Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Toyah Willcox, the high priestess of punk, is looking forward to returning to the “hot steamy” gigs of her youth.

She is playing a gig at Brighton’s Chalk Live – formerly The Haunt – on November 2 and thinks it will be a blast. “I’m very fond of Brighton,” she said. “When I came here in the Sixties it was a quiet sleepy seaside town, slightly invaded by hippy culture.

“What I like about the venue we’re playing is it goes right back to the punk days, it’s a hot, steamy, stand-up venue, it goes back to the punk ethos.”

Toyah, actress, author and rebel, was a key part of the Seventies/Eighties’ punk scene and starred in cult films Quadrophenia and seminal punk epic Jubilee. Now 61, she was born in Birmingham to a family she describes as remarkable and recalls the potential privilege of her childhood – her grandfather built many of the city’s landmarks.

Despite that, she calls herself the “child from hell” and says she had a violent relationship with her mother.

• Continue reading at The Argus.

There’s a great photo of Toyah included in The Argus’ “Nostalgia” feature by The Timeout Team, published yesterday by the East Sussex newspaper.

Nostalgia: Multi-million record selling music icons in concert

Some of the world’s biggest music stars have graced the stage in Sussex over the years.

Other stars featured in today’s Timeout include Toyah Willcox, who is pictured playing a gig in the city in 1991.

• Continue reading at The Argus. NB: The photo included in the feature is Toyah onstage in 1982 on The Changeling Tour.

“The acoustic gigs have been so successful that I really need to consider doing another acoustic album.” said Toyah in a recent interview with The Argus. I would love to hear songs from Minx and In The Court Of The Crimson Queen recorded acoustically. In the meantime The Acoustic Album is available at iTunes.

A great new interview with Toyah, published yesterday, by The Argus.

Hannah Collisson talks to singer Toyah Willcox about her music and more

To say Toyah is busy is an understatement. She is touring the UK with her acoustic and electric shows, writing two new albums, and has just finished work on a feature film.

Somewhere in between she finds time for meet and greets, learning three musical instruments, and interacting with her fans online.

The singer and actress rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s with an appearance in the film Quadrophenia, and hits including It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, and she has not stopped since.

Over the course of 30 years, she has released 20 albums, had 13 top 40 hits, and appeared widely in film, theatre and television. Recent musical appearances for Toyah include a sell-out acoustic date at Shoreham’s Ropetackle Arts Centre earlier this month, and she will be in Brighton for a full-on electric show, Songs From The Intergalactic Ranch House, at The Haunt on November 7.

“At the moment, this year is blowing 35 years away,” reflects Toyah. “It has been incredible; we are getting standing ovations every night…”

• Continue reading at The Argus.

Toyah’s tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Changeling and Warrior Rock reached its finale at Concorde 2 on Saturday evening.

It was also brilliantly odd as our very own Choccywoccydoodah had their film crew present. Nigel Glockler, one of Toyah’s former drummers, introduced Toyah on stage, presenting her with a typically extravagant cake to celebrate the anniversary.

It was clear throughout that Toyah has a fantastic set of adoring fans. It’s not hard to see why either, with her infectious energy embracing the whole crowd.

• Continue reading at The Argus.