Rewind and pause ... at the eighties!

Fans of 1980s music are in for a real treat this summer when the Rewind Scotland festival returns for its sixth consecutive year.
Toyah is performing at Rewind this summer on Sunday, July 24.Toyah is performing at Rewind this summer on Sunday, July 24.
Toyah is performing at Rewind this summer on Sunday, July 24.

The event is taking place once again at Scone Palace in Perthshire from Friday, July 22, to Sunday, July 24.

And this year’s musical feast features a fantastic line-up of the best 1980s acts.

They include former punk princess Toyah Willcox.

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She’ll be taking to the stage on Sunday, July 24, and is excited about performing for fans of all ages.

“I’m really looking forward to this year’s Rewind Festival – I was there last year and have performed many times over the years. It is one of the highlights of my summer.

“I love performing all my songs and love to hear the audience singing along. I’ll be trying to fit in as many as I can!”

These could include her top 40 singles It’s a Mystery, I Want To Be Free, Thunder in the Mountains – which reached number four in the UK singles chart in 1981 – Good Morning Universe and her own, unique version of Echo Beach.

© Robert Matheu

Adam Ant will headline Rewind Festival on the Sunday© Robert Matheu

Adam Ant will headline Rewind Festival on the Sunday
© Robert Matheu Adam Ant will headline Rewind Festival on the Sunday
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She continued: “It’s a huge crowd that comes to Perth and they love their music.

“The Scottish audiences have a great sense of humour and love to dress up. They are an audience that really express themselves in the right way.

“The event is primarily about live music – we would never have got record deals back in our day if we could not play live. There are a huge number of acts performing over the weekend including Adam Ant – I think he will go down a storm.”

Holly Johnson will headline the festival on the Saturday. He will be joined by Rick Astley, Tony Hadley, Marc Almond, Leo Sayer, Go West, Living In a Box, Average White Band, The Beat, The Bluebells, Hazell Dean and Snap.

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Adam Ant will headline on the Sunday. Also performing that day will be ABC, Big Country, Midge Ure, Slim Jim Phantom from Stray Cats, Roland Gift (the lead singer of Fine Young Cannibals), China Crisis, Toyah, Annabella’s Bow Wow Wow, British Electric Foundation ft. Thomas Dolby, Heaven 17’s Glenn Gregory, The Noisettes’ Shingai Shoniwa, Mari Wilson and The Farm’s Peter Hooton.

You may well think that 1980s music only appeals to a particular age group.

But Toyah said audiences have been getting younger each year:

“As well as people from my generation, those who grew up with 80s music now have their children discovering it through watching videos on YouTube,” she said.

© Robert Matheu

Adam Ant will headline Rewind Festival on the Sunday© Robert Matheu

Adam Ant will headline Rewind Festival on the Sunday
© Robert Matheu Adam Ant will headline Rewind Festival on the Sunday
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“The ’80s were unique – there was a romanticism about space travel as this was a time when there were no iPads or computers. Songs were more reflective then about relationships too.”

As well as being an award-winning punk rock star, Toyah is also an actress. She has starred in a number of films and television programmes and enjoys acting as well as music.

“I love what I do and I can never get enough,” she said. “I like having the variety.”

She added: “The Rewind Festival has really grown – every year it gets better.

“The organisers do it so well. I am really looking forward to it.”

Tickets are available now at www.rewind festival.com.

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