Celebrating her legendary 1981 album, Anthem, Toyah delivers a masterclass in longevity and creativity with her latest tour.
It is hard to understate the impact that punk had on the musical landscape of the 70s and 80s and one of the most notable was the number of female artists that arrived through the punk vortex into the popular charts; along with Siouxsie, Toyah was one of the most iconic. A firebrand pixie fizzing with energy and attitude who launched herself after years on the punk scene with her EP SHEEP FARMING IN BARNET.
However it was her 1981 album, ANTHEM, that took her into another level written in two weeks to follow up the success of IT’S A MYSTERY from her four track EP. Since then the track has become synonymous with Toyah and, as she says, she is proud to be known for it. ANTHEM is now a massive 40 years old which Toyah joked was older than all of her backing band but it is still a powerful message and snapshot of the time. The ANTHEM tour, slotting in around her touring with Billy Idol, played not only the album in full but also some complete classics, being the first time in some cases the tracks have been heard for over 15 plus years.
Opening with THUNDER IN THE MOUNTAINS other songs including the quirky DEMOLITION MEN, the single that never was WE ARE and the little heard but firm fan favourite MARIONETTE were all there. Alongside this was the very early NEON WOMB and the fantastic cover of ECHO BEACH. We were treated to more recent work from THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON QUEEN in the title track and tracks from her most recent album POSH POP; the extremely catchy SPACE DANCE and the more reflective TAKE ME HOME.
Throughout Toyah gave anecdotes of her life and times over her 45 years of performance from working with Olivier to people not knowing who Sting was but most of all it was her performance itself that shone. A blaze of crimson and orange in a structured Asian inspired dress with her bobbed blonde hair she bounced, she skipped, she twirled – where does this woman get her energy from? She was pure energy from start to finish.
Along with a small break this was nearly 2½ hours of a masterclass in longevity and creativity. Note perfect, the band was incredibly tight and the night passed at breakneck speed. Toyah pointedly said how little power she has now as a 64 year old woman in the music industry and it is to the detriment of the music charts that manufactured pop rather than musicianship is now the driver as the difference is plain to see. The latest single was played, a stunning version of SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM which Toyah was the first to sing on a demo and the future single due out in Christmas week called SENSATIONAL – which it was.
The final song of the night was I WANT TO BE FREE – a track released in 1981 – with not a single drop of the power, freshness and impact lost. “I want to be me” sang Toyah, and there is no doubt that in this world of style over substance she has always been that.
TOYAH – ANTHEM 40th ANNIVERSARY TOUR played at Waterside Arts, Sale, on 22 October 2022
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