TOYAH ON BBC RADIO DEVON
WITH RICHARD GREEN
8.6.2019

Recorded at the Let's Rock Wales 2019 festival
in Tredegar Park, Newport

RICHARD GREEN: It's the BBC at The Let's Rock festival, Toyah!

TOYAH: Hello!

RICHARD: Hello! How are you doing?

TOYAH: I'm really good, it's the most perfect day. Summer is definitely here!

RICHARD: I know, because it's been a bit cloudy and a bit overcast … The sun's come out, it's blisteringly hot -

TOYAH: The audience are already up for it and what is it? It's barely one o'clock and they're just having the time of their lives already. This is what's it's about. This is about them. And it's about good weather and a beautiful beautiful location. It's looking like a perfect day already 

RICHARD: It is. OK - so a relatively short set. Shorter than if you were doing your own show of course -

TOYAH: Well, there's a big difference between two hours and 20 minutes so today is a bit of a holiday (laughs)

RICHARD: Yes. So it's all the big hits, all the big players. What are you opening with today?

TOYAH: I'm opening with – very good question - “Good Morning Universe”. Then “Echo Beach”, “Thunder In The Mountains”, “It's A Mystery”, “I Want To Be Free” -

RICHARD: OK, so they're all sort of great songs that people love to sing along to -

TOYAH: Yeah, I've kept to the 80's – it never occurred to me to put new material in. My album that was out in April went into the charts … It never occurred to me to feature any of that (laughs) You know, this is an 80's festival so I'm kind of happy doing that -

RICHARD: They would've fitted though wouldn't they - because they were songs of empowerment and so are some of the songs from back you're doing today?

TOYAH: They would've definitely fitted and what's interesting is we're told if we're doing an 80's show - “keep it 80's” - but I didn't realise that a lot of artists just don't -

RICHARD: Sneak a tune in -

TOYAH: Yeah, they don't do what they're told. So next time … I'll sneak in “Hurricane” and “21st Century Super Sister” and “Sensational” -

RICHARD: So what's been happening recently for you? You've had the new album out. I think your husband (Robert Fripp, below with Toyah) had a birthday recently as well – had a bit of a party, did you? 

TOYAH: It's my birthday -

RICHARD: Oh, your birthday?

TOYAH: And our anniversary and his birthday. We don't have parties. My husband is what's known famously as a recluse. So we have a home in the South of France. 

We went there and we had beautiful food. We didn't have good weather, it rained every day. We're next to the Mediterranean and it was gorgeous ...

RICHARD: And what's happening with “In The Court OF The Crimson Queen” because you've got the autumn tour coming?

TOYAH: Yeah. I'm touring all year. I started touring the album in March. I go right up to Wembley Arena in December. There's a lot of really lovely things going on. 

So I'm in the Bristol area at the end of October playing The Fleece which is my favourite venue in the area. It's hot, it's sweaty. People queue around the block to get in and that for me is what music is about. 

It's that whole kind of social gathering of people just wanting desperately to get in and then giving them a 150% in a lovely sweaty atmosphere. So I'm doing – well, I'm just working the whole year doing music. The album has been a phenomenal success. It's been a critical success … So that's going to keep me going -

RICHARD: Absolutely superb. So that's the sort of example you're giving for out here today. It may be a shorter set but you know, they're well into it, you're well into it, it's the perfect mix on a summer Saturday …

TOYAH: Yeah, I think 80's music is coming to its own, its free of the politics of the 80's now and it's almost free of the fashion to a certain extent. 

I think people choose to go back to the fashion if they want to but there's just something about the longevity of the music and the music stands out like no other decade - 

RICHARD: But why, Toyah?

TOYAH: Why? I think it's because it's about the audience, it's a shared experience with the audience. The audience can identify with what we're doing

It's highly individualistic and I think people want to be seen as individuals today than any other time in history. So I just think it's all encompassing. I know I wrote it for stadiums so it's perfect when you've got an environment like today 
  

RICHARD: When you go on stage, you know, because I've seen you turn up at backstage at these events etc and you get the Toyah – if I say regailia – you know what I mean -

TOYAH: Yeah -

RICHARD: I'm always very impressed with the stylish stuff that you get dressed in and go on stage on and so forth but is it like you have to put on a Toyah persona? Is there a Toyah persona? Is it different from the Toyah I'm speaking to now for example?

TOYAH: There's reasons there's two Toyah's. I manage myself and I have to be a business woman. It's not preferable, I just can't anyone to manage me who has my energy and my knowledge and you know, I am boasting here. I'm really good at managing myself but it means there has to be two people

The Toyah that goes on stage has to be accessible, likeable, and has to be open hearted towards the audience. So there is a switch and wish there wasn't and one day I might find a manager and I can just be the real me. Because when you're in business you have to be slightly hard edged. So when I go on stage no matter what's going on in my personal life, no matter how I feel about business, I go on stage for the audience 

That's all who matters. They have come to listen and fall in love with music and to have a good time, and to feel safe and feel happy. I feel really passionately about that. I want people to go away from seeing me knowing that life is good

RICHARD: And when does that happen? If you forgive me for persevering with this line for just for a moment. Does that happen when you're in the wings just about to burst on stage or does it literally happen when you don the clothing in the dressing room?

TOYAH: No, no – it is in the wings. The big shows you're used to -  when we're playing to 30 to 60 thousand people, you've seen me there ... You're in the wings trying to connect with what you are when you're a singer and you've got people just talking to you saying “So, how has your week been?” (Richard laughs) “Did you like lunch today?” And it's like please! Please! I've got to find myself! It's the moment your foot hits the stage

RICHARD: Is there any nerves now?

TOYAH: Yes, there is -

RICHARD: Still?

TOYAH: There's always nerves because there's responsibility and there's expectations to deal with and that will always be the way. I've never walked on stage so confident I haven't had to think about it. I'm always very very concerned and aware of what could go wrong is I'm not focussed

RICHARD: And that's probably the best way to be. You've got to have a frisson of nerves even after many years because it keeps you vibrant on stage -

TOYAH: I agree 

RICHARD: So what are your hopes then for In The Court Of The Crimson Queen? I know you've got good feedback already. What are you generally hoping for form this album?

TOYAH: It's a very open album, it's a very direct album and it's an album of talking – me talking to a third person about them being so special, not to feel judged, not to feel that if you don't look like Kim Kardashian it's a problem and if you're not as wealthy as Robbie Williams ... Who cares? 

This is an album that says we are all utterly unique, we're all part of one community. Lot of the reviews have picked up on the fact its a very joyous album. One reviewer wrote (about) Dance In The Hurricane … that it's just life changing because it's pinpointed that what we go through in life will be challenging but we
remain the same -

RICHARD: An album about love in all its aspects perhaps -

TOYAH: Yes, yeah. Yeah.

RICHARD: So listen, we're going to hear another one of the songs from the album right now - Dance In The Hurricane. This is one of the five new songs, isn't it?

TOYAH: Yes. The new songs came about because firstly I'm an actress as well and I was appearing in a film called In Extremis, a horror film that won lots of awards round the world. And I have a cameo in it which is just fabulous! And Steve Stone, the director, needed and outro song. 

I don't think Steve will mind me saying this but he has a child who is severely unwell and it's day by day living and In Extremis is about his experience as a father living with a child that might not be with us or is going to be ill for a long time. 

And he wanted an outro song about this very very heartbreaking film and my co-writer Simon Darlow and I came up with Our Hearts Still Beat. So that is one of the songs on the album and it lead to quite a few new songs because a lot of movies ask me to write outro songs. And Dance In The Hurricane became a song that we wanted to write about the continuation of relationships with people who might not be here any more. 

I don't know about you but I'm still very connected to my parents, I feel that they still guide me and Dance In The Hurricane is about learning to live without those you love