Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

A review of last night’s Birmingham Ballroom gig, by David Lumb at the Express & Star.

Review: Toyah Willcox, The Ballroom, Birmingham

It’s more than 30 years since Toyah Willcox launched her solo career – but anyone who thought the Birmingham singer was done and dusted has reason to think again after a headbanging performance in her home city last night.

Dozens left the warmth of their homes on a cold and wet Wednesday evening to see an intimate gig at The Ballroom. Taking to the stage in a black Chinese-style dress with an ornate headdress and boots, she kicked off the show with Good Morning Universe, before moving on to Castaways, Blue Meaning, a song she said was inspired by Tolkien and the Black Country.

• Continue reading at the Express & Star.

Toyah was interviewed by Chris Saunders last night on The Gig Guide on Radio Verulam.

The short interview begins at approximately 16 minutes into the show and runs for around six minutes. Toyah talks about last night’s Birmingham Ballroom ‘Creepy Room’ gig, her stage outfits, how fast the last 25 years have gone, performing The Changeling, and tonight’s gig at The Horn. There was also a play of ‘It’s A Mystery’ (which to my ears sounded like it was the Top Of The Pops version).

The interview is available to listen to at the ‘Radio Verulam’ website, here.

Toyah at Birmingham Ballroom last night. The penultimate gig of The Changeling Resurrection II Tour is tonight at The Horn in St Albans. (Thanks to Ray Sears for the photo)

Trick or Treat? Of course it’ll definitely be the latter tonight at Birmingham Ballroom with The Changeling Resurrection II Halloween Special: Toyah’s Creepy Room. Dress in your best spooky outfit, expect The Packt, Creepy Room, Voodoo Doll & Ieya in the set list, and have fun!

Just one day to go until Toyah’s Creepy Room spooks Birmingham… Buy tickets here.

There’s now just one day to go until Toyah’s Creepy Room sends shivers through Birmingham Ballroom as The Changeling Resurrection II hits the city for a Halloween Special. Here are Dreamscape’s three and two days to go countdown images. Check back later today for the next one. Please click on each to zoom. Buy Creepy Room tickets here.

• Burst Radio: Win Toyah Tickets!: We have 2 free tickets to give away for Toyah at the Concorde2 in Brighton on Saturday night (worth £40). To enter, simply answer this question: Was Toyah’s first album called…?

• One Week // One Band: Adam And The Ants/Jubilee: Do people talk about Jordan much these days? Once—for a year or three—she mattered quite a lot.

• The Lee Mack Show: Toyah guests on Lee’s radio sketch show in 2005, and performs ‘Sweet Child O Mine’. Available at BBC iPlayer until Sat 3rd November.

• The Wave: The Rebel Diva 80s Show: Taking place at The Arts Wing, Swansea Grand Theatre, our very own Helen Enser Morgan – star of Cappuccino Girls and Brenda’s Big Night Out presents her unique vocal and comic tribute to the pop Divas of the 1980’s. Expect glittering performances as Toyah, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, Hazel O’Connor and Chrissie Hynde.

• Countdown to Toyah’s Creepy Room @ Birmingham Ballroom: Three days to go!

A Request: Did anyone take photos of the Russian Dolls (The Changeling, Anthem, At The Rainbow, The Blue Meaning) Toyah was gifted by a fan at Saturday’s TCRII Redhill concert?

UPDATE: Toyah has tweeted a photo of these amazing creations: “presented with these staggering hand painted russian dolls at the harlequin theatre last night! Thank u“.

Last night’s Changeling Resurrection II gig, at The Harlequin Theatre, Redhill. Toyah tweeted: “The lighting at redhill harlequin is breath taking! And the sound is awesome! I can’t wait to get on stage!” View larger versions of these photos, and more, at Dreamscape’s TCRII Gallery. (Thanks again to Angus Turner)

Fantastic photos of Toyah at The Electric Palace, Bridport on Friday night. Another Changeling Resurrection II date, with no less than 22 songs in the set list. Toyah tweeted: “OMG the electric palace bridport is Sssssssooooo cute!” View larger versions of these photos, and more, at Dreamscape’s TCRII Gallery. (Huge thanks to Angus Turner)

Great footage of Toyah onstage at Islington Academy, London, last Saturday performing ‘Good Morning Universe’. Click below to view at You Tube. (Thanks to Damon King)

• More TCRII footage: Creepy Room at Glasgow’s Classic Grand (12th Oct – Thanks to Sharon Dickson) and It’s A Mystery at Islington Academy (20th Oct – Thanks again to Damon)

A new Toyah interview from the Dorset Echo.

Three decades after diminutive singer Toyah burst on to the mainstream with her crazy hair, post-punk outfits and strong, often mysterious, songs, she is back. Tonight Toyah is appearing at Bridport’s Electric Palace to perform all of her 1982 album The Changeling as well as songs from the live Warrior Rock album from the same year.

Changeling is credited as the album that gave the Goth movement a kick-start and although Goth music and style of dress is unfortunately much derided these days, Toyah is a staunch defender of the black nail varnish and velvet brigade.

“I won’t hear anything against Goths. A few years ago I toured with a musical called Vampires Rock and it had a massive support from people into Gothic music.”

• Continue reading at the Dorset Echo.

• The Changeling Resurrection II at Islington Academy: ‘Danced’ at You Tube. (Thanks to Damon King)

• This is South Wales: Eighties is inspiration for Swansea DJ: A Swansea DJ is turning the tables to become the pop stars she plays on the radio in her new one woman show. In the show, Helen pays tribute to the rebellious female icons of the 1980s including Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Toyah Willcox, Hazel O’Connor, Annie Lennox and Cyndi Lauper.

• Friday Focus: John Stephenson Interview with Toyah Willcox: Toyah’s ‘Radio Verulam’ interview from last December is now available to listen to at Soundcloud.

• Dark Derek’s Deluge: Toyah & Guests 17th December 1981: Toyah on the Good Morning Universe: European Tour.

• The Ebony Tower: Richard Rodney Bennett: Film Music Pt. 11.

Come along to Toyah’s Creepy Room with the special Changeling Resurrection II Halloween show at Birmingham Ballroom on Wednesday 31st October. Vote for your song choice. Tickets available here. (Official flyer rejigged slightly to fit here – View the original here)

There are five dates left of The Changeling Resurrection II UK Tour: Bridport, Redhill, Birmingham (Halloween Special), St Albans and, the Rewound & Extended finale in, Brighton. Click below for all the details. (Thanks to Damon King)

Sensational photos of Toyah from last night’s gig at Islington Academy, London. View larger versions of all of these at Dreamscape’s TCRII Gallery. (A huge thank you to Damon King)

• View a larger version of the above Changeling Resurrection II @ London collage here.

Great shots of Toyah from last night’s Changeling Resurrection II gig at the Islington Academy, London. A good time was had by all, including Toyah who tweeted: “London was magnificent! Utter joy! One of my favourite concerts of all time! Thank u“. View larger versions of these photos, and more, at Dreamscape’s TCRII Gallery. (Many thanks to Angus Turner)

Toyah Willcox brings her autumn 2012 tour The Changeling Resurrection to Bridport’s Electric Palace on Friday, October 26.

The gig celebrates the 30th anniversary of Toyah’s chart-topping albums, The Changeling, and Warrior Rock and comes hot on the heels of her acclaimed spring tour, which generated five-star reviews and sold-out shows.

With new images created especially for the tour and material not performed in 30 years, it is a true celebration and re-interpretation of one of Toyah’s finest albums, alongside many of her most well-known hit singles.

• Continue reading at the Dorset Echo.

A comprehensive new interview with Toyah, from Penny Black Music.

With her fiery hair and soaring, near operatic vocals, Toyah Willcox was one of the most striking and iconic singers of the early 1980s.

Willcox, who was brought up in Birmingham, first came to prominence as an actress, appearing in Derek Jarman’s 1978’s punk epic ‘Jubilee ’and the Who-inspired ‘Quadrophenia’(1979), and also acting alongside Katherine Hepburn in the made-for-TV film ‘The Corn is Green’.

By 1980 her musical career, which she had run concurrently with her acting career, had also begun to take off. With her band which was also called Toyah, she released five studio albums, ‘Sheep Farming in Barnet’ (1979), ‘The Blue Meaning’(1980), ‘Anthem’(1981), ‘The Changeling’(1982) and ‘Love is the Law’(1983). She also had seven Top 40 single hits, including in 1981, her most successful year, three Top 10 hits alone with ‘Four from Toyah’, ‘I Want to Be Free’ and ‘Thunder in the Mountains’.

Since Toyah folded in 1983, Toyah Willcox, who has been married to ex- King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp since 1986, has gone on to release another ten studio albums under her own name.

• Continue reading at Penny Black Music.

More great photos of Toyah on The Changeling Resurrection II UK Tour. These are from the Classic Grand in Glasgow last Friday night. View larger versions of these, and more, at Dreamscape’s TCRII Gallery. (Thanks to Sharon Dickson, pictured with Toyah)

Toyah, and little Toyah, onstage at Manchester Academy last Saturday night. View larger versions of these and more at Dreamscape’s TCRII Gallery. (Thanks to Glyn Whelan)