Toyah, a new band formed around Jubilee star Toyah Willcox, make their stage debut this month with the following dates: Barnet, Duke Of Lancaster, June 27, London City Road City Arms, July 8, London Waterloo 'Young Vic' Festival, July 13, London Nashville, July 23.
NME, June 1978
 

Victims Of The Riddle

Toyah's backdrop is a quirky maze of fixing electronic and electric sounds, an intelligent sub-disco underlay. Toyah herself screeches and howls and makes the simple art of reviewing something of an endurance test. Angry and powerful, that's what it is, riotously and genuinely performed. But painful and disappointing too, after all the pre-release build up, the reviewer concludes. "Is there a heaven?/Is there a hell?/Do both exist?/Who can tell?" runs the deep intellect on the sleeve front. Theatrical froth.
NME, April 1979
 

Toyah News

Toyah Willcox, who was the subject of an NME article some months back, is a part English, part Spanish show-biz lady signed to Safari Records. She's played opposite Katherine Hepburn along the way and has also appeared in such movies as Jubilee and Quadrophenia. Her future acting gigs include a sizeable role in TV's forthcoming Dr Jekyll series, starring David Hemmings. Disc-wise, she and her band, which is also known as Toyah, have released a two-part single 'Victims Of The Riddle' (SAFE15, July 1979) plus a six track 7" ap (that's Safari's idea of a cross between an EP and an LP) known to the trade as 'Sheep Farming In Barnet' (Sap1, August 1979). A new single is due shortly and will probably be one of the songs that bedecked the recent Shoestring episode.
NME, December 1979
 

Bird In Flight

Surprisingly gentle song by the banshee from Birmingham. It has an insidious quality that slowly gets under your skin and is a good pop song. The effective keyboards give it a desirable spacy atmosphere. Also more than a nod in Patti Smith's direction.
NME, February 1980
 

Toyah In A Dream World

Toyah this week releases her first album since the hugely successful 'Anthem'. It's called 'The Changeling' and, appropriately enough, marks another change both in her music and her appearance. The cover represents the fantasy nature of many of the songs - Creepy Room, Street Creature, Castaways, The Druids, Angel And Me, The Packt, Life In The trees, Dawn Chorus, Run Wild Run Free and Brave New World. Issued on the Safari label, the album was digitally recorded, and it marks Toyah's first collaboration with producer Steve Lillywhite.  As previously reported, Toyah's major month-long UK tour begins on June 18, with a band line-up comprising Joel Bogen, Phil Spalding, Simon Phillips and newcomer Keith Hale, replacing Adrian Lee on keyboards.
NME , 12 June 1982