Released on Catmachine Music under the band name Family of Noise, the CD single 'Killing Made Easy' features Toyah on lead vocals, and includes two very different remixes; A Shot in the Dark and Lime Pickle. 

Killing Made Easy 
CD single CATCD01 

1. Killing Made Easy 
2. Killing Made Easy (a shot in the dark mix) 
3. Killing Made Easy (lime pickle mix) 

Written by Stranger/Limb/Bartram 

Toyah Willcox: verbals 
The Elusive Stranger: percussion 
Chris Limb: bass, computer, vocals 
Rob Bartram: guitar, vocals 

Numbered limited edition of 500. 

Click on the CD artwork for details on how to buy this, a great addition to your Toyah collection.

BEST OF THE 80S
Playhouse, Edinburgh, October 20

Four of the decade's biggest pop acts reunited for a cracking evening of nostalgia. Curiosity Killed The Cat kicked things off and lead singer Ben Volpierre-Pierrot - wearing one of his trademark silly hats - moonwalked across the stage and jumped into the crowd during Name And Number.

Altered Images' Clare Grogan was up next and her shocking pink frock and girly singing - especially during See Those Eyes and Happy Birthday - took the crowd back to when they were 17 and wearing leg-warmers.

Toyah - decked out in a tasselled, gold-coloured short skirt - still boasts a good singing voice and the men in the audience swarmed to the front of the stage as the 42-year-old belted out I Wanna Be Free and It's A Mystery as she did 20-odd years ago.

Last but not least, Nick Heyward of Haircut 100 performed hits such as Boy Meets Girl and Whistle Down the WInd to end a great trip down memory lane.

by Barry Gordon.

This picture << was taken at the Wolverhampton concert on Tuesday night of this week. That's John (aka Ruby), Nick Heyward's girlfriend Beth, and Toyah onstage.

Click on the pic to visit Dreamscape's 'Best Of the 80s' page, with pics and info from various dates of the tour. Please check back soon for more additions to the 'Best' page, including more pictures from Wolverhampton and Derby.

Many THANKS to John.

This was repeated late last night on the channel.

During the intro to the programme Toyah was shown saying: "I just detested disco!"

Later, commenting on David Bowie, she said: "He just looked gorgeous... He looked like a supermodel... He looked like a woman. It was just absolutely stunning."

And it has to be said she looks lovely in both.

Picture one was taken on Saturday 7th August at the Kremlin club in Befast. Picture two, with Nick Heyward, is from the 'Best Of The 80s' Tour when Toyah visited the Edinburgh Playhouse (Wednesday 20th October).

Click on the pics to view larger versions of both.

Thank you to John for these.

And because I like all you Toyah fans so much I'm saving you the trauma (!! ;o)) of having to plough through the countless pages of ex-Atomic Kitteners and Big Brother housemates to read it...

As well as Toyah, the five-page feature looks at Adam Ant, Bananarama, Kim Wilde, Duran Duran, Nick Heyward, Pepsi and Shirlie, and Spandau Ballet.

As '80s stars on 45 reach the grand age of 50!
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Their music defined a decade but how are they doing now that they're decades older?

Back in the '80s, hairspray sales must have gone through the roof. Every strand of hair was teased, coloured, back-combed, gelled and sprayed to within an inch of its life to make sure you achieved that all-important new romantic look. And it wasn't just the girls - the boys weren't shy about getting dressed up and spending hours in the make-up chair.

Though many struggled to replicate their '80s success in the next decade, their music still has an army of fans, as shown by the enormous success of the regular Here And Now and '80s revival tours.

One band that has seen a phenomenal comeback despite all of them being in their forties and fathering 12 children between them, are Duran Duran. With slightly thicker waistlines and a few more wrinkles the hair highlights are still there, even though their clothes are more subdued.

Though many of the '80s stars have been keen to reunite their bands, with varying degrees of success, there are others that are happy to pursue different career paths or just happily live with the memories...

TOYAH: In the '80s it was hard to avoid Toyah, which isn't surprising judging by this picture! Toyah is now an established stage and television performer.

This wild, fiery-haired pop star of the '80s has transformed into an immaculately groomed, sleek, blonde TV favourite and West End performer - and Toyah Willcox is more surprised than anyone. She says: "When I made my name as a singer in the '80s I never guessed I'd end up as a TV presenter."

There was a time when Toyah ruled the pop charts with the likes of It's A Mystery and appeared in seminal rock films Jubilee with Adam Ant, and Quadrophenia with Sting. However following her stint on I'm A Celebrity... last year, she cemented her stage reputation by starring in Calamity Jane in the West End. She is married to guitarist Robert Fripp from the band King Crimson.

Toyah is, reportedly, out-performing herself on each successive night, sounding great, and delighting audiences at each venue. No surprise there then!

Please click on the picture to visit Dreamscape's 'Best Of The 80s' page.

• Very sad news that DJ John Peel has passed away. Toyah appeared with John on Did You See? way back in 1983. She also interviewed him in 2000 for an edition of 'Sacred Spaces', a series included in the Heaven & Earth Show. A great loss to music :o(

• 'Echo Beach' by Martha And The Muffins has, this week, been voted the 6th Best One Hit Wonder of all time. The song was a hit for the band in 1980, and, of course, was a hit for Toyah in 1987 and included on her 'Desire' album. It is also the opening song in Toyah's 'Best Of the 80s' set.

• The fourth series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! begins in a couple of weeks on ITV1 and ITV2. Toyah appeared in series two and was the official 'Daily record' columnist for series three. No word yet on whether she will reprise this for the new series.

Please click the picture for another memorable "moment" from Toyah's awesome career.

John Lennon... Elvis Presley... Kurt Cobain... Jimi Hendrix... David Bowie... Bono... the list of musical icons that have thrilled and inspired generations of fans crosses the decades and continues into the 21st century. But who, when push comes to shove, is the greatest? If we were to have a Rock Star Olympics, who'd be taking home the gold medal? 

Well, toss and turn in your sleep no more, because Q and O2 are joining forces to answer those questions and a whole lot more. And we need your help. Q, the UK’s number one magazine for music is teaming up with O2 the Uk's leading network for mobile music content and services to find out who is the most iconic figure in music. Ever! 

Over the next few months, a plethora of contemporary stars, celebrities and general ne'er-do-wells will be pointing Q, O2 and you in all sorts of directions but it's your vote that counts!

1. Simply text ‘QMAG’, a space, then your chosen icons name to 80202, e.g. ‘QMAG TOYAH’ to 80202. 

2.  Email us at this address Qicons@emap.com 

Please click on the image for further info.

Andi Westhorpe has added dozens of caps from a variety of Toyah TV appearances to the delight of many forum members and visitors. The thread can be found in the 'Toyah Titbits' section. Not to be missed!

• SLEEPING BEAUTY: There's also the opportunity at the forum to add your name to join a bunch of fans planning on seeing Toyah's 2004/05 panto in January. Be quick, Merx needs your decision in the next couple of days. The thread can be found in the 'Totally Toyah Talk' section.

• FAME: Toyah popped up on Channel 4 on Sunday evening. She briefly appeared on the UK Music Hall of Fame seventies edition, commenting on David Bowie. [Thanks to Corona].

• BARMY: Don't forget that Barmy Aunt Boomerang is still being shown on BBC2 at least once weekly, very ealry morning!

The item is an invite to Toyah's old home/warehouse, MAYHEM, in Battersea way back on Friday 18th July 1980. 

The occasion was filmed and some of the footage would subsequently be included in the ATV documentary TOYAH in December 1980.

Strong women who have forged their way in male dominated industries were guest speakers at the second annual Unique, Women in Business, conference.

Singer, actress and presenter Toyah and MP for Rossendale and Darwen Janet Anderson were among the speakers at the conference at Ewood Park which drew a 250-strong audience of top East Lancashire businesswomen.

The platinum album selling singer and survivor of "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here" told the audience how overcoming dyslexia stood her in good stead for dealing with the male music world of the 1980s.

Looking back on a 29-year career, she said she still had a few ambitions, including becoming a bodybuilder and starring in a soap opera, but would never appear in another reality television show. "I have loved every minute of my career and wouldn't change anything," she said. "My only regret is that my dyslexia held me back at school, but I think that helped give me the determination to achieve in other areas." Now working on an educational project to support dyslexic students, she shared her tips for success.

"Always be super efficient, it will give you peace of mind, defy expectations, always show respect and remember to network, network, network," she said. 

Fellow speaker Janet Anderson, the first woman to represent Rossendale and Darwen, entertained with her tales of overcoming practical problems created by a lack of facilities for women in the House of Commons. Jean Meshkat, chairman of Unique, said: "It was a great day. East Lancashire's most successful businesswomen in one place gave us all a great networking opportunity and the chance to share our own experiences. Our speakers gave us an interesting, insight into how they have forged their successes as women in a man's world."

Other speakers included Tricia Calway, the first North West Women's Champion and businesswomen Alwin Thompson and Liz Jackson. Unique was launched by East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce to provide a forum for women in business and to encourage others to set up on their own.

Hardy band of thirtysomethings turn out for tribute to the decade that taste forgot

Small but perfectly reformed

It's a funny thing, nostalgia.

For some the 1980s conjure up grim images of yuppie greed, spiralling dole queues and Little and Large being on TV on a regular basis.

But for others it was a magical era when Live Aid fed the world, the Dons were kings of Europe, and they got their first snog behind the bike sheds.

Howling winds and horizontal rain meant leg-warmers, ra-ra skirts and deeley-boppers were replaced by sensible winter woollies, but a hardy band of mainly thirtysomethings turned out at the Music Hall last night to pay homage to the decade that taste forgot.

"He's older and uglier, but still talented," boomed an unseen voice as Ben Volpierre-Pierrot kicked off the Best of the 80s gig.

In tribute to his host city, the Curiosity Killed The Cat frontman swapped his trademark backwards beret for a tartan "bunnet".

There were gasps when the smoothie singer doffed his hat to reveal a shock of cherubic curls.

"Only kidding," he winked as he chucked the wig to one side exposing his shaven scalp.

Ben may now be a dead ringer for REM frontman Michael Stipe, but he still had the girls screaming as he crooned the hits Misfit, Name and Number and Down to Earth.

Unbelievably, Clare Grogan looked younger than when Altered Images were top of the pops.

The baby-voiced Glaswegian vocalist looked genuinely chuffed to be on stage in Aberdeen.

She beamed: "This is the first time I've sung these songs in front of a Scottish audience in 23 years.

"Last time I was in Aberdeen I fell off stage, so will you catch me if I take a flyer again?"

Dozens of grown men, transformed once again to drooling teenagers, would have been happy to oblige.

By the time Happy Birthday rang out, Clare and the audience were clearly having a ball.

At one point she sighed girlishly: "Ooh, that's gorgeous. You're singing my songs in a Scottish accent."

Not to be outdone, one-time punk princess Toyah Willcox made an entrance to rival her many pantomime appearances.

Striding out in a velvet basque and thigh-high boots she quipped: "Has anyone seen my dress?"

She belted out rocking covers of Echo Beach by Martha and the Muffins and Sweet Child o' Mine by Guns 'n' Roses.

As the audience sang along to her angst-ridden anthem I Want to be Free, Toyah confessed: "I feel a bit of a fraud. I wrote this song when I was 12 and now I'm 46."

The nostalgia night was completed by Haircut 100 frontman Nick Heyward, who had the crowd dancing in the aisles to Love Plus One and Fantastic Day.

Wild applause at the end means it is only a matter of time before the Best of the 90s tour starts snaking round the country.

by Marc Horne

THANKS to Mark Donaldson for providing this.

The site came a very respectable 195th from thousands of music based websites. Not bad, especially considering the confusion of www.toyah.net being unavailable. Thanks again :o)

Please click on the DMA pic to view the Top 500 websites.

A lot of nostalgia tours are thrown together to make a quick buck. In this one the stars deserved their money.

An almost-full Sands was up dancing and singing. That sort of thing just doesn't happen in Carlisle.

Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot of Curiosity Killed The Cat fame kicked off the gig, surprising quite a few as he brought us Back Down To Earth with an impressively strong voice.

Predictably it was Clare Grogan of Altered Images who got the night jumping – spiky, hilarious and scatty, with enormous stage presence.

The music spoke for itself, journeying through Dead Pop Stars, See Those Eyes and the excellent Insects before a raucous rendition of Happy Birthday.

Toyah came out with the sole intention of having fun, treating us to a version of Martha and the Muffins’ Echo Beach and Guns’n’Roses' Sweet Child of Mine before bouncing energetically through her own hits Thunder In The Mountains, I Want To Be Free and It’s A Mystery.

Nick Heyward was a chilled out headliner in comparison, but impressed enough people to have pairs of undies thrown his way, took a couple of phone calls on stage and invited a few fans up to dance through Blue Hat For A Blue Day.

From Boy Meets Girl to Fantastic Day, he was as polished as a brass horseshoe. And just as lucky, judging by the amount of female attention he got.

MARK CAMPBELL
The Cumberland News
22nd October 2004

Their youthful images may have altered but the quality's the same 20 years on

It’s fair to say a lot of nostalgia tours are thrown together to make a quick buck. Not this one.

Sure, there’s money in it for these particular 80s stars, but their quality is still undisputed. In short, they’ve still got it.

That fact was confirmed by the rare sight of an almost-full Sands standing out of their seats, clapping, dancing and singing. This is Carlisle, remember. That sort of thing just doesn’t happen.

Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot of Curiosity Killed The Cat fame kicked off the gig. I'll be the first to admit I thought I'd be heading back to the bar. Not so.

Ben’s voice is still impressively strong. He cuts a neat figure in a sharp suit, even with a bald head, and he surprised a few punters last night.

But predictably it was Clare Grogan of Altered Images who got the night jumping, her sparky Scottish charm still rubbing off on audiences, hilarious and scatty, and with enormous stage presence for such a wee lass.

The music did enough talking by itself, journeying through Dead Pop Stars, See Those Eyes and the excellent Insects (“our Siouxsie and the Banshees phase”) before rounding off with a raucous rendition of Happy Birthday. Not a soul refused to join in.

That set the tone for the rest of the night, and by the time Toyah came out stating she didn’t care she was 46 – she was going to wear precious little and have fun – the crowd were up for it big style.

I've resisted saying it so far, but I'm going to anyway, and risk sounding ancient in the process... they don’t write them like they used to.

MARK CAMPBELL
Cumberland News & Star
16th October 2004

IT'S ALL SO VERY BIZARRE, IT CAN ONLY BE THE 80S

Big hairdos? Check. Dayglo stilettos? Check. Ra-ra skirts? Check.

You guessed it, the decade that taste forgot reared its ugly head again last night, as the Best of the 80s Tour rolled into the Playhouse.

Hard

The acts on the bill were former punk princess Toyah Willcox, Altered Images star Clare Grogan, Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot of Curiosity Killed The Cat fame and Nick Heyward.

Volpeliere-Pierrot kicked off the gig, and the 40-year-old singer had the hardest task of all in warming up the crowd.

A former teen pin-up, he still had the dance moves, and although his voice remains strong, he appeared fairly spaced-out during his 20-minute set.

After sensing the audience wasn't warming to his songs, the lanky six-footer took it upon himself to jump down into the audience to try to rouse the crowd. And when that didn't make any odds, he showed his annoyance by mumbling "there's nothing happening here" and leaving the stage.

But it was nothing compared to the antics of Nick Heyward.

The former Haircut One Hundred frontman wandered on wearing a brown cord jacket and red scarf combo, looking more biology teacher than pop star. He then spent the majority of his time spouting some nonsense about a failed relationship, his bandmates' star signs and dolphins... the oddness of it all was only topped when he held aloft a huge sword and started screaming "freedom".

Fortunately, though, the girls were on hand to restore some sanity to the proceedings.

First up was Clare Grogan of Altered Images, and despite this being her first time on an Edinburgh stage for 23 years, the Scottish singer had the crowd dancing in no time.

Charisma

Her charisma is enormous for such a small lass, and her raucous rendition of Happy Birthday rolled back the years.

Looking 20 years younger in a red Parisian showgirl's costume, thigh-high black suede boots and matching gloves, Toyah kept the tempo high with her upbeat renditions of It's A Mystery, Thunder In The Mountains and Echo Beach, before an unlikely cover of Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine showed she still likes to rock.

Listening to the banter from the crowd on the way out, they all seemed to agree that Toyah and Clare Grogan were the stars of this 80s revival show.

As for Nick Wayward and Ben Whatshisname? Couldn't they have gotten Kajagoogoo or Tears For Fears instead?

Gary Flockhart

Toyah played at the Edinburgh Playhouse on Wednesday night for the first time in 22 years, and it has to be said she didn't look or sound any older than she did way back in 1982 on 'The Changeling' Tour. Okay, the outfit might be a million miles away from Melissa Caplan but it does actually work when seen in person. Toyah did look very cute in the kilt she wore for the finale of the show too. 

Ben (Curiosity Killed The Cat), Clare (Altered Images), and Nick Heyward all played to the appreciative crowd but in my, and many other's, opinion Toyah was easily the best thing about BEST OF THE 80s!!

Toyah reminisced about last playing the city all those years ago, and about dislocating her knee onstage in Calamity Jane at the Festival Theatre more recently. She also spoke about how much she was enjoying the tour and spending time with Clare, Nick and Ben.

Ruby joined Toyah, wearing a mini-kilt,, Clare and Nick onstage at the end of the Edinburgh gig for a brilliant singalong rendition of Haircut 100's FANTASTIC DAY. And it was.

Echo Beach
Thunder In The Mountains
Jungles Of Jupiter
Rebel Run
It's A Mystery
Sweet Child O Mine
I Want To Be Free
Fantastic Day

Thanks to John, Merx, Alec and Steven for a fantastically, brilliant day. Please check back soon for some great pix from the Edinburgh show.

While the reality TV generation might know her only as a star of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, those with longer memories know better. Toyah Willcox, the punk princess who became an 80s icon, has done it all. 

From acting on the West End to presenting Songs of Praise, she has become a star of stage, screen and concert hall - her unique voice and high-energy performance style winning her the Best Female Singer accolade at the 1983 British Rock and Pop Awards. 

Long before Toyah was a pop star, however, she was an actress. Indeed, by the time she scored her first Top 40 success with the anthemic It’s A Mystery in 1981, the diminutive performer had not only worked with the National Theatre but had also left her mark on the movie world, appearing in Derek Jarman’s seminal punk epic Jubilee and the cult classic Quadrophenia. 

Still, for many, it’s for her music - songs that roused a generation - that Toyah is remembered. As such, it is hard to believe that when the Best Of The 80s concert tour hits Edinburgh next Wednesday and Toyah stands in the wings ready to rock the Playhouse, it will be exactly 22 years since she last bounded on to the very same stage. For Toyah, however, it will be as if she’s never been away. 

"I don’t feel that I’ve stepped away from anything that much to be honest," says the singer who shares the Best Of The 80s bill with Clare Grogan of Altered Images, Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot from Curiosity Killed The Cat and Nick Heyward.

"We’re all reinventing what we did in the 80s. We have the most amazing band, they are great musicians and they are reproducing what we did 22 years ago. I stand in the wings and watch Ben and Clare and Nick and I’m having a f***ing great time."

The Edinburgh gig will be the tenth in a 20-date tour and the 46-year-old, who has lost little, if any, of her youthful enthusiasm and energy, is holding up well, although being back on the road is proving a "novel" experience. 

"I can’t tell you how good it’s going," she says. "I thought that four such diverse artists wouldn’t work, but it’s bizarre. Ben is almost like a soul/reggae artist; Clare is incredibly true to the early 80s with that very off-the-wall contemporary sound; I’m very rock and then Nick is dance, almost. But it’s working well just because we are all so different." 

Birmingham-born Toyah is no stranger to the Capital. The singer first toured here in 1979 with her eponymous band to play the legendary Tiffany’s - a venue she revisited the following year. With their star continuing to rise, Toyah graduated to playing the larger Odeon in 1981, before packing the Playhouse just 12 months later. 

More than a decade later she returned to the city. However, this time it was Toyah the actress who commanded the Festival Theatre in the 1993 national tour of Peter Pan and then in 2000 she made her Fringe debut as Dora Marr in Picasso’s Women at the Assembly Rooms. 

Toyah last visited the city two years ago as tomboy cowgirl Calamity Jane, next week she promises she’ll sport a very different look. "A common statement that has been falling from my lips is ‘as I get older I seem to be wearing less’," she laughs. "I tell you, my outfit . . . I walked on stage on the first night and the audience screamed. I was like a mini-version of Cher but without the long legs." 

The screams were a reaction to her costume which she has described as being a "dinky little number that only needed a metre of material to make." 

"I’ve been starving for a month because this costume has a 20-inch waist," she says. "It’s reminiscent of a little circus girl in Victorian times, except I’ve taken the innocence away and added a little S&M - it leaves nothing to the imagination. 

"I saw it on a transvestite and said ‘I have to have that’. So I went to a costume maker in Manchester who makes clothes exclusively for men to look like women and said: ‘I’m really sorry. I know you have never made a costume for a woman and you don’t know how our busts really go or how our crotches are shaped, but I have to have this costume’." 

As a bonus, just for the Playhouse gig, Toyah will also be wearing a "special" kilt made for her by Edinburgh kilt-maker Howie Nicholsby. It’s just one of a number of surprises planned for the night. 

"We’re supposed to do 35 minutes each, but we are all over-running," she confesses. "We’re doing all our singles. Claire is doing her singles and favourite tracks and I’ve added a Guns and Roses number because I think it’s quite unfair to expect Claire’s or Nick’s fans to sit through songs of mine they might not know, so I’ve added Sweet Child of Mine and the audience go absolutely bonkers." 

Sweet Child of Mine is one of the three musical surprises the singer has planned . . . the other two she’s staying tight-lipped about. 

Perhaps surprisingly, considering her success in the 1980s, Toyah reveals that the last two years of her life have been the busiest. She has performed 446 shows to over half a million people - 11 of these shows were part of the Here and Now Concert Tour where she realised her ambition of playing Wembley before a crowd of 16,000 screaming fans. 

Alongside all of this, last year she took time out to survive 12 days and nights in the Australian jungle for last year’s I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here. 

Before embarking on the Best Of The 80s Tour last month, Toyah confided to fans reading her website (www.toyahwillcox.com) that she was "straining at the bit to be on the road again." 

"I haven’t been on a tour bus for approximately 18 years and I want to know if I can do it without irritating the do-da out of everyone," she wrote. "Although I do at least four gigs a month, I’m never on a tour bus. 

"This whole concept of being on a bus with your bag of laundry driving until four in the morning and eating chips - I haven’t lived like that for 22 years. You just have to surrender to it and it has novelty value so far." 

And when the Best Of The 80s tour bus pulls into the Capital on Wednesday, Toyah predicts that her 1981 Top Ten hit I Want To Be Free will be the song from her set that drives everyone wild. 

She laughs: "It’s hysterical because here we are singing about schooldays and the whole audience are up on their feet screaming their heads off. I’m also doing Jungle of Jupiter which is mind-blowing but I Want To Be Free somehow turns the whole of my act into a riot."

By Liam Rudden
Edinburgh Evening News
Thursday 14th October 2004

Looking great (this was only recorded last Tuesday), she joked along with host Mark Lamarr, and her team captain Bill Bailey.

For anyone who missed this, it is scheduled to be repeated this coming weekend...

Never Mind the Buzzcocks : BBC2 - Sat 16th October : 11.30pm

HUGE THANKS to Andi Westhorpe for this picture and the page of screen captures that can be viewed by clicking on it. 

This was the final show in which the winners were announced. And they were:

1st - Billy Connolly
2nd - Victoria Wood
3rd - Ronnie Barker
4th - Dawn French
5th - Frank Skinner 

Thanks to Andi Westhorpe for the screen capture.

Toyah also made an appearance on UK TV on Sunday night. This was BBC3's End Of Story.

The BBC commissioned eight best-selling authors from a mix of genres to write the first half of a short story. these stories were then distributed around the country in book form and made available on the BBC website. Anyone over 16 could then write the second half of one of the stories.

Thanks to Dave (aka Corona) @ the Dreamscape Forum. 

Air your opinions on anything and everything Toyah related.

The forum can be accessed by clicking on the logo above or via the main page of Dreamscape. Come on... we're waiting! ;o)

Echo Beach
Thunder In The Mountains
Jungles Of Jupiter
Rebel Run
It's A Mystery
Sweet Child O Mine
I Want To Be Free

Toyah and the other BEST OF THE 80s bands are taking a couple of days off before playing at The Orchard in Dartford this coming Wednesday night, The Olympia in Liverpool on Thursday, Sands Centre in Carlisle on Friday and, rounding off the week, at the Lacy Hotel in Holme on Saturday.

Thanks to John for the info. Thanks also to Elaine (aka Zillah Minx) for the picture of Toyah (taken on the opening night of the tour @ the Corn Exchange in Kings Lynn).

Please click on the picture to view more pictures from the first three nights of the tour, at Dreamscape's BEST OF THE 80s page.

Following the news that Toyah added REBEL RUN to her set-list, there is the "possibility" that another much-loved single could be included sometime during the tour.

What about playing DREAMSCAPE? Pwetty Pwease?

No information on whether RIVER DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH, or HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE will be included too.

Please click on the picture of Toyah to visit Dreamscape's new BEST OF THE 80s section. There's a GALLERY of live pictures waiting for you ;o))

Many THANKS to John.

Echo Beach
Thunder In The Mountains
Jungles Of Jupiter
It's A Mystery
Sweet Child O Mine
I Want To Be Free

Last night , at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft, Toyah added 'Rebel Run' to her set. There is the possibility of more changes as the tour progresses through the UK.

Toyah, Nick Heyward, Claire Grogan (Altered Images), and Ben Vul-avant (Curiosity Killed the Cat) will be at the Corn Exchange in Kings Lynn. Thursday sees the tour bus arriving at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft, Friday the Assembly Hall in Tunbridge Wells, and Saturday @ the Auditorium in Grimsby.

There is then a four day break before Toyah and co. play at The Orchard in Dartford.

If you are going to any of these intital dates I'd really appreciate any info or pictures that could be added to Dreamscape. Have a great time.

And GOOD LUCK to Toyah, Nick, Claire, and Ben. Have a great tour!

Still on the subject of the tour, Toyah was featured at the 'This Is The Lake District' website and in 'The Westmorland Gazette' last week.

The feature used the same "ra-ra skirts, fluorescent socks" blurb as previous articles have done. And pictured Toyah, via the fantastic Dean Stockings image that is now synonomous with this tour.

Toyah has mentioned that she has done a number of interviews relating to the tour so please keep an eye on your local press for any Toyah content around the time the tour reaches your area.

Toyah has made 200 special limited edition copies of her autobiography, Living Out Loud available for the tour, which all have a nameplate inside signed by Toyah on her personal stationary. This will be the last chance to own Living out Loud in this version as Toyah’s autobiography is about to be revised, rewritten in parts and re-released in 2005. There will also be signed colour photographs available of recently taken Dean Stockings shots.

She is actually filming her appearance today, on the eve of beginning the mammoth 'Best Of the 80's' nationwide tour.

This will be Toyah's fourth time on the comedy/music panel show presented by Mark Lamarr. Toyah has previously guested on the show in 1998, 1999, and most recently in 2001.

Never Mind The Buzzcocks : BBC2 - Monday 11th October : 9.00pm
Never Mind the Buzzcocks : BBC2 - Saturday 16th October : 11.30pm

This CD is an exclusive book, incorporating my extensive writings on Goth for music papers during the 1980’s and 1990’s, writing taken from my fanzine and work I did for various magazines and fanzines. It also features many of my unique photographs taken at live gigs and interviews, to which I own the copyright, the majority of which you will never have seen anywhere else. The written material has not been used in any of my printed works – Gothic Rock Black Book, Gothic Rock, Hex Files or 21st Century Goth and can only be found here on this CD.

Within the 474 pages of this extravaganza, you will find interviews and reviews – full details below - as well as photo spreads. The CD also comes with a folder of bonus images.

The book includes an interview with Toyah, a review of the 'Warrior Rock' album, a review of Toyah live at the Marquee, and a Toyah photo page.

Click on the picture to visit Mick's website for further info on this.

• Bad News! - The magazine 'Celebrity Homes', in which Toyah was to feature, has bitten the dust after just five issues. Looks like the picture spread of Toyah's home may now never see the light of day.

• Still no word on whether Toyah will be joining the cast of The Bill.

• Toyah is in talks to appear in "a major BBC drama". 

• It's unclear whether Toyah is going ahead with the two programmes she was offered in August, Gardening with God and Nudism and Religion, but they sure do sound bizarre!

• Toyah's preperations for this month's 'Best Of The 80's' UK Tour (beginning tomorrow!!). What does she plan on getting up to on the tour bus?

• What does Toyah's stage outfit look like?Well, it's: "reminiscent of a little circus girl in Victorian times, except I’ve taken the innocence away and added a little S&M."

• Will TW be flexing her muscles in the U S of A in 2005. Strange but true, you'll have to read it to believe it.

• And just who has Toyah been eating out with over the past month?

The site's Entry page has also been updated with a great 'Best Of The 80's' promo image.

As well as taking part in the programme, to be shown on Channel 4 sometime in December, Toyah's performance of the Greg Lake Yuletide classic 'I Believe In Father Christmas', originally from the ITV 1982 special Pop Goes Christmas, will be shown too.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!;o)

Thanks to Andi Westhorpe for the excellent Pop Goes Christmas screen capture.

Britain's Favourite Comedian - A series counting down Britain's most popular living funny men and women. With contributions from fellow comedians and archive clips of the performers in action. 

Toyah may pop up on one of the shows being shown this week, until Sunday, so keep your eyes peeled.

As pointed out in the Forum, this is the fourth "talking head" appearance Toyah has made in the past fortnight:

Sky One : Top 10 Sci-Fi Moments
ITV1 : It Shouldn't Happen to A Pop Star
Sky One : The 50 Worst Decisions
Ch Five : Britain's Favourite Comedian

Thanks to Claire @ the Dreamscape Forum.

STORE KEEPERS REVEAL SECRETS OF THEIR FAMOUS CUSTOMERS

When Rachel Hunter is in town, she knows exactly where to buy her fruit.

Eric Carter, 54, has worked on his stall in London's trendy Notting Hill for 10 years - and worked in a grocer's around the corner for 20 years before that.

The stars come and go - but Rod Stewart's ex-missus is the one who sticks in his memory.

Eric says: "In the winter she is quite a regular here. She buys a bit of everything but seems to particularly like peaches.

"She is absolutely stunning and always has a bit of a chat. The last time I saw here she told me she was 'resting'.

"Every time I have seen her she has been wearing jeans and a sheepskin coat. A beautiful woman."

Eric could soon be seeing more of her, as the model was recently seen looking at a house in the area with a view to buying it.

But not every star gets the thumbs-up from Eric. He says: "As I was closing one evening, Toyah Willcox came up and said that the fruit wasn't fresh.What do you expect at 6pm?"

"It's like you've won the lottery, you've been given the gift of eternal life., The feeling is extraordinary!" Toyah said of being a pop star.

She also said: "To be a pop star, I think you've got to have the biggest ego on the face of the planet. When I was starting out in the business I would have sold my granny to get where I wanted to be!".

On fans: "Having fans is a currency. It's so powerful. They fight for you when the press dares to diss you. They fight for you whatever the show is like. They are so pro-you it is unbelievable."

And ultimately: "It opens every door that you need to open!"

A tiny clip of the 'Rebel Run' video was also shown.
 
 

Many thanks to Andi Westhorpe for the screen captures.

"I don't think George Michael getting caught having sex in a public toilet was a bad decision - I think it was magnificent!", said TW.

Thanks to Merx @ the Dreamscape Forum.

Dyeing for a change 
by TOYAH WILLCOX, Daily Mail
28/08/2003 

When I walked through the door aged 14 with cornflower blue hair, my mother, Barbara, burst into tears. I came from a respectable family, my father, Beric, was a joinery manufacturer with three successful factories. 'Only common people dye their hair,' she cried, 'it's not something people from our background do.' 

My hair was naturally very thick and black with red highlights which would catch in the sunlight. But while everyone else seemed to love it, I found it a bit of a handicap. I was only 4ft tall at the time, and felt the dark colour made me look even shorter especially as I had pale skin. 

I'd seen, from visits to the hairdresser, that you could dye your hair every colour under the sun. At 14, I felt strong enough to deal with the inevitable reactions to being different. 

Dyeing my hair blue was a way of letting everyone know that I would never be the 'Laura Ashley', middleclass person they all wanted me to be. I had rebelled, and I found the whole experience very liberating. 

And I know I'm not alone. According to a new survey, seven out of ten women have dyed or highlighted their hair all their adult lives. 

The psychology of changing your hair to be different or to feel better is why so many women do it. It has allowed me to be distinctive and different - to feel sexy and good about myself. 

Although I did it to break the rules, some do it to signal a new start. That is proven time and time again when women change their hairstyle after breaking up with a partner. 

I got a hell of a lot of stick for the way I looked. Taxis and buses refused to stop for me, and I was constantly on the receiving end of comments such as: 'I didn't know there were clowns in town.' But instead of making me feel more fragile, it made me stronger and more determined to be what I wanted to be. 

When my career as a singer took off in the 1980s, I moved to London and as I was becoming famous, I was lucky enough to get it done for free. My hair, which had been the bane of my mother's life when I was younger, was now making me a fashion icon. 

Even though I'd been dyeing my hair for more than ten years, I had no side-effects whatsoever. Yet there was one occasion when it went wrong. 

For some reason I didn't go to my normal hairdresser, and they let an apprentice loose on my hair. I wanted to have it dyed jet black with lots of pillar-box red streaks. It was all going well until she tried to bleach the black strands. Apparently the black dye is even more aggressive than bleach, so my hair went to powder. 

After years of going to the hairdresser trying outlandish hairdos, I knew it was going to happen but the apprentice ignored me. In the end they had to cut the whole lot off, which didn't look too bad, but I never went back there again. 

Throughout the 80s I continued to get my hair dyed bright primary colours every few weeks, but in 1993 I decided enough was enough. 

Like many women, I found my hair colour was dictated by my career and my age. Margaret Thatcher famously advised us to go lighter as we get older. I was turning my hand to TV presenting, and decided to change peacock vibrancy for blonde elegance. 

Blondes may have more fun, but my main reason for going blonde was professional. The brightness of the colour reflects off the skin and makes you look younger. 

Being blonde has helped me understand why so many millions of women have done it - I've got more work out of it and had more fun. Fortunately, no man has treated me like a idiot - they wouldn't dare. 

So am I going to keep dyeing my hair? Of course I am. After all, there's precious little else you can change without going under the knife. 

INTERVIEW: CHARLOTTE DOVEY 

Are these really miracle tights?
27/05/2004

It sounds like the kind of news of which women dieters can only dream. A pair of caffeine-impregnated tights which, if worn every day, are claimed to reduce the size of your thighs by half an inch in three weeks. But do they work? Femail challenged three celebrities to put them to the test, with encouraging results. 

TOYAH WILLCOX: BEFORE: waist 27in, hips 35.5in, thighs 21in. AFTER: waist 26in, hips 34in, thighs 21in.

Singer and TV presenter Toyah, 46, is married to Robert Fripp, a musician. She lives in Worcestershire. She says: 

For the past three weeks I have been sat at a computer screen all day, every day, writing my book. And wearing the new coffee tights. 

Because my workload has been so heavy, I have abandoned my usual two hours of aerobic exercise a day in favour of endless typing, so if anything I expected to put on weight. 

That's why I was astonished to discover I have actually lost inches off my waist and hips. I'm convinced this is down to the tights, because I haven't altered my diet at all. 

Even though I've been wearing them up to 14 hours a day, I didn't find the tights uncomfortable.They were quite tight, but I'm used to wearing a lot of Lycra for my work on stage in musicals and so on, so that wasn't a problem for me. 

They look and feel exactly like the hosiery you buy on the High Street - they're not particularly attractive or good quality, but I wear trousers most of the time, so no one even saw them. 

My biggest concern was that the caffeine might keep me awake at night. I don't ever drink tea or coffee so I was worried that having all that caffeine going into my system would stop me sleeping. 

The skin is the biggest organ in the body so I was convinced that covering almost half of it with something containing a stimulant would have an effect. But, to my surprise, it didn't at all. I felt no physical difference so it's nothing short of a miracle that they've actually worked. 

Overall I am happy with my figure. I've weighed 7st 13lb for the past 25 years and my exercise regime keeps me a dress size 10. But what woman wouldn't relish the option of losing a couple of inches with absolutely no effort? 

I don't think there are any short cuts to getting a healthy, happy body and the tights could never be a replacement for physical exercise - it's not as if they're going to keep your heart fit - but they're an excellent cheat before a big night out or special occasion. 

The one area they had no effect on was my legs, which was odd considering this was cited as one of the main benefits.They've always been very muscular no matter what I try so I didn't expect to see a difference there, but I am thrilled with the results overall. I think the majority of women are going to love them.