Like most people of my age I suspect, my first introduction to The Toy Dolls was through “Nellie the Elephant” on Top of the Pops. It was a mad but great single, and I eagerly awaited their next Top 40 hit which never materialised (according to Wikipedia their next single “She Goes to Finos/Spiders In The Dressing Room” peaked at number 93). In those days there was no internet to go and check out bands other work, so it was around 1989 before on a whim I bought “Ten years of Toys” the compilation album on CD, and I was hooked from the start!
The Great British Alternative Music Festival recently renewed my interest in all things punk, and I got to thinking it’s a band I’d really like to see live, so I started following the bands page to see if they were still performing. To my delight, it turns out they are doing a massive worldwide tour to mark their 40th anniversary.
The British music press are a cynical lot – always eager to trash the great and the good, whilst “bigging up” some of the most bland acts on the scene, so I did wonder whether The Toy Dolls with their packed out shows around the world, would even bother playing the UK, especially as country after country has been announced and comment after comment has been left “What about the UK?”
Thankfully, the news came through this morning! The UK tour dates are to be announced on Monday 16th September at 10AM! If you’re as excited about this news as I am, you may want to put a reminder in your diary to check out the bands official Facebook on Monday morning!
You won’t want to miss it! And if that’s not enough good news, their new album is also out today to stream and buy (who said Friday 13th was unlucky?) btw it’s a corker! (Though Richard Clayderman fans may not like it!) 🙂
Here’s the official word:
‘EPISODE XIII’
NEW ALBUM RELEASED SEPTEMBER 13th 2019 ON SECRET RECORDS
40th ANNIVERSARY SHOWS FROM OCTOBER 2019
Slated by the British music press for being a joke ‘one hit wonder’ band and being on par with The Tweets, The Grumbleweeds, The Barron Knights and The Wurzels, here we are after 40 years, 13 studio albums, dozens of ‘best of’ albums, live albums, box sets and, more importantly, the 40 years of constant worldwide live tours, shows and festivals, playing to packed houses from Buenos Aires to Budapest.
Strangely enough, the band are not influenced by any of the above mentioned acts!
The band’s main man, lead singer / guitarist and songwriter Michael ‘Olga’ Algar (recognized throughout the world as one of the best punk guitar players around by fans a musicians alike) states his influences as Mick Green (The Pirates), Wilko Johnson and Chuck Berry, alongside The Jam, The Sweet and Slade.
Olga has guested on numerous artist’s albums, written and produced songs for bands, TV shows and TV ads, and The Toy Dolls have had their music used in films, Play Station games, and incidental TV music throughout the world.
Anyway, this is not meant to be a press release to defend the band.
The British press can say as they wish, while The Toy Dolls continue to release new studio albums and play to sold out live shows throughout the world to the best, and most loyal, bunch of fans a band could hope for.
With a stage show packed with synchronized jumps and dances, choreography, spinning guitars, and highly addictive melodies, this is escapism at its best!
The Toy Dolls are:
OLGA: Singer / Guitar Player
TOMMY GOOBER: Bass Player
THE AMAZING MR. DUNCAN: Drummer
OFFICIAL QUOTES:
“Olga is a guitar virtuoso, I’m not ****ing kidding. We did a show with The Toy Dolls in France over the past summer and they’re still world-class punk rock. I’ve been a fan of these guys for almost 30 years”
Tim Armstrong, Rancid
“A band this good is a rare and wonderful thing, don’t miss ‘em”
Garry Bushell, Sounds Magazine.
