Toyah Sheffield City Hall 18th May 1981

 

I loved it at the time. 'Anthem' was Toyah's 1981 album with two of the biggest hits of the year, 'It's A Mystery' and 'I Want To Be Free'. As mentioned elsewhere on this site I saw the band in 1982. Before 'Anthem' I had 'Sheep farming in Barnet' which is a far more interesting proposition, and for those that still do appreciate a bit of Toyah, an album just about to be released as a 40th anniversary deluxe reissue.... and it does look lavish.

Hey, in '81 I was 12... much as I would have loved to have seen The Stranglers then, my horizons were limited by entry restrictions to under 18s.... that limited the options to The Brighton Centre and Toyah and Adam and the Ants as first gigs. Oh well.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-NUa3rM5MYp

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-oiKoFVMDLs

01. War Boys Victims Of The Riddle

02. Race Through Space

03. Obsolete

04. Insects

05. Jungles Of Jupiter

06. We Are

07. Waiting

08. It’s A Mystery Intro

09. It’s A Mystery

10. Ieya

11. Danced

12. I Wanna Be Free

13. Indecision 

Women of Punk BBC Radio 4 Reunion Programme 16th April 2017

Presenter Sue MacGregor interviews Gina Birch (The Raincoats), Toyah Willcox (Toyah), Gaye Black (The Adverts), Tessa Pollitt (The Slits) and Vivien Goldman (The Flying Lizards) about their lives in punk and the impact they had as leading female lights within a changing music industy.

MP3: https://we.tl/nnesNRCOfB

Toyah The Rainbow London 21st February 1981

Toyah did not support The Stranglers, but Toyah Willcox did lend a helping hand at the early April Rainbow gigs as a guest vocalist.

Here is a soundboard recording of the band Toyah playing in their own right at the Rainbow. This is, I think, an audio rip of the long deleted BBC Video of the band's appearance at the North London venue. I remember seeing this high on the shelf of my local record shop (Rounder Records in Burgess Hill - now long gone) for £20 or more. A fortune then. I think that Toyah Live at the Rainbow may have been the second ever video music release after Gary Numan's 'Touring Principle'.

Thanks for the trade.

Toyah helps out at The Rainbow (April 1980)

WAV: https://we.tl/zFys1hPhQJ

01. War Boys
02. Neon Womb
03. Waiting
04. Tribal Look
05. Ghosts
06. Victims Of The Riddle
07. Race Through Space
08. Angels And Demons
09. Insects
10. It’s A Mystery
11. Danced
12. Ieya

Toyah 30 years ago!!

I have a couple of anniversary posts for tonight, but I thought I'd start with this one, which is of no real relevance to anyone but me. Sorry!

Tonight, Toyah is playing down the road (10 minutes walk) in Bishops Stortford. The occasion is 'The Changeling The Resurrection 2012 - Celebrating The 30th Anniversary of The Changeling and Warrior Rock (Toyah On Tour)'

This made me smile, seeing Toyah was one of my first gigs. Brighton Centre 29th June 1982. This was the original Changeling tour.

I loved 'Anthem' at the time, but even moreso the more punky 'Sheep Farming In Barnet', but this was my first opportunity to see the band. I was 13 and a bit wee!

Such was my interest in Toyah at the time that I went on stage as Toyah in a school play in 1982?!

I remember that she did play 'Ieya' on that occasion, but for 'Neon Womb' I had to wait until a club date at the Electric Ballroom in the early '90's.

She's a lovely lady and did it for me then, but tonight it's a curry with the family. Sorry Toyah, I hope the gig went well!