'll soon need another op
- or two. Then it'll be hello
Jackie Stallone. Lesley Coull,
Aberdeen.
Fabulous,
Darling: Although I think
Toyah looks fabulous after her
facelfift, it's a shame that
nasty comments from people like
the unuttewably boring Jonathan
Ross forced her into it. Has he
looked in a mirror lately? Tarina
La Rue-Blood, Leicester.
Facing
The Facts: Toyah Willcox, I
salute you! How refreshing to
have a celebrity who actually
admits to having cosmetic
surgery. I do appreciate honesty.
Trudy Sullivan, West Sussex.
Shut
up, Toyah: When I read your
extract from Toyah Willcox's book
about her facelift, the whole
thing seemed overblown and full
of self-importance.
She
needs a reality check. It was
cosmetic surgery - not a
quadruple heart bypass. Sheila
Cakebread, Sunbury on Thames.
BEST
magazine: [ Newsy clip ] Be
afraid.... now that Eighties star
Toyah Willcox has had a
face-lift, she's toying with the
idea of reviving her chart
career. She reveals, "I
never thought I could be on Top
Of The Pops again, but the
new face has made me think."
Thanks
to Paul Lomas.
|
June
1, 2005: Toyah live 2005/6 update |
A date change and
another live gig added to Toyah's
live 2005/6 itinerary: Toyah
- Live 2005
Monday 28th March :
Blackpool - Flamingo's (PA)
Saturday 9th April :
Dublin - The George (PA)
Saturday 21st April :
Morecambe - Wasted Festival
(Spoken Word)
Saturday 21st April :
Morecambe - Wasted Festival (full
band)
Saturday 2nd July :
Hastings - Beer Festival (full
band)
Friday 12th August :
Ayrshire - NTS Live On The Lawn
(H&N band)
Sunday 21st August :
South Shields - Cookson Festival
(H&N band) *revised*
Friday 16th September :
Wolverhampton - The Robin (full
band)
Saturday 15th October :
Skegness (full band)
Saturday 19th November :
Bognor (full band)
Saturday 3rd December :
Minehead (PA)
Toyah - Live 2006
Saturday 25th February :
Bognor (full band)
Sunday 26th February :
Skegness (full band)
Friday 17th March :
Minehead (full band)
Saturday 18th March :
Skegness (full band) *new*
A
number of the above dates are
subject to change.
Check
out Dreamscape's LIVE section for
dedicated pages on Toyah's past
2005 gigs.
[www.toyahwillcox.com]
|
June
1, 2005: Toyah @ 'Wasted' -
Prints for sale |
Toyah's
appearance at the 'Wasted'
festival was a huuuuuge success. Her
set-list, as we all know, was
amazingly good.
She
won over a big crowd of sceptics
(apparently), looking cool in a
tu-tu!
Now
you can have that awesome look in
your kitchen, hall, or, if it's
your thing, bathroom...
John
Shepherd, who took this
photograph >>> of
Toyah onstage, as well as those
in Dreamscape's Live section,
over @ the Forum, and on Toyah's
Official website on the opening
page and Gallery, has gorgeous
Toyah @ Wasted prints for sale.
Please
click on the picture to visit the
Forum thread for further info on
how you can have Toyah in a tu-tu
in your toilet in Twickenham (if
you live there).
And
why not!!
John's
website: www.johnshepherd-photography.com
|
June
1, 2005: Toyah on TV & Sky
Movies |
What Women Really
Want : UK Style - Friday 3rd June
: 00.30am
What Women Really
Want : UK Style Plus 1 - Friday
3rd June : 01.30am
Money. It's grumpy old
men with heels on! Er no, it's
feisty high-profile women of all
ages giving forth on everything
from sex and singledom to plastic
surgery and pregnancy. Today's
hot topic is money - find out
what Toyah Willcox, Jenny Eclair,
Nadia Almada and other celebs
have to say about loot. Narrated
by Ulrika Jonsson. The
Most Fertile Man In Ireland : Sky
Movies 5 - Saturday 4th June :
03.30am
Bedded by his town's
good-time girl, Eamonn quickly
acquires a reputation as a man
who can make babies. While both
sides of Belfast struggle with
their sperm-counts, the lucky man
becomes the hot property of both
Catholics and Protestants. Crown
jewel comedy.
Director:
Dudi Appleton. Starring: Kris
Marshall, Kathy Kiera Clarke,
Bronagh Gallagher, James Nesbitt,
Kenneth Cranham, Toyah Willcox
and Olivia Nash.
What
Women Really Want : UK Style -
Tuesday 14th June : 00.00am
What Women Really
Want : UK Style Plus 1 - Tuesday
14th June : 01.00am
Girlfriends. Get up
close and personal with the
female psyche in this pacy new
series featuring feisty celebrity
opinions and gripping true-life
stories. In this episode, Jenny
Eclair, Toyah Willcox, Jodie
Marsh and Sarah Cawood discuss
why their girlfriends are so
important to them. Discover which
celeb hates her own company, and
who admits that even her best
mates bitch about her behind her
back. Miaow! Narrated by Ulrika
Jonsson.
|
June
1, 2005: 'Cabaret' - Reissued
this month |
Yet
another CD reissue.... For the
third time in eight years
'Cabaret' is issued on CD. This
version, again with new artwork,
is titled: 'Cabaret: Starring
Toyah Willcox & Nigel
Planer'. This
release appears to be an edited
version, with three songs, that
previously appeared on the 1997
and 2002 CD's, not included.
No
information on which label will
be releasing 'Cabaret' or
catalogue numbers etc. The CD is
due for release this coming
Monday (6th June 2005).
Tracklist:
Overture
Willkommen - Nigel
Planer
Sitting Pretty
Mein Herr - Toyah
Willcox
Two Ladies
Money Money - Toyah
Willcox & Nigel Planer
Tomorrow Belongs To Me
Cabaret - Toyah Willcox
Don't Tell Mama
If You Could See Her -
Nigel Planer
|
June
1, 2005: The Safari Records
Singles Collection - Parts 1
& 2 |
The
first CD, of two, in 'The Safari
Records Singles Collection' is
now available to buy. First of
two volumes documenting the
classic era of this
much-underrated Birmingham
vocalist and actress, now married
to Robert Fripp. Alongside
Siouxsie Sioux, Hazel O Connor,
Lene Lovich and some might even
say Kate Bush, Toyah Willcox
epitomised the new-found
propensity for eccentric female
vocalists in the post-punk,
post-Rock Follies era: this CD
compilation includes, alongside
genuine hit single 'It's A
Mystery' several unsung
avant-garde New Wave classics
such as 'Ieya' 'Neon Womb'
'Danced' and 'Victims Of The
Riddle' all of which demonstrate
why Toyah was somewhat unique and
ripe for rediscovery. Detailed
sleeve notes include quotes from
Mrs Fripp herself. "Zi-on-
Zoober-ron. . ."
For
the first time, all of Toyah's
single and EP's originally
released by Safari Records are
compiled across two CD's.
Featuring 40 tracks in total, the
compilations also boast 3 tracks
which make their CD debut. The
packages contain archive images,
illustrated discographies and new
sleevenotes by Michael Heatley
written with contributions from
Toyah Willcox and Craig Astley.
The
first CD: Toyah - 'The Safari
Records Singles Collection - Part
1' (1979 to 1981)' (CDMRED
266) Tracklisting: 1. Victims Of
The Riddle, 2. Victims Of The
Riddle (Vivisection), 3. Neon
Womb, 4. Indecision, 5. Waiting,
6. Our Movie, 7. Danced, 8. Last
Goodbye, 9. Bird In Flight, 10.
Tribal Look, 11. Ieya
(Full-length version as featured
on 12" single), 12. The
Helium Song, 13. Danced (Live),
14. Ghosts (Live), 15. Neon Womb
(Live), 16. It's A Mystery (EP
Mix), 17. Revelations, 18.
Warboys, 19. Angels & Demons.
Of
the above, tracks 12 and 14 have
never been available on CD until
now.
The
second CD will be available
sometime in August, with the
actual release date to be
confirmed soon. Artwork, as with
the first CD, features many of
Toyah's classic early 1980's
single sleeves and striking,
memorable, images.
The
second CD: Toyah - 'The Safari
Records Singles Collection - Part
2' (1981 to 1983)' (CDMRED
267). Tracklist: 1. I Want To Be
Free, 2. Walke Talkie, 3. Alien,
4. Thunder In The Mountains, 5.
Street Addict, 6. Voodoo Doll, 7.
Good Morning Universe, 8. Urban
Tribesmen, 9. In The fairground,
10. Furious Futures, 11. Brave
New World (Single Edit), 12.
Warrior Rock, 13. Ieya '82
(Full-length re-recorded
version), 14. Be Proud Be Loud
(Be Heard), 15. Laughing With The
Fools, 16. Rebel Run, 17. To The
Mountains High, 18. Baptised In
Fire, 19. The Vow, 20. I Explode,
21. Haunted.
Of
the above, track 13 has never
been available on CD until now.
Both
CD's are released by the Cherry
Red Records label.
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