TOYAH ON
ATV TODAY
MAY 1981

HOST: Toyah Willcox has just had a Top 10 hit. She's got another racing up the charts, and is currently on tour. She's not one to mince words, as this clip from a documentary made by ATV now shows

A clip from the Toyah documentary plays. Toyah says touring is very tiring

HOST BOB WARMAN: After all you said, just just a few months ago - here you are. You're back on tour again?

TOYAH: Oh, yes. Well, I always contradict myself. I mean you've got to tour. I think it's so important to prove that you're a real person, that you're flesh and blood. So many female artists - you don't see them on tour. I just think it's very important to prove yourself. That's all

BOB: It's quite interesting what you were just saying on film. Anyone seeing that, I'm sure, would get absolutely the wrong impression

TOYAH: Yes! Nasty me! (laughs) You've got to be tough. I think if you're a woman in a male dominated world, you've got to be slightly better or prove yourself more than the man has to - before a man would accept you on their level

BOB: But do you think we do live in a male dominated world?

TOYAH: At the moment -

BOB: Female monarch, female Prime Minister?

TOYAH: I think in London it's a very sort of unisex type of world. But I think once you get up North, you've still got chauvinism. Chauvinism rules type thing, and I find that a lot on tour. The male audiences become more chauvinistic as you go up North

BOB: But they come to see you, don't they?

TOYAH: Oh yeah. They're all fun

BOB: I'd like to ask you how you arrived at the point that you are now, because you had a very orthodox upbringing in Birmingham. You went to a Church of England School. You left school with, I think, one O Level in music

TOYAH: Yeah, very brainy (they both laugh)

BOB: So does this mean that you always wanted to do what you're doing now?

TOYAH: Oh, totally. I was an incredible dreamer when I was at school. It wasn't exactly the school ('s fault). I was just very bored. I just felt trapped, and I wanted to get out. I wanted to act and sing

I think that the ambition started when I was about nine. I just wanted to escape, really. I had a very strict upbringing, which sort of made me want to be zany and rebel and things like that

BOB: Well, you're certainly not afraid of work, are you? Do do a fantastic amount of work

TOYAH: I love it. It's great fun

BOB: Would you prefer acting or singing?


TOYAH: Oh, I've got to do both. I like both for totally different reasons. I find if I escape from my own music for a few months to do some acting, then while I'm acting I'll probably write a lot of lyrics. So I benefit from doing both, totally

BOB: So you're looking forward now to finishing your tour and going back to doing a bit of acting?

TOYAH: Oh, yes

BOB: That's marvellous. Thanks very much for coming in and joining us

TOYAH: Thank you

BOB: I know you had to break off from a very very busy schedule. We won't let you go without hearing a clip from your latest single "I Want To  Be Free"

TOYAH: Yes. Let me go (laughs)

Watch the interview HERE