Singer, actress and television personality Toyah Willcox has been spotted enjoying a visit to a popular Halloween attraction in Dudley.
The star shared a photograph on social media during a trip to XCon, which is taking place at Himley Hall, saying she was “so happy” to be there alongside fellow musician Jayne Harris for a “spooky day”.
XCon has transformed the grounds of Himley Hall into a hub for horror, sci-fi and fantasy fans, featuring celebrity guests, themed attractions, traders and entertainment throughout the event.
Toyah, who rose to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits including It’s a Mystery and Thunder in the Mountains, remains one of Britain’s most recognisable performers. In recent years she has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity through television appearances, touring and her hugely successful online projects with husband Robert Fripp.
While on the subject of Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), released exactly 44 years ago this month, there’s been a great selection of rare/unseen photos from that era made available for the anniversary of the single and countdown to the release of Twenty-Four From Toyah, the CD Singles box set that features every Toyah single from 1979 to 1987! See more of the rare shots from 1982 here and here. Watch an “Anniversary Edit”, featuring a selection of performances including Top Of The Pops, Crackerjack and Popcorn, here.
“Soul deep!”– Next weekend there’s a repeat airing on BBC Four for the retro episode of Top Of The Pops with Toyah performing the euphoric Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard)… This was Toyah’s final ever Top Of The Pops studio appearance and is showing again on BBC Four this Friday and early Saturday. Most, if not all, of Toyah’s early Eighties Top Of The Pops appearances – both in the studio and on promo video – have been repeated over the last few years on BBC Four. See Dreamscape’s news on these here.
Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Friday 23rd October: 8pm Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Saturday 24th October: 2.15am 21.10.1982. Peter Powell presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast in October 1982. Includes appearances from The Piranhas, Toyah, The Kids from Fame, Imagination, Kool and the Gang, Bauhaus, Spandau Ballet, Culture Club, Sharon Redd and Shakin’ Stevens.
We had a fantastic day in Glasgow last week which culminated with seeing Transvision Vamp at the o2 Academy. We had breakfast at The Crystal Palace, visited GoMA (Gallery of Modern Art) on Royal Exchange Square, spent some time in the city centre, lunch at Wendy’s on Sauchiehall Street and then a great time at the gig. The band are on top form and Wendy was sounding amazing. Glasgow gave the band such a welcome!
It’s the return of Dreamscape’s “Toyah Newsy Bits & Pieces”, the first for almost five years!
• Toyah 2026 #1: Coinciding with the news about Toyah supporting The Human League at their York Museum Gardens concert in July 2027, this << new photo of Toyah was published!
• Toyah’s Christmas Party: Rachael Sage joins Toyah as support act on her Christmas Party tour! Tickets are on sale now…
• Burning Shed #1: is now the official home for Toyah’s handcrafted and handwritten bespoke items, artworks and merchandise range.
• Burning Shed #2: To coincide with the shop’s launch, a new T-shirt featuring Toyah’s bold and distinctive hand-painted logo is now available to pre-order. Shipping from 20 November.
Toyah talks Future Dreaming: “We’re really excited because it’s going back to the beginning, 45… 50 years ago, we’ve got back to that intensity of ideas, behind the album artwork, so that people get something that’s enriching, that’s lovely to have in the hand, that they can explore while listening to the music.
The music is about contradictions. It takes you on a journey, and I don’t think you can guess what it is even if you tried. Everything lyrically is about, almost being in love with things that keep you on a knife edge and that is the contradiction… These are love songs but they’re very dark and they go into dark places and… That’s all I’m gonna tell you!”
Guy Garvey – From The Vaults: Sky Arts: Friday 23rd October: 8pm 1981. Series 3, episode 4. The Elbow frontman introduces clips from the TV archives from 1981, featuring performances by New Order, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Adam and the Ants, Kirsty MacColl, Kim Wilde and Toyah. Also featured are Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Madness, the Belle Stars, Dave Edmunds with the Stray Cats, and Secret Affair, and there are interviews with the Human League’s Philip Oakey, and Simon Le Bon and John Taylor from Duran Duran.
2026 marks the 50th year of Toyah’s career! Her very first professional job, playing the role of Sue in the BBC’s “Second City First” television play, Glitter, aired in November 1976 – having been filmed in 1975.
One of the first “Toyah 50” posts at the start of the year wished the Four From Toyah EP, Toyah’s sixth UK single, Happy 45th Anniversary and we’re returning to FFT as it’s such a crucial element of Toyah’s discography and it’s importance can never be underestimated.
Four From Toyah – featuring It’s A Mystery, Revelations, War Boys and Angels & Demons (all worthy of being standalone single releases or the lead song on the EP) was Toyah’s chart breakthrough release after three years of albums, singles and tours. It could be said that it changed everything and, at least, had a huge effect on the trajectory of Toyah’s career. Click below to view Dreamscape’s 30th Anniversary feature on the EP, from 2011. (In Memory of Keith Hale)
We had a great day out in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago. It was one of those eventful days where so much happened and we even bumped into Scotland’s strongest men (and brothers!), Luke & Tom Stoltman. A fun day!
The Chase: Celebrity Special: Challenge: Monday 26th October: 7pm
Bradley Walsh hosts the quiz show as four celebrities take on the Chaser. Singer Toyah Willcox, ex-footballer John Barnes, writer Germaine Greer and heavyweight boxer Audley Harrison pit their wits against one of the country’s finest quiz brains in the hope of winning thousands of pounds for their chosen charities.
Holly Johnson just announced live dates for Summer 2027 with Toyah being one of the support acts…
Get ready for a nostalgia overload: Holly Johnson, Haircut 100 and Toyah are heading to Lincoln Castle next summer
If you grew up with Relax, Two Tribes or The Power of Love blasting from the radio, this one’s for you
Dust off the shoulder pads, warm up your vocal cords and prepare for a serious dose of nostalgia. Holly Johnson, Haircut 100 and Toyah are set to take over Lincoln Castle next summer for what might just be the region’s biggest retro night out.
The former Frankie Goes To Hollywood frontman will headline Live at Lincoln Castle on June 26, bringing a catalogue packed with some of the most iconic songs of the 1980s to one of the country’s most spectacular outdoor venues.
It’s a new month and a new episode of Toyah At Home at the Old Mill. Toyah’s been gigging in Blackpool and preparing for the Christmas tour, the new album creative and more. There’s even been time for some vine cutting. There’s also music with an archive clip to mark a classic Toyah single’s 45th anniversary.
On 4th December 2026, the Deluxe 24CD singles box set Twenty-Four From Toyah is released.
Toyah is counting down to the release by chronologically posting a performance of each single in the collection every few days at YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, with three so far – Victims Of The Riddle, Indecision (from Sheep Farming In Barnet AP) and Neon Womb – and another 21 to follow…
Originally shown in April 2011 and repeated a couple of times over the past 15 years, Top Of The Pops: The Story Of 1976 is airing again next weekend on BBC2.
Top Of The Pops: The Story of 1976: BBC2: Sunday 11th October: 1.10am
Documentary examining how the BBC’s flagship pop show reflected changes in British music and culture during 1976. As the popularity of glam rock faded, no dominant musical scene emerged to replace it, leading to chart success for bands including Abba, Showaddywaddy, the Brotherhood of Man and the Wurzels – while outside the mainstream, punk rock was rapidly growing in popularity. Featuring contributions by Tony Blackburn, Paul Morley, Toyah Willcox, David Hamilton and Dave Haslam.
• Louder: Toyah and Robert Fripp unleash sprightly cover of the MC5’s incendiary call to arms Kick Out The Jams: Kick Out The Jams ignited punk’s vital spark in 60s Detroit – and now it’s set light to Toyah and Robert Fripp’s Worcestershire kitchen – Continue…
• Brave Words: Robert Fripp And Toyah Perform MC5 Classic “Kick Out The Jams|” For Sunday Lunch – Continue…
Celebrity Lingo: ITV Quiz: Saturday 10th October: 9pm
Series 2, Episode 3. Adil Ray hosts the game of words as Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway and This Morning’s Ashley James battle singers Toyah Willcox and Carol Decker to win big money for charity.
FYI: MC5’s iconic 1968 track Kick Out the Jams, from the live (debut) album of the same name, is important to punk because it delivered a raw, aggressive, high-energy blueprint that anticipated the punk movement nearly a decade early.
80’s popstar spotted at Himley Hall in Dudley
It’s the return of Dreamscape’s “Toyah Newsy Bits & Pieces”, the first for almost five years!
