HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!
I hope your Christmas season was fantastic.
By the time I stopped working on the 23 December I was so ready to have downtime. Robert and I had a fantastic Christmas at home, just loving being in our space and catching up with friends we have not managed to see for a year.
One of the most important things to me now is friendship and being with people I care about deeply. This doesn’t mean I am going to work less…… it means I need to schedule time to see people face to face.
It is inevitable we are all changing with age, on Christmas Day we were walking around our beautiful town, and we bumped into a dear neighbour we have been trying to see for over two years, yes two years, that’s how busy it has been. She asked us to pop in for a cup of tea, and we discovered her memory was deteriorating. She asked us the same question over and over. We realised nothing can be put off till tomorrow, it’s already here.
After years of pushing my career, suddenly the human condition was brought into clear perspective by this one moment.
Time has never been so precious. Make every minute counts.
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The Wolf Moon arrived on the 3 January and the energy it gave me was superhuman.
All the Christmas decorations were packed and in the attic after three months on show.
I cleared my wardrobes of clothes I’ve not worn in years, clothes that are just too young for me to be wearing today.
Putting aside all the dresses I know fans would love to own…..more on this soon, Lovely Vintage will take them.
I ordered all my stage clothes for 2026. Having had huge positive feedback re: my look on the Adam Ant Tour. I feel very guided by my fans as to image and clothes that work on me. It has been so helpful. Super tailored and super glam with a hint of punk attitude.
Also, on this day I sprang into action delivering the final draft of a writing project for an event in August that will run for 12months. It is dear to my heart and relates to the magic of childhood holidays. I have loved working on this particular project, and fingers crossed it will be announced around spring.
2026 is unbelievably busy and Robert has started to like being with me on the road, I wish I could bring the bunnies too, but that would be cruel……they are home bunnies. We are actively looking to employ a youngster to house sit them and keep these furry pooches in the life they are accustomed to while I am on the road.
The first week of January has been full of surprises.
The Wolf Moon must have given the whole world a jolt of energy.
I am the lead actress in two movies that are very close to being green-lit. One was supposed to be made six years ago but covid hit and changed the whole industry, it’s taken all this time for the industry to bounce back. Both movies are very important to me; the scripts are great and the cast attached are really strong.
Next week I am taking part in a documentary on Quadrophenia, the producer used to run my fan club when she was 16yrs old, Sadie Frost. It is really great to be included in this project because a lot of the guests are contemporary…….. makes me feel the years I have to say! But it is a really important project placing the film firmly on the world stage, as it will have a cinema release.
The set lists are now in place for the Songs and Stories Tour 2026. Act One will open with Bird In Flight. I think it is a beautiful song to open with, and it brings me straight into a self-empowered part of my life, I was living in London, I glided from job to job, project to project so effortlessly, unaffected by lack of sleep and only 24hrs in a day…. so much was fitted into every second.
I remember having constant photo shoots. Not always my favourite thing to do but back then there were so many magazine publications.
Some shoots were unforgettable, like working with David Bailey, Terrence Donovan, Lord Snowden, John Swannell….these were crazy fast.
David Bailey took all of 5 minutes to shoot me…..Kept saying “lick your lips cu*t.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but I have it on good authority that was Bailey in a good mood.
Photos: Lord Snowden. All rights reserved the original photographer.
Lord Snowden was incredibly fast, as was Terrence Donovan but they all had these amazing teams of fixers who prepped all the costumes, make-up and lighting ready for the moment I arrived.
Most times the make-up took longer to apply than the actual time in front of a camera. It was incredibly exciting.
Then there where the shoots where you quickly found out you were in the company of a photographer who mainly shot weddings and babies and wanted to broaden their horizons, I have to say Safari Records would say “yes” to anyone who asked to photograph me!
Photo: David Bailey
These shoots went on and on, all day, ten hours, 12 hours, exhausting every item of clothing I had to bring myself and numerous make up changes which I did my self and the photos where mostly not good…… some of these photographers had a knack of catching your worst angle, all they wanted was the grotesque.
But I learnt so much, I learnt about only giving your best side to the camera, sustaining energy and enthusiasm on set and trying to turn something lacklustre into an event.
On the Songs And Stories Tour I want to take the audience back to this time. It was so incredibly removed from today. Being part of a fashion and music genre was to have pedigree and confidence and also a friendship circle that was huge, because everyone wanted to share their stories with you on the street purely inspired by what you were wearing, which magazines you were carrying, and whichever vinyl record you has under your arm……anything was possible!
There’s also the behind the scenes gossip, which I will keep under wraps until the actual show.
Each Act will have five songs, and the finale will be a mash up of “get on your feet and sing!”
I am really looking forward to it. In the meantime, I have some songs to write.
Have a fabulous month and see you soon. It is only a matter of weeks before I play the beach in Dubai.
BE PROUD, BE LOUD, BE HEARD!
LOTS OF LOVE
TOYAH
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