Toyah and the band performed 'Danced' at the end of the Shoestring episode 'Find The Lady' broadcast on 2nd December 1979 (filmed in August '79). Toyah also acted in this, playing Toola the lead singer of a punk band trying to escape the clutches of a psycho manager. The band appeared too as, yes you guessed, Toola's band, playing songs from the 'Sheep Farming In Barnet' album. As well as Trevor Eve as Eddie Shoestring, this episode also featured Gary Holton and Christopher Biggins, Peter Dean and Julian Littman. This episode was recently repeated, albeit edited to pieces, on BBC1. 'Blue Meanings' performed on an unknown UK television show in 1980. This is a live (vocal and band) performance. Lots of close ups of Toyah looking wide (and wild) eyed and youthful!
The Toyah band performing 'Neon Womb' on German music show Poprock In Berlin in 1980. This isn't a live outing by Toyah and the band but is still a great performance with everyone pogoing all over the stage. Toyah and Joel come over all angry and aggressive and even 'hit' each other at one point, as each band member use up as much energy as possible. Toyah ends the song rolling around the floor. An awesome performance from an excellent band! The Old Grey Whistle Test, broadcast on 4th March 1980, now regarded as a classic Toyah appearance. Another energetic, and on this occasion live, performance by Toyah and band. They perform 'Danced' and immediately afterwards blast into 'Indecision'. The band at the time of this show comprised of Toyah on vocals (obviously), Joel on guitar, Charlie Francis on bass, Steve Bray on drums and Pete Bush on keyboard. A compilation of Whistle Test appearances was recently released, why this wasn't on there is a mystery!
Toyah's first ever appearance on legendary UK music programme Top Of The Pops. Toyah and the band played to a rerecorded version of 'It's A Mystery' (something to do with musician rules back then I think) on 20th February 1981. Lots of dry ice ensured viewers could barely see TW. Interesting fact: Toyah's original costume for this performance was lost en route to BBC Televsion Centre so the outfit she wore was a hastily assembled affair! Toyah reminisced, "Viewers didn't quite know where I was coming from, with the bright orange hair but dressed conservatively". Another Top Of The Pops appearance, in March 1981, to lip synch to 'It's A Mystery' which just wouldn't stop climbing the British charts. On this occasion Toyah wore one of her Melissa Caplan designed outfits that would become almost as famous as her, the Toyah band, and the music. Again there was oodles of dry ice but this time TW was much more visible!
Toyah's first, of many, appearance on ITV children's music show Razzmatazz in June 1981. Not only did Toyah and the band lip synch to 'I Want To Be Free' but Toyah also demonstrated to annoying Razzmatazz host, Alastair Pirie, how well she could limbo under a very low pole!!, explaining that she learned to do it at family parties when her dad would get her to entertain guests by limboing under a chair! Two interesting points: Toyah is wearing all white, which she later said was a big mistake, and many of the kids in the audience were wearing Toyah t-shirts. 'I Want To Be Free' on Top Of The Pops on 21st May 1981. Toyah, and this time the band too, is again all in white. For some reason Toyah's performance seems slightly over the top but maybe she was just excited about being one of the UK's most famous women. Interestingly, or maybe not, when TW got to the lyrics "pull my hair" Phil (Spalding) leant over and grabbed Joel's (Bogen) hair which I must admit I found very amusing when I was 12!
Not strictly Toyah performing a Toyah song, but this appearance on anarchic and brilliant Saturday morning kid's show Tiswas on 14th March 1981 is definitely worth a mention. Toyah participates in the 'Bucket Of Water Song', and as each verse is sung has to pour a bucket of water over her head. Obviously she gets wetter and wetter and by the end of the song can barely utter a word, she is totally drenched and in need of a towel. Toyah is also interviewed by Sally James as part of her "Legendary Rock Interviews" section, and 'It's A Mystery' from 'Live At The Rainbow' is also shown. Toyah, and band, performing 'Thunder In The Mountains' to a backing tape on Multi Coloured Swap Shop on 10th October 1981. They also performed 'It's A Mystery' and Toyah was interviewed by host Noel Edmonds, wearing a completely different outfit and with much 'bigger' hair. They chatted about when they both appeared in Glitter in 1976, and Toyah blethered to some fans on the telephone too.
Toyah and the band made a live appearance on short lived show Something Else in October 1981. They performed 'Thunder In The Mountains' and 'Ieya'. The band by this time now comprised Toyah on vocals, Joel on guitar, Phil Spalding on bass, Adrian Lee on keyboard and Simon Phillips, who had very recently replaced Nigel Glocker, on drums. Performing 'We Are' on German music show Rockpop on 3rd October 1981. This was lip synched, though Toyah and the band appeared. This is a great performance by Toyah, she really gets into it with lots of head banging and hair going all over the place!! 'We Are' should definitely have been released as a single.
Another German TV show, Musikladen. Toyah and the band made an appearance on 10th September 1981 to perform, though not live, 'I Want To Be free'. This is yet another great performance by TW, as she heads off down the gangway of the stage and inspires many of the audience to get up out of their seats while she spins like a top! I don't think many of the audience had seen anyone quite like TW before. And yet another German music programme, Rockpop in Berlin (which was obviously Poprock filmed in Berlin!!). This looks like some sort of outdoor festival as there is a huge audience present. Toyah, Joel, Phil, Adrian and Simon perfrom (to tapes) 'It's A Mystery' and 'We Are'. This show was broadcast on 23rd December 1981 but was possibly filmed sometime earlier. Joel and Phil look like they are having a right old laugh - ah those were the days!!
Another Tiswas appearance by Toyah on 26th September 1981. The video for 'Thunder In The Mountains' is shown and TW is interviewed by Sally James. Among many things, she talks about future film projects (none of which actually came to fruition!), her newly launched make-up range, having to disconnect her doorbell as it was being rang constantly by fans, and the forthcoming shows at Drury Lane on 23rd December and the Christmas Eve show that will broadcast live on The Old Grey Whistle Test. Toyah and the band then performed 'I'm A Misery' along with the Tiswas presenters. As Toyah sang "pie me, I wanna be pied!" the phantom-flan-flinger covered her, and everyone else, in custard pies! Toyah on The Kenny Everett Show in late 1981. She appears in a sketch with Kenny where her hair (actually a wig) changes colour every few seconds. "What colour is it now?" Toyah asks Kenny, "blue, green, yellow, pink" he replies. "Ah," says TW, "that means it's Tuesday!". Toyah then performs 'I Want To Be Free' in full face paint, without a pink hair in sight but lots of over the top layered 'special effects'. This may well be Toyah's first music performance on television where she wasn't accompanied by the band.
'Thunder In The Mountains' on Top Of The Pops in October 1981, Toyah's fourth appearance in just over seven months. Toyah and the band put on a fantastic performance, complete with lightning effects and lots of flashing lights. TW looks great with her famous spiked collar and hair standing on end, and Joel spends the whole three minutes striking mean and moody guitarman poses!! Little over five weeks later, 26th November 1981 to be exact, and Toyah and the band are back on Top Of The Pops making their fifth appearance of the year. This time performing the lead song on the 'Four More From Toyah' EP, 'Good Morning Universe'. Again TW went for the huge hair look and was looking extremely thin, understandable after such a hectic year. Toyah spooked down into the audience and threw some shapes as she danced with a couple of people who were obviously fans. The performance ends with the entire band lined up onstage and Toyah giving a couple of high kicks! Rock and roll!
Toyah and the band on Palais Paris, a French music show broadcast on 12th December 1981. They performed a short live set of five songs: 'It's A Mystery', 'Ieya', 'Masai Boy', 'Furious Futures' and 'Thunder In The Mountains'. Between each live song there is short interview inserts with Toyah talking about her childhood (being very complimentary about her native Birmingham incidentally), career, fans and future plans. A live gig broadcast on German television on the music programme Beatclub. This was recorded during the band's 'Good Morning Universe' European Tour in December 1981. The set consisted of: 'Good Morning Universe', 'We Are', 'Victims Of The Riddle', 'War Boys', 'It's A Mystery', 'Thunder In The Mountains', 'Neon Womb', 'Ieya' and 'I WantTo Be Free'. During 'Free' Toyah contemplates blowing things up, the set, stage manager, audience etc, "lets blow ourselves up and we'll all be free". This is a stunning gig, at least as good as the Drury Lane/Good Morning Universe Live! gig with Toyah in fine voice and the band on top form. A great snapshot of a great era.
The legendary Drury Lane, Christmas Eve 1981 gig. This show was televised live by The Old Grey Whistle Test to an audience of over 10 million viewers and is still over 20 years later Toyah's favourite memory from her entire career. Toyah begins the gig at the top of the very high stage set and during opening song 'Good Morning Universe' climbs down a ladder. There then follows a superb concert with Toyah and the band obviously extremely happy. This was the culmination of a fantastic twelve months in their professional careers and it really dones shine through on this unforgettable Christmas Eve. I can still clearly remember watching this when I was knee-high to a grasshopper! 'It's A Mystery' was such a huge hit for Toyah that she appeared on the Christmas Day Top Of The Pops in 1981 to perform it again.This is a BBC tradition that still continues in 2002 where the previous year's biggest selling songs are gathered together on a special show. This was a party type appearance, with Toyah and band surrounded by dozens of dancers and audience members desperately trying to create some sort of celebratory ambience! Toyah looks great with a variation of the 'Four More From Toyah' sleeve image.

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