Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Vive Le Rock Awards 2024 – A Star-Studded Evening Of Sparkling Performances!

Finally in this section, the enthusiastic and hard-working Toyah Willcox was presented with the Icon Award by Saffron Sprackling from 90’s stars Republica – it was wonderful to see the two ladies so enthusiastic and supportive of each other. Toyah’s long career in both acting and music continues to this day, with her popular ‘Sunday Lunch‘ broadcasts with husband Robert Fripp (King Crimson) garnering her many new fans across the globe since 2020’s lockdown, as well as festival appearances performing her hit songs!

• Continue reading at Punktuation! Mag. (Photo © Punktuation Mag)

Toyah’s “Warrior Rock” Double Live Album Gets Expanded Reissue

Toyah‘s 1982 double live album, Warrior Rock, is getting a long overdue remastered and expanded release. Originally released as a double album in October 1982, Warrior Rock was recorded at London’s Hammersmith Odeon across the final two nights of the tour and contained 15 songs centred around material from the band’s Top Ten albums, Anthem and The Changeling.

The album was named after the B-Side of Toyah‘s 1982 single Brave New World and features hit singles It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains alongside fan favourites Ieya, Danced and War Boys. This expanded reissue now documents The Changeling Tour, Toyah‘s highly successful run of 25 UK concert dates in the Summer of 1982 in a more comprehensive fashion.

• Continue reading at The Punk Site. Pre-order Warrior Rock: Toyah On Tour at Cherry Red Records.

Exclusive: Toyah Willcox looks set for Strictly Come Dancing 2024 thanks to famous pal

Punk icon Toyah Willcox has teased she is up for joining this year’s Strictly Come Dancing lineup following her pal Angela Rippon’s success but she has one condition

Toyah Willcox has shared her hopes to take part in Strictly Come Dancing

Toyah Willcox has thrown her name into the mix to take part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.

The punk icon, 65, declared she’d love to take part in the BBC dance competition following the success of her close friend Angela Rippon. Journalist and presenter Angela, 79, competed in last year’s series as she was partnered with Kai Widdrington and became the series’ oldest contestant.

Toyah exclusively told The Mirror she would like to follow in Angela’s footsteps, but admitted she wants to do it “sooner rather than later”. It comes after rumours are already swirling over who could be taking part in this year’s Strictly. The singer has been facing calls to take part in the show for years, having recently impressed fans with her moves during her social media videos alongside husband Robert Fripp.

When asked by The Mirror if she would be up for taking part, Toyah said: “Oh, God yeah. Well, I’d have to do it sooner rather than later, because I’m not gonna be able to move. I do understand how hard they work. I’m friends with Angela Rippon and she was extraordinary.”

• Continue reading at The Mirror.

Toyah / Warrior Rock: Toyah On Tour

1982 live album • 3CD and 2LP coloured vinyl

Warrior Rock: Toyah on Tour was the second live album by the band Toyah. It was originally released in November 1982 by Safari Records and is the next release in Cherry Red’s comprehensive reissue campaign.

The 15-track double album featured material recorded on 17 and 18 July 1982 at Hammersmith Odeon at the end of The Changeling UK tour. A new 3CD set (compiled by Craig Astley and Joel Bogen) sees the album remastered and expanded to 41 tracks featuring 26 previously unreleased bonus tracks, with a total of 19 different songs from 11 gigs, at nine different locations!

These means that for the first time all four sides of the original vinyl live album are included on CD – unabridged and uncut. The first CD offers 12 of the 15 tracks while CD 2 starts with the last three songs from the concert. After that follows ‘Street Creature’ a mixed and mastered outtake from Hammersmith, soundcheck recordings, and rehearsals from Brixton Fair Deal (now known as Brixton Academy).

• Continue reading at Super Deluxe Edition. Pre-order Warrior Rock – Toyah On Tour at Cherry Red.

Toyah Willcox, a name synonymous with the vibrant British music and entertainment scene of the 1980s, continues to captivate audiences with her dynamic presence and undeniable talent. From her early beginnings as a punk rock icon to her diversified career as a singer, actress, author, and television presenter, Toyah has carved a remarkable legacy in the entertainment industry.

In this article, we delve into the fascinating journey of Toyah Willcox, exploring her achievements, contributions, and the evolution of her net worth over the years.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born on May 18, 1958, in Kings Heath, Birmingham, Toyah Ann Willcox showed early signs of artistic flair and ambition. Her passion for performing arts led her to pursue a career in acting and music from a young age. In the late 1970s, Toyah emerged as a prominent figure in the British punk rock scene, gaining attention for her distinctive style, rebellious spirit, and energetic stage presence.

• Continue reading at the Birmingham Journal.

Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp coming to Warrington’s Parr Hall

Two music legends are coming to Warrington’s Parr Hall this summer.

They are both renowned in the music business in their own right, but iconic performers and husband and wife team Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp found a whole new audience together when the short videos they recorded during lockdown started to go viral.

Toyah and Robert’s quirky virtual ‘Sunday Lunch’ performances became a runaway success during the pandemic where they covered songs and put their own twist on classics by the likes of David Bowie, Nirvana and Metallica.

• Continue reading at the Warrington Guardian.

Royal Return: 80s pop legend stuns in see-through top as she returns to making bizarre home videos with rock star husband

Their latest performance is of a late ’60s classic

Their quirky cover versions kept spirits up through the dark Covid years.

But for months pop legend Toyah Wilcox, 65, and husband Robert Fripp, 77, of legendary prog rock band King Crimson, have parked their popular Sunday Lunch series of performances.

Instead fans have been treated to a ‘best of’ selection each week… until now.

The couple have relaunched for 2024, kick-starting their new run with a hard rocking version of Shocking Blue’s Venus inside their country home’s familiar kitchen.

The ever flamboyant Toyah performed in a see-through top with shiny love heart nipple pasties, while guitar God Robert wore space age eyeliner and had an F plastered to his forehead.

The rendition was a hit with fans who relished having them back.

One commented on YouTube: “Barking mad, the pair of them. Love every second of it!”

Another said: “You’ve certainly got it! Brilliant. You breathe wonderment, light and joy into our every Sunday.”

• Continue reading at The Sun.

A new interview with Toyah, from the Yorkshire Times, ahead of the Sounds Of The 80s gigs later this month.

BBC Radio 2 presenter Gary Davies has announced a nationwide 2024 tour for the live version of his show Sounds of the 80s, which will include an appearance from Toyah.

Ahead of the tour, Toyah spoke to the Yorkshire Times.

What can people expect when they come to the Sounds of the 80s show?

Anyone who attends one of the evenings will find an atmosphere where the audience can be themselves dancing and singing to their favourite tracks from a classic period in pop music. There was such a broad spectrum of music at the time from artists like Bananarama, Prince, and T’Pau, among others, including myself.

I think what will work beautifully is that the stage will be constantly active. Gary will be on there plus the dancers, and a stage set that is Gary’s Radio 2 studio and there will also be live performances from myself and other artists such as Carol Decker from T’Pau and Denise Pearson from 5 Star.

Why do you think the 1980s were such a golden period for popular music?

It was all very hedonistic, none of us thought beyond the 80s. It was difficult in the 90s to sell music from the previous decade, but that all changed with the Millennium. People wanted to hear all those iconic songs again. Part of the success of those tracks is the narrative of the songs; we really were traditional song writers then, writing about people’s attitudes and what they needed in their lives.

So, Toyah, tell us about your best 80s memories.

There were many good memories appearing on Top of the Pops. One of the happiest memories is the magnitude of what we did. For instance, on Christmas Eve in 1981, I played the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, which went out live on television, bringing in twelve million viewers, which at the time was phenomenal.

• Continue reading at the Yorkshire Times. Further information and ticket links available at toyahwillcox.com.

Exclusive: Toyah Willcox reveals key to 38-year marriage and why she’s happy being child-free

Punk singer and actress Toyah Willcox has shared they key to her near four decade long marriage to rock musician Robert Fripp and their decision to not have children

Toyah Willcox has given a rare insight into her marriage of 38 years with rock guitarist Robert Fripp.

The punk singer, 65, married Robert, who has worked with the likes of David Bowie and Brian Eno, in 1986. They have gone on to work together as well as creating their viral Sunday Lunch series, which they now tour. Toyah and Robert, 77, film themselves every week performing covers of huge hits including Slipknot’s Psychosocial, Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell and Foo Fighters’ All My Life.

In an exclusive chat with The Mirror, Robert and Toyah have shared the secret to their successful marriage of almost four decades. Sharing what it is like touring together, Toyah said: “It’s exactly the same as being married for 38 years, it’s good. We both come from very different genres.” Robert added: “But we complement each other well, I have a wonderful time being out working with my wife, may I say, even having greater fun than when we were at home together.”

• Continue reading at The Mirror. See also Gold Radio.

Exclusive: Toyah Willcox’s baby shock as child conceived at her show and parents’ surprising gesture

Punk singer Toyah Willcox has shared her shock after finding out a couple conceived at one of her gigs as the parents made a surprising gesture nine months later

Toyah Willcox was shocked to find out a baby was conceived at her show

Toyah Willcox has revealed a baby was conceived at her gig – and she found out nine months later after the couple made a surprise gesture.

The legendary punk rocker is one of the biggest stars from the 1980s, with huge hits including It’s A Mystery and I Want to Be Free. She went on to have 30 albums, 25 feature films and countless theatre and TV presenting roles. In an exclusive chat with The Mirror alongisde husband Robert Fripp, Toyah shared her most memorable moment from her impressive singing career.

She said: “We both experienced very strange but legendary things. When I played Hammersmith Apollo in 1982, which we recorded live for an album called Warrior Rock, a child was conceived on the back row. Nine months later there was another Toyah in the world. She was actually named Toyah.”

• Continue reading at The Mirror.

Vive Le Rock Awards returns April 12th at the Islington Academy with Ruts DC, Sham 69, Toyah, Kirk Brandon and more!

After last year’s sensational Vive Le Rock Awards at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, which we said would be our last, well… It would be rude not to come back and do it all again!

So, Friday, April 12th will see the whole rock extravaganza steamroll into London’s O2 Academy Islington for another packed show of unique collaborations, celebrations, and one-off performances. And 2024 is going to be a punky reggae party with a bill topped by original ’70s punks Jimmy Pursey and SHAM 69 and RUTS DC performing a special never-to-be-repeated set with special guests, we can also now announce an intimate performance from THEATRE OF HATE/SPEAR OF DESTINY man Kirk Brandon, special guest performances from the iconic TOYAH, rock n’ roll king JIM JONES and the one and only Saffron from REPUBLICA, as well as new UK punks GRADE 2 and Lily from fast rising punks THE MEFFS!

And that’s not forgetting the mighty VIVE LE ROCKERS all-star band, led by the inimitable Paul-Ronney Angel! A five-hour show with a full program of awards, winners, and celebrity presenters, there’s only one place to be in April and that’s the 2024 VLRs!

• Continue reading at All About The Rock.

There’s been an abundance of press for The Great British Sewing Bee – Celebrity Christmas Special, and I have endeavoured to collect and compile as much of it as possible for this post (Photos © BBC):

• The Independent: Great British Sewing Bee crowns 2023 celebrity winner: The winner of the Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas special has been crowned – Continue…

• Telly Mix: The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special 2023: This year’s special promises to be a vibrant showcase of sewing prowess, featuring four celebrities under the watchful eyes of judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant – Continue…

• iNews: The Great British Sewing Bee review: Kiell Smith-Bynoe is its last hope: With more charm on display than sewing skill, this festive edition of the competition was more watchable than the usual series – Continue…

• AOL: Great British Sewing Bee crowns 2023 celebrity winner: The winner of the Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas special has been crowned: Toyah Willcox, Kerry Godliman, Jessica Knappett, and Hammed Animashaun, battled it out in Christmas-themed challenges during Thursday night’s show (21 December) – Continue…

• The Guardian: TV tonight: cheese, chips and cookies – it’s Nigella’s Amsterdam Christmas: The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special 9pm, BBC One – Continue…

• Digital Spy: Great British Sewing Bee reveals celebrity winner of 2023 Christmas special: “I’ve loved every minute, the stress included.” – Continue…

• The Sun: Famous Four: The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special: Who is taking part, when is it on and how can I watch it?: A group of famous faces will show off their sewing skills – Continue…

• Radio Times: Who Is In The Great British Sewing Bee Christmas 2023 line-up: Four celebrities are ready to take on the challenge – Continue…

• TV Guide: Celebrity Christmas Special 2023: Former Christmas special sewer Kiell Smith-Bynoe takes over as host as musician Toyah Willcox, comedian Jessica Knappett and actors Kerry Godliman and Hammed Animashaun are put to the test – Continue…

• Yahoo! News: The best Christmas 2023 TV to watch on ITV, BBC, C4 and more: The BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have an array of festive specials airing this December – Continue…

• BBC iPlayer: In this year’s Christmas Sewing Bee, punk icon Toyah Willcox, actor Kerry Godliman, comedian Jessica Knappett and actor Hammed Animashaun put their sewing skills to the test – Watch for the next 12 months…

• Sharp Dressed Man: Toyah performs the ZZ Top hit – Watch…

TV loves to wheel in a celeb, but it was a shock to see Dion Dublin tour houses with a punk princess of the 80s

TV review: As Homes Under The Hammer celebrates its 20th anniversary with the help of Toyah Willcox, there are unruly throngs of celebs queuing up for festive specials

The joy of working shifts is that you have mornings to do things.

Butterfly collecting, going roller-blading with the dog or helping the elderly and infirm are just three things that I could do, but let’s face it, I don’t…

• Continue reading at the Belfast Telegraph. (Subscription required)

Homes Under The Hammer’s Dion Dublin says ‘I’m out of a job’ as ’80s music legend co-hosts show

Cue the music of the 1980s and the Toyah puns as the BBC show steps back in time

It’s no mystery that BBC’s Homes Under the Hammer is one of the most popular property programmes on TV – it’s been on for 20 years and has been celebrating this landmark anniversary by inviting celebrity fans onto the show to co-host a visit to an auction property.

Presenter and retired professional footballer Dion Dublin’s invited guest to a three-bed, semi-detached house on the outskirts of Birmingham was 1980s pop legend Toyah Wilcox, who was born less than 20 minutes away from the property in Rubery that went to auction with a guide price of £49,000.

Dion was over-excited, not because he managed to find a way to weave a football gag or reference into the show, but because he was joined by someone he really admires. He said: “You are not going to want to miss this! Sit tight, tea and toast on the lap, and you’re going to love it. You can call her a pop icon, you can call her a punk icon, but I’m just going to call her – I’m so excited – a music icon.”

• Continue reading at Wales Online. See also The Sun.

A great review, by Velvet Thunder, of The Changeling reissue

TOYAH – THE CHANGELING:
DELUXE REISSUE (CHERRY RED)

“Far from being the musical Yin to Fripp’s Yang in those 1980s days, comparison of their respective works reveals as many creative similarities as there are differences.”

The excellent Cherry Red reissue campaign of Toyah’s classic early 1980s catalogue continues here with 1982’s The Changeling, the fourth Toyah studio album in just over three incredibly prolific years. Nowadays it is common for people, particularly those from a prog rock background, to simply regard Toyah as her contemporary incarnation as ‘Mrs Robert Fripp’, and the person responsible for dragging the famously irascible and studiously earnest King Crimson keystone out of his shell and into an ongoing series of light-hearted and often hugely entertaining YouTube video clips of them performing together in a variety of guises. All of which is fine as far as it goes, but there was far more to her wonderfully creative musical side than that – and this reissue series really ought to bring that to the fore in the public consciousness. Far from being the musical Yin to Fripp’s Yang in those 1980s days, comparison of their respective works reveals as many creative similarities as there are differences.

Following an intensely creative 1981, it would have been a very tempting – and indeed understandable – development for The Changeling to follow a relatively commercial and public-pleasing course. Just a year previously, the album Anthem – and particularly its two hugely successful singles It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free – had sent her into the world of mainstream TV and media in an easily marketable guise as a sort of ready-made ‘pop-punk with glam’ persona, with subsequent hits such as Thunder In The Mountains continuing that impression. As that whirlwind year came to an end, however, Toyah and her band (led by her chief songwriting partner and musical soulmate Joel Bogen) had other ideas. Indeed, not only did Toyah want to go back to the darker, more challenging template of previous works such as 1980’s The Blue Meaning, but she also planned to base the new album conceptually around how the events of 1981 had affected her on a personal level. The resulting album was certainly not the one which the record company executives wanted or expected her to produce, yet despite, or indeed because of that fact, it has remained one of her key creative statements.

• Continue reading at Velvet Thunder.

Toyah guests on a Celebrity Christmas Special episode of The Great British Sewing Bee this coming Thursday (BBC1, 9pm) – see previous posts from the past couple of weeks on this below – and the programme is featured in a variety of this week’s television magazines. (Thanks to Paul and Ray)

Another great review for Children Of The Circus.

Doctor Who
Children Of The Circus
Review

“Children of the Circus,” an audio musical drama from AUK Studios, marks a triumphant reunion for the cast of the Seventh Doctor story, “The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.” This limited edition CD set, released on December 14th, 2023 and available to purchase here, commemorates 35 years since the original episode aired on BBC One. Written by Kenton Hall with songs by Christopher Guard and based on an idea by Barnaby Eaton-Jones, the story resurrects the magic of Stephen Wyatt’s “The Greatest Show in the Galaxy,” while venturing into new, imaginative territories.

The story revolves around the Psychic Circus, once a refuge for universal misfits, which later succumbed to the control of malevolent Gods. Years after these Gods have departed, the scars of the survivors linger. However, the Children of the Circus, equipped with the power of song, are ready to confront their past.

Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred headline the cast, but not in their familiar roles. McCoy, as the High Poet, brings a mix of charm and underlying duplicity, while Aldred delivers two distinct performances as Captain Gren and AJ. Aldred’s dual roles as the captain of a Time Ship and sentient rust showcase her range and versatility. Joining them is 1980s icon Toyah Willcox, who plays The Band of Infinite Harmony, a multi-voiced role that she relishes, culminating in a solo song featured as a bonus track.

• Continue reading at Warped Factor. See more on Children Of The Circus, here.

Toyah & Robert are referenced a couple of times in the latest issue of Classic Pop magazine, in articles on Trevor Horn and his recently released album, Echoes: Ancient & Modern. Toyah & Robert cover, the Frankie Goes To Hollywood 1983 super hit, Relax, on the album. It’s a radically different version of the song too.

Review: The overriding mood on Echoes is stately and graceful. If that means Horn appears to be trolling adherents of the filth and mayhem of the original Relax by getting Toyah to happily croon over a new just-so glide, think of it instead as a fresh remix. That’ll be Mr Toyah, Robert Fripp, doing its precise guitar. Him and Horn know what they’re doing.

Feature: Then Trevor happened to catch Toyah and Robert Fripp covering Slave To The Rhythm on one of their online lockdown shows, and the deck was duly shuffled.

“I’ve always liked Toyah – I’ve bumped into her loads of times, she’s like a ball of energy. I like her vibe. So they did it. And I think it came out pretty well, even though I was afraid of messing around with it too much. I restrained myself. Robert’s solo is definitely one of my favourite guitar solos I’ve recorded.”

• The latest issue of Classic Pop is available to buy instore and online. (Thanks to Minna of The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive for the scans)

A great review for Children Of The Circus, from Sci Fi Bulletin.

Review: Doctor Who: AUK: Children Of The Circus

Years after the events of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, the survivors of the Circus are gathered. Bellboy has a plan. A plan that won’t just save them but stop them needing to be saved at all. All it takes is putting the band back together, a mostly functional time ship and the power of rock and roll.

But who’s Ella?

Kenton Hall, Barnaby Eaton-Jones and Christopher Guard, faced with the impossible task of following up on one of the Seventh Doctor’s oddest stories, have achieved the impossible: they’ve not only done it, but done it as an audio drama and rock opera. Linear time is the characters’ foe but the script’s friend.

The cast are uniformly excellent, but Guard’s exhausted, desperate Bellboy is a standout, a rock star pushing flat out past the redline, burning out and fading away in the hopes that sacrifice will erase itself and give him what all good performers pray for: a comeback. Ideas fly as thick and fast as great performances and there are multiple moments where you have to just sit back and applaud.

• Continue reading at Sci Fi Bulletin. See more on Children Of The Circus, here.

Esme Young reveals her touching childhood connection to this year’s Sewing Bee Christmas special

The perfect festive viewing

The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special is going to be back this year with a new celebrity line-up ready to follow those tricky patterns and transform festive materials into something fabulous – and the release date for the episode has also been revealed.

The Christmas episode of the Sewing Bee will air on Thursday 21 December at 9pm on BBC One.

The BBC has also revealed which celebrities have been confirmed to taking on the sewing challenges for the Christmas special. This year we can look forward to seeing actor, musician and punk icon Toyah Willcox, actor and comedian Kerry Godliman, comedian and writer Jessica Knappett and actor Hammed Animashaun.

Judge Esme appeared on BBC’s Morning Live to discuss the upcoming Christmas special. In a clip of the show, contestant Toyah showed Esme a necklace she bought from Esme’s brand Swanky Modes. Toyah said she wore the piece of jewellery when she went out for lunch with Princess Diana.

• Continue reading at Prima. Follow The Great British Sewing Bee at Instagram. (Photo © BBC/Love Productions)

The Changeling was placed fifth best reissue of the year from RetroPop

If there’s one thing we love more than new material from our favourite artists, it’s diving into the vaults and unearthing forgotten gems from their classic eras – the hallmark of a strong reissue.

This year, there have been plenty and in addition to revisiting iconic releases and sharing unreleased cuts, an increasing number of acts have taken to reworking and remixing their best-loved recordings for a new avenue of bonus material that bridges the gap between ‘then’ and ‘now’.

Looking back on highlights from the year, here are Retropop’s Top 10 Reissues Of 2023.

5. Toyah – The Changeling (Cherry Red)
The seminal 1982 album from Toyah was expanded across two audio discs – including 20 previously unreleased tracks – and a further three previously unavailable on any CD, for its latest reissue, which contains outtakes, B-sides, an alternate album sequence of ‘work in progress’ variations, and home demo recordings. Meanwhile, the accompanying DVD features a wealth of classic content, plus up-to-date commentary from the lady herself!

• See the full Top 10, plus more year end Best Of 2023 charts, at Retropop. The Changeling is available to buy from Cherry Red Records – a great Christmas gift for the music fan in your life.