Most of what happened in Toyahland in mid to late April can be found in the first couple of May News updates :o)

She performed their late 70's classic 'Don't Stop Me Now', looking fantastic in her gold breast-plate outfit (first spotted on the 2002 'Here & Now' tour).

Toyah also waxed aplenty about Queen and Freddie Mercury throughout the show on ITV1, as well as on The Show Must Go On on ITV2 immediately following Queen Mania.

She said: "Queen undoubtedly are one of the greatest rock outfits ever. He (Freddie) was the immaculate showman.".

On Live Aid: "From then on, whenever you see a live stadium gig the audience can't wait to participate."

On Freddie's image: "It was wow! Ok, you can wear those clothes, you can wear those suits, if you are as good as that. It was just a revelation."

On 'Bohemian Rhapsody': Toyah sings: "'Scaramouche, scaramouche... Thunder bolts and lightning, very very frightening!' What is Bohemian Rhapsody about? I don't know what it's about! I think it's one of the biggest parts of rock history."

Meanwhile, over on ITV2's The Show Must Go On, a whole collection of talking heads paid tribute to Queen. Toyah contributed quite a bit to this 60-minute show...

Toyah: "I think we love Queen for the same reason we love Boy George, for the reason we love Julian Clary. I think there is nothing more magnificent than a showman. And a man that is vulnerable, or has some kind of femininity about him.

"I personally love Glam Rock. I love men in sequins and in platform boots, with tight trousers on. I love the contradiction of it. There's something that makes them even more masculine, because they're trying to be effeminate. And I'd like it to come back!"

On the other band members: "Then there was the other guy! Who I don't even know his name, cos he's really quiet!"

On Freddie's 'uniqueness': "Freddie was unusual in that he was very snake-like. He wore these very tight clothes, and contorted himself so much. And he had this really bizarre mikestand.

"What was so clever about Freddie is that he managed to disguise the fact that he was incredibly well educated, probably public school, probably knew more about music than anyone else. He never complicated the issue, he just came out and was brazen.

"He realised there's an incredible amount of talent in opera. There's a lot to be said through it. So he did this mini-opera."

On Freddie's songwriting: "There's something about Freddie's writing that has an incredible sense of humour. Now, for about 10 years everyone thought he was straight. Then he came out, and it was like he had tricked the world into thinking he was something else. But knowing who he really was, you just think this man is a great joker, there's a great sense of humour, the lyrics are fantastic. 'Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball...', talk about innuendo. I mean it's absolutely gorgeous."

On Freddie's illness: "I think what happens with anyone who is terminally ill. They're given their time, they know how long they've got. The focus must be incredible, and I think what is remarkable about Freddie is that in those last days he gave the world his best work. And in retrospect you could see how the band protected him, and loved him. You could just see. Okay, they aren't physically hugging him but their auras are just surrounding him!"

On Freddie's death: "Freddie was a huge loss for the music industry because they were going from strength-to-strength, and his last writing was just so good. It was so poignant, and so powerful. And he is so enigmatic in that video ('The Days Of Our Lives') and in his performing of it. I think, for me, that is the best song."

On the future: "Queen are right to carry on without Freddie, because they wrote the music too. They were there, they were part of the band, they were part of the whole experience. How can you expect three guys just to walk away and start anew?"

NB: Both of these programmes are rebroadcast tonight on ITV2.

"1980s Style - Exclusive extract from Robert Elms' memoir about strike-hit Soho, 1979, squalid birthplace of the star-struck new romantics and the clubbers who invented style culture. 7 fantastic pages, lots of cool photos, including: STEVE STRANGE. TOYAH. SPANDAU BALLET. KAREN O'CONNOR & MARILYN. BOY GEORGE & SUE CLOWES (designer of The CULTURE CLUB look). MARTIN KEMP. BLITZ CLUB KIDS, and more."

'It's A Mystery' was even incorporated into the show's theme tune. There were comedy moments 'inspired' by Teletubbies, a Wild West sketch with Toyah sounding very much like Calamity Jane, and a great live rendition of 'Sweet Child O Mine'.

The show was rounded off with Toyah reading the credits.

For a limited time this can be listened to online at BBC Radio 2's website.

Looking lovely in black, Toyah talked about the recent death of Pope John Paul II, debated whether or not people in prison (or "cons" as the show called them) should be given the opportunity to vote, and even found time to chat a little about her recently published book, 'Diary Of A Facelift', and the actual facelift itself.

Many thanks to Andi Westhorpe for the screen capture and information. To view more of Andi's captures please click on the picture to visit Dreamscape's CAPTURED section.

Toyah will be playing at 'The George' nightclub in Dublin this Saturday night (9th April).

This will be a PA, with Toyah singing live to backing tapes.

The George,
89 South Great Georges Street,
Dublin

Tel: 00353 1 478 2983

• Prior to the PA Toyah will guest on the new Irish chat show Tubridy Tonight which will be broadcast on Irish channel RTE ONE at 9.45pm.

• Toyah - Live 2005
Saturday 9th April : Dublin - The George (PA)
Saturday 21st May : Morcambe - Wasted Festival (full band) 
Saturday 2nd July : Hastings - Beer festival (full band) 
Saturday 15th October : Skegness - Butlins (full band) 
Saturday 19th November : Bognor - Butlins (full band) 
Saturday 3rd December : Minehead - Butlins (PA)

Queen Mania: The Show Must Go On : ITV2 - Saturday 9th April : 10.10pm
Queen Mania: The Show Must Go On : ITV2 - Sunday 10th April : 10.50pm
The celebration of rock giants Queen continues, as the band celebrates 30 years since the release of Bohemian Rhapsody. Featuring classic archive footage, and interviews with famous fans about the music, concerts and videos that made the band a phenomenon. Those sharing their memories include Melanie C, Lesley Garrett, Heather Small, Toyah Willcox, Myleene Klass, Russell Watson, Tricia Penrose, Paul Ross and Rowland Rivron.

NB: ITV1 & ITV2 are now running trailers for Queen Mania.

• As well as continuing to promote 'Diary Of A Facelift', Toyah has also started rehearsing for the upcoming festival gigs ('Wasted', Morcambe in May & the 'Hastings Beer Festival' in July). Both will be with a full live band.

• Songs being rehearsed include tracks from 'Sheep Farming In Barnet'.

• Toyah has recorded a TV pilot for the BBC, with Bradley Walsh, Aled Jones and others. No information on whether it will be broadcast yet.

• There's a possibility that there could be a CD release of 'Queen Mania', the show Toyah guests on this coming Saturday night. She will perform 'Don't Stop Me Now'.

• Toyah is one of the judges for this year's 'Orange Fiction Prize' book awards.

The Most Fertile Man In Ireland : Sky Movies 9 - Saturday 9th April : 2.30am
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.

Tubridy Tonight : RTE One - Saturday 9th April : 9.45pm
Toyah, visiting Dublin for a live club PA, guests live on this new chat show.

Queen Mania : ITV1/ITV2 - See Above

H Side Story : Each Sunday around 1pm on Ch4/5pm on E4 for the next four weeks
Toyah is scheduled to pop up in one of these instalments in this reality show about ex-Steps H.

Most Toyah fans will already have these but why not buy some more? Give them to all your friends and relatives. Go on... make their Summer 2005 a Toyahtastic one ;o)

Warrior Rock: "The album opens with the noise of the crowd chanting for Toyah and then simply exploding as she comes on stage in the wake of strange pulses, sounds and drum rolls... the euphoric rush as 'Good Morning Universe' kicks in still makes the hairs on my neck rise twenty-three years later and I'm instantly drawn into Toyah's tribal world of colour and drama and excitement... 

Immediately the strength and talent of the live band is apparent, notably the contribution of Simon Phillips on drums who puts on a fantastic show, underpinning every second with his precision drumming, and Toyah herself is in great voice - her voice soaring - and evidently enjoying every moment of the night. This is the sound of a band coming together as one and to this day 'Warrior Rock' remains one of my favourite live albums ever."; RememberTheEighties

Love Is The Law: "Where some of Toyah's albums seem to feature Toyah using different voices to give the songs drama and tension 'Love Is The Law' s tracks seems to be from one... one voice exploring futuristic visions with an optimism and enthusiasm that is sometimes absent on Toyah's early work. 'Time Is Ours' is one of my favorite tracks and, along with the sleek hypnotic 'Dreamscape' and 'Remember', sounds sure and confident, comfortable in this new direction. Toyah herself is is great voice and somehow sounds relaxed and happy... typical of Toyah the songs are full of drama; slow bits against fast bits, lyrics softly crooned against screams and shouts."; RememberTheEighties

The first CD is released in May: 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 released in August. 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, 12. Warrior Rock, 13. Ieya ('82), 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.

[ News Source: www.toyahwillcox.com ]

David played 'It's A Mystery' and then a very up and positive sounding Toyah explained why she wrote the book: "It's, obviously, about a facelift but it's about the beauty industry as well... I've tried to write a book that says 'This is what we're up to!'

Toyah said she had an interesting response from a couple of builders on her way to the studio: Builder 1: "It's worked!"; Builder 2: "Nah, I preferred you before!".

Toyah: "I have a lot of energy, a lot of ambition. There's a lot of things I want to do as a businesswoman let alone a performer."

David asked her about Quadrophenia, as there had been a documentary about it on satellite/cable last week (BBC4; Cast & Crew). Toyah mentioned playing Monkey, and recalled the story about not knowing whether the policeman she was thumping was a bona fide cop or a film extra.

David asked Toyah about current film work, and Toyah said she had two in the pipeline. One, unnamed, film being shot in Soho, London over the next two months. And she elaborated slightly more on French Leave, saying it's a film about an older couple who "enjoy having lots of sex", and she will play Gene Hackman's daughter in it. That will also be filmed in the UK.

Toyah also recalled working with Katharine Hepburn on The Corn Is Green.

Returning to the subject of the facelift/book, they talked about the various photographs, taken by Robert Fripp.

David Jensen: "I'd be too scared to have anything done!"

Toyah: " Men don't need to. I look at my hubby, he's 58, and I think; 'You're gorgeous!'

David: "I didn't see a problem before, but you do look good. Especially your eyes. 'Diary Of A Fcelift', doing really well."

Toyah: "Doing exceptionally well. It's going round the world! You're looking gorgeous, don't you dare do anything!"

"Toyah lifts the lid on a subject which has never been hotter, yet is still shrouded in secrecy and hypocrisy. In doing so, she has given us a fascinating exploration of the nature of celebrity, ageing and beauty in the twenty-first century."

Please click on the picture to go there.

• Teletext (ITV1; Page 145): Best Sellers [Sunday 3rd April 2005]

Diary Of A Facelift - Toyah Willcox

Middle-aged women of the world should rise up in a consumer revolution against the tyranny of being judged by impossible standards of youthful beauty.

But since that won't be happening just yet, why not get a facelift while you're waiting? You'll feel great. Men will fancy you again. And everyone else is doing it on the sly anyway.

Toyah argues with the consistency of quicksand.

The formerly spunky punkette's main argument for publicising her mid-life tweak is clearly noble.

She claims women are so reluctant to admit to cosmetic tinkering that a culture of secrecy is driving other women into the clutches of dangerous quacks.

Only an open exchange of information will drive the shysters out of business and prevent life-wrecking surgical disasters. So far, so good.

Where this really starts to get confusing is when Toyah tries to justify her op with vague feminist spin.

By the end, she's veering so wildly between "I'm a victim of showbiz beauty-fascism" and "God, it's great to be sexy again!" that you can't help feeling the revolution is some way off.

If you want jolly encouragement she's great. If you want watertight excuses, you're on your own. 3/5

By Jeremy Jehu. Thanks to Alec Kelly.

• Book Giant - Diary Of A Facelift

Toyah’s candid account of her cosmetic surgery

In this astonishingly brave, honest, occasionally gruesome and frequently hilarious account, singer, actress and presenter Toyah Willcox makes public her personal diary of her facial surgery.

After experimenting with diet and Botox, Toyah decided to take the plunge and go under the knife. It’s not often that celebrities admit to having cosmetic surgery, but here she not only admits it, she gives a blow-by-blow account of the whole process, from the initial decision and nerve-racking waiting period through the surgery itself, to the painful, frustrating recovery and the final transformation.

Working in an industry that places such an emphasis on the marketability of youth led Toyah to finally have her facelift, and her remarkable account serves as a witty and wise insight into the nature of celebrity ageing and beauty in the 21st century. With its wealth of detail about how she went about her procedure, this is also an essential read for anyone considering surgery.

• Bolton Evening News : What a set of prima donnas! [Wednesday 30 March 2005]

Don't you just love some of our famous folk! 

David Beckham throws a hissy fit because someone dares to take his picture while he's browsing around a Manchester sports store, specially closed, incidentally, to accommodate him. 

Toyah Willcox reveals her £7,500 facelift to the world as though she's conquered malnutrition in the Third World. 

And super-diva Mariah Carey, fresh from insisting on a red carpet being laid out at her London hotel for her 2.30am arrival, kept an awards ceremony waiting for an hour and a half because she had broken a fingernail. 

Makes you wonder what sort of people they'd be without money and fame, doesn't it?

"The album is sounding terrific and Joel and all send their love. Phil Spalding has played on a few tracks despite his commitment with Mike Oldfield. The album will be called 'Love Is The Law'.

It is a very 'up' album, with some really beautiful songs on. One of the songs is called 'Martian Cowboy' and it is a follow up song to 'Popstar' off 'Anthem'. I imagine the album will be out around mid September, but we intend to release our first single around Aug 26th. That will be called 'Rebel Run', which is a type of epic rock number about gang life in the future."

Toyah's Letter 
Intergalactic Ranchouse 
No. 16, July 1983

"Thank you for your letters about the new album. It's good to have such a strong feedback from you. As you know we made it while I was doing Trafford Tanzi, so a lot of hard work was put into it and it's good that everyone is enjoying it. It has stirred up a great reaction abroad too. One day I intend to put a lot of the songs from 'Love Is The Law' and 'Anthem' and 'The Changeling' together in a movie form, being as I have run a link through all three albums."

Toyah's Letter 
Intergalactic Ranchouse 
No. 18, December 1983

80's SENSATION TOYAH

Using three fantastic pictures of her minxness.

After the first song, 'Echo Beach', Toyah asked the audience: "Have you come to look at the new face? I wouldn't recommend it, but it's the best thing I ever did!"

And just before the final song, a cover of Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now', which Toyah will perform on next Saturday's Queenmania, she said "I'm going to attempt this. This song has so many words that I wish my arse could sing!"

Thanks to Merx and Alec Kelly.

TOYAH
Love Is The Law
Reviewed By Richard Evans

My passion for Toyah is well documented throughout this website. To me she is a chameleon character who has constantly evolved; from the punky near-jazz experimentation of her early work, through the well known pop-punk years of 'Anthem' , into an altogther darker, artier, gothic place with 'The Changeling' and then onto this album... 1983's 'Love Is The Law' which is now available on CD for the first time.

It's obviously nearly impossible for me to nominate a favourite Toyah album, but if someone was to really push me then I would probably choose 'Love Is The Law'. Where 'The Changeling' was dark and brooding 'Love Is The Law' is celebratory and upbeat and although when it came out I would have bristled at anyone who tried to dismiss this as 'pop' music, hindsight reveals it to be a great pop album!

'Love Is The Law' gave us two singles - 'Rebel Run' and 'The Vow', the first a solid, pop-rock song that checked all the necessary boxes for a Toyah single - upbeat, singalong and with an undertone of rebellion. A safe choice for a single but still a surprising one given the wealth of stronger tracks available on the album. As far as the charts were concerned it peaked in the twenties and vanished pretty quickly. 'The Vow' is definitely one of the Toyah classics that never was... an emotionally charged ballad that exhibited a more mature side to Toyah and which showcased her voice to great effect over a wash of strings. It bothered the charts not at all, entering at around fifty and disappearing immediately.

But the singles are only the tip of the iceberg here - this is an album sparkly with great songs, from the searing and plaintive epic rock of 'Broken Diamonds' to the balladry of 'Martian Cowboy' and it's an album that sounds bright and polished and confident, even now it sounds modern and (mostly) contemporary and twenty-two years later I find myself seduced back into the glittering sci-fi world is creates. 

I don't know if this will make any sense to anyone else but for me it's an album of light... the imagery is of stars and planets and space travel, of lights and lasers, of love and yearning over vast star-filled distances. A modern, even futuristic album unlike anything Toyah had done before.

'I Explode' is an irresistable, fizzing, timebomb of a song, it's brash and upbeat and Toyah's voice is fully utilised from the growling pent-up aggression of the choruses to the moment of release where the song takes off and explodes in a flurry of synth tones. 

Where some of Toyah's albums seem to feature Toyah using different voices to give the songs drama and tension 'Love Is The Law' s tracks seems to be from one... one voice exploring futuristic visions with an optimism and enthusiasm that is sometimes absent on Toyah's early work. 'Time Is Ours' is one of my favorite tracks and, along with the sleek hypnotic 'Dreamscape' and 'Remember', sounds sure and confident, comfortable in this new direction. Toyah herself is is great voice and somehow sounds relaxed and happy... typical of Toyah the songs are full of drama; slow bits against fast bits, lyrics softly crooned against screams and shouts.

The one track that doesn't quite work for me is the slightly dischordant 'Rebel Of Love' which sounds like a hangover from the more angst-charged 'Changeling' and seems out of place on this sleek album.

This CD edition of 'Love Is The Law' also features five bonus tracks... one single, 'Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard)' which bridged the period between 'The Changeling' and 'Love In The Law' but was never included on a studio album, with it's b-side 'Laughing With The Fools' and the b-sides of 'Rebel Run' and 'The Vow', all strong tracks in themselves which make this a fine album with decent extra tracks and no fillers.

There was once a point in my life where I knew these songs so well I didn't actually need to play them... I could just think of them and hear them in my head, and although that time has now gone I've already played this CD edition enough times to start to think of these songs as old, and very good friends who I know I will never lose touch with again!

The Remember The Eighties 'Warrior Rock' review can be found under the 6th March news update.

Superstar Guests

Joining Capital Gold over the weekend will be the delightful Toyah Willcox and Bay City Roller Les McKeown. Why not join us for a Kenny Everett Special on Monday?

TOYAH WILLCOX
The lisping lovely will be David Jensen’s guest on Saturday morning at 10am. Toyah, somewhat upset by her haggard appearance on a recent series of ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here’ and decided to do something about it. So she had a face-lift and wrote a book about her experiences. She’ll be here on Saturday to tell all.

This show can be listened to online at the 'Capital Gold' website. Please click on the screen shot to go there.

Thanks to Katy.

Toyah almost blew the roof off Flamingo's nightclub in Blackpool on Monday night. I doubt the owners would have minded too much as they are moving to new premises in the not too distant future anyway.

The club was packed and chanting for Toyah prior to her appearing onstage. She soon did so, opening with 'Echo Beach'. She was wearing her black, very tight, pvc catsuit with large red/pinky belt, and her face was decorated with two double lines of diamante (as you can no doubt see in the picture).

By all accounts the audience were very supportive throughout the set and Toyah her usual bundle of energetic brilliance, playing eight songs in total, including two for the encore.

Flamingo's, Blackpool: Monday 28th March 2005 
Set List:

Echo Beach
Hangin' On The Telephone
Thunder In The Mountains
It's A Mystery
Sweet Child O Mine
I Want To Be Free
River Deep, Mountain High
Don't Stop Me Now

It can now also now be revealed that the closing song 'Don't Stop Me Now' is the one Toyah will perform on Queenmania, ITV1, Saturday 9th April.

Thanks to Michael O'Brien for picture 1, Paul Lomas for picture 2, and Glyn Whelan, Merx & Alec Kelly for the info.

Please click on either picture to view more @ Dreamscape's Live section. There's also a thread about the Blackpool PA at the Dreamscape Forum.

NB: Dreamscape's LIVE! section has been given a facelift (no pun intended!), not only to make navigation of the various sections easier, but also in celebration of Toyah's Blackpool PA, forthcoming festival appearances, and other gig dates in 2005.