• A print of a painting of ‘Ieya/The Blue Meaning’ Toyah, by artist Julie L Harwood, is currently up for auction at eBay.
• View a nice selection of photos from this week’s Sleeping Beauty panto launch in Canterbury over at Tim Stubbings Photography.
• Another press article on the panto at This is Kent.
• The Guardian: Your next box set: Shoestring: A new review of a box set that’s been available for almost a year? Toyah/Toola receives a namecheck. (Thanks to Stephen Bennett Troake)
• The Tempest on Blu-ray: More info on the forthcoming release at Kino. Still no artwork though!
• Psychics Network: Toyah’s full appearance on Bio’s Our Psychic Family, which originally aired in December 2008. View screen caps from this here.
Photos of Toyah live at last weekend’s ‘Mylor Sessions’. View larger versions of each, and the songs that made up the two set lists, at Dreamscape’s Gallery. (Thanks to Angus Turner)
As the Queen celebrates 60 years on the throne, we look back at the changing celebrity hairstyles which have influenced hairdressing trends, clients and photographic collections since her reign began. Here we look at the edgy eighties icons that rocked a generation. Celebrity Hairdresser, Richard Ward comments on 80s hair trends.
Toyah Willcox “I remember Toyah as being the punk girl that your mum could love; she crossed the divide between the dying breed of Punk Rocker and the emerging New Romantics.
Today’s teenagers think Pink, Katie Perry and Rihanna are setting the trend in outlandish hair colour – but Toyah Willcox was setting the trend back in the 80s which proves that what goes around comes around.”
• Continue reading at Hairdressers Journal Interactive.
What is the Rock and Bike Fest?
It’s a family-friendly music and bike/trike event in the grounds of Elvaston Castle over the weekend of July 12 to 14, with Pendulum, the Quireboys, the Sweet, Toyah Willcox and lots of tribute acts, plus a custom bike and trike show, live wrestling, tattoo competitions and more.
What is its history?
It was started five years ago by a team of people who share a passion for music and bikes. The first major event was in 2008 but there were a couple of smaller scale ones prior to that.
Who are the big music names who’ve played the festival in the past?
Saxon, Girlschool, T-Rex, Bad Company, the Levellers, the Quireboys, New Model Army, Toyah Willcox and Nazareth.
How many people are expected to attend this year? Around 5,000.
• Continue reading at This is Nottingham.
This evening is Quadrophenia/The Who night on ‘BBC Four’. Beginning at 9pm.
A short preview of the forthcoming ‘Wayne’s Asylum’ Toyah interview will air on tomorrow night’s show on Switch Radio. Info from Wayne:
This Friday I will be giving you an interview teaser EXCLUSIVE of the Toyah interview I did last week with the lady herself. She’ll be letting you know about the gigs she has coming up in here in Brum including the Hare and Hounds gig and a massive Halloween special @ Birmingham Ballroom . Do not miss this prequel to the Friday 13th/ Toyah special being aired in July..
More photos from yesterday’s Sleeping Beauty press launch/photo call. These were all tweeted by the Marlowe Theatre, the venue where Toyah’s panto for 2012 will play. An advert/etrailer was also filmed to promote the panto. There’s a new video interview with Gareth Gates at Kent Online. This includes footage of Toyah. (Photos © Marlowe Theatre)
Pop Idol and punk princess look to build on success
The stars were out in force ahead of the new Marlowe Theatre pantomime for 2012, Sleeping Beauty.
Pop Idol star Gareth Gates and punk legend Toyah Willcox head the cast which also includes Katrina Bryan, better known as Nina from the CBeebies series Nina and the Neurons.
A stint on Dancing on Ice in 2008 prompted Gareth to change musical direction and he went on to take the lead role in Joseph And His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. He has since appeared in Les Miserables, both on the 25th anniversary tour and in the West End. Former punk princess Toyah appeared in six productions at the old Marlowe and is delighted to be returning to the new venue, where she will play the Wicked Fairy
Sleeping Beauty is at The Marlowe Theatre from 30 November to 20 January 2013. To book tickets, call the Box Office on 01227 787787 or go to marlowetheatre.com
• Continue reading at Kent News. (Photos © Kent News)
Gareth Gates made a promise to the county as he led the cast of Sleeping Beauty at the Marlowe Theatre pantomime launch. The singer and actor, who has sold more than 3.5 million records in the UK, will play a cheeky Prince who is “more Prince Harry than Prince William” when the show gets underway. Gareth, 27, was joined outside the theatre in Canterbury on Monday, June 25, by punk princess and actress Toyah Willcox and CBeebies’ Katrina Bryan from Nina and the Neurons.
Toyah Willcox, who has a home in Canterbury, has only had one Christmas off from panto since her first one in 1993. This will be her seventh Marlowe Theatre pantomime. She said: “It’s a great Christmas tradition which you get nowhere else in the world. It is a time for the family to be together. I love it. I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t do panto.”
• Continue reading at Kent Online. (Photo © Kent Online)
Today was the press launch/photo call for Toyah’s 2012 panto Sleeping Beauty. Gareth Gates and Toyah were in Canterbury for numerous photos and interviews. Toyah also tweeted a photo. Click on the image below to view a larger version. (Thanks to Mark Whitney)
• Yesterday Limahl tweeted a photo of himself and Toyah from a private show that they played over the recent Jubilee weekend: “Great photo with Toyah and the super cool ‘Madhen’ lead singers at a private 40th B’day party gig recently ;-) Toyah sang Neverending Story with me for an 80’s poptastic moment – fab night“. (Photo © Limahl)
• A good response, via Twitter, yesterday to Toyah’s Mylor Sessions gig on Saturday, with tweets from people saying how much they enjoyed the concert.
• Toyah was included in the lastest Connections (Show 127): ‘It’s A Mystery’ was lodged between Hazel O’Connor’s ‘Will You’ and Susan Cadogan’s ‘Hurts So Good’.
• Rabbit… Rabbit: WillyFred has his very own thread over at the ‘Rabbit Rehome’ forum. View here.
Seven years apart and very, very different music and imagery, but both “classic” Toyah – The iconic ‘Danced’, the live version from ‘Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!’ released as a single in late 1980, and ‘Desire’ the album released in Summer 1987 that includes some of Toyah’s best lyrics, showcasing what a fine songwriter she is. Please click on each to zoom.
The ‘Desire’ photo is actually from a 1986 shoot but image/time wise it’s close enough to be associated to the 1987 album! (Thanks to Andrew York for working his magic on the photo)
• Toyah talked David Bowie in The Stardust Memories on ‘BBC Radio 4’ this morning. The radio documentary marked the 40th anniversary of the release of the ‘Ziggy Stardust’ album. Toyah tweeted about it: “Turned BBC Radio 4 on whilst travelling & I was on talking Bowie! Can’t remember recording it!”. Unfortunately this isn’t available at ‘BBC iPlayer’ but view more info on it here.
• ‘BBC Radio 2 – Now Playing’: Toyah – I Want to Be Free – Tweeted by “now playing” earlier this afternoon!
• The Changeling by Melissa Mailer-Yates: “First batch of Toyah prints arrived yesterday, simply awesome tone matching and detail, fabulous 290gsm paper, great work by Ginger in Warwick, they’re on their way people x“.
• Jelly: ‘Get Out Of Jail’ at You Tube, ‘Say Hello’ at You Tube.
Toyah plays at ‘Mylor Sessions’ tonight, with a full-band gig.
The concert sold out within a couple of weeks of being announced. It’s sure to be a great night and Toyah has been tweeting about it over the last couple of days. View all of our ‘Mylor Sessions’ news.
The Hare & Hounds, King’s Heath, where Toyah will play a homecoming show on 16th July to mark her inclusion on the King’s Heath Walk Of Fame, now have a dedicated Toyah page at their website.
Dirty Sexy Funny: Olivia Lee: Comedy Central Extra: Saturday 7th July: 03.40am
Olivia Lee stars in this hidden camera sketch show. Deaf Bubba makes a mess of things at the marina, Door Bitch takes a punt and Elaine Caine meets Toyah Willcox.
Celebrity Fantasy Homes: BBC Lifestyle (Sweden): Friday 29th June: 11.35am
The original punk girl has set her heart on moving to the Richmond area.
I spent most of yesterday colouring this photo. Crazy I know, but I’ve always wanted to see a non b&w version of it as it’s my favourite band shot from that era… Click to zoom!
with a pop punk sensibility infused with a hint of the troubador.
A one off advertisment from Switzerland, fused with a once only look at the classified ads….
The synchronicity of these events put our hero`s Mickey Howard, Stevie Bray and Vera Wild into the same frame for the first time.. All from ex name bands and all hungry to get playing live,
As players they gelled well, already having more than an albums worth of material written, they looked forward to getting the band together and seeing the songs come to life…
Jelly are: Stevie Bray, Mickey Howard, Vera Wild and Martin Drees. Their influences include: Bowie, Ian Hunter, Neil Young, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Lords of the New Church, Kinks, Small Faces, Beatles, Buzzcocks, Led Zeppelin and Django Reinhardt.
• View more info on Jelly at Music Up and Facebook.
Two more Dreamscape creations. Toyah has such a rich history of visuals, it’s good to dip into the photos and try to construct something ‘new’ from the familiar images. I never tire of ‘The Blue Meaning’ and ‘I Want To Be Free’ is an iconic single. Click on each to zoom.
One of the best singles of 1981, excellent production by Nick Tauber and iconic visuals on the single’s sleeve (and 12″ picture disc) and the accompanying video. I’ve always believed that this could be a massive hit again if it was included on the soundtrack of a big movie…
