In the press release for the show, Bailey’s representatives stated, “At a point in our evolution when it seems as if we’re sleepwalking into a world where humans might be redundant, and much of what we do can be done better and more efficiently by machines, what better time to celebrate our own flawed humanity. And who better a guide to lead us than Bill… To take us on a jaunt through the error-strewn, distracted, crumb-festooned, sometimes magnificent history of human thought and how it might help us survive in this brave new world. A magical, musical mystery tour of the human mind, along with some other pressing matters about whales, biophilia, unrequited love and other thoughts. Amplified With Music. Welcome to Thoughtifier!” 

The promotors for the show have also, helpfully and hilariously, provided a definition to what the term Thoughtifier means, stating,

“Thoughtifier
noun

1. an intriguing device that can amplify the thoughts of a curious mind using music, channelled through a human instrument, known as Bill Bailey.

2. (colloquial) a person resembling Bill Bailey.”

Bailey is probably best known for his work in TV comedy but the actor and comedian is also well known for being a multi-instrumentalist and uses the art form in his stand-up routines. A classically trained musician, Bailey studied music at A-Level and received an associate diploma at the London College Of Music.

Bailey often incorporates jazz, rock and even classical music into his stand-up comedy shows. The comedian was also a member of punk band Beergut 100 with fellow comedians Jim Miller, Martin Trenaman, Phil Whelans and Kevin Eldon. The band played a set at the 2006 edition of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Bailey has also performed at the Royal Albert Hall, BBC Radio and Sonisphere Festival.

In 2020, Bailey was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing where he famously danced with his partner Oti Mabuse to Metallica’s hit song, “Enter Sandman.” Tickets for Thoughtifier go on sale on Wednesday and can be purchased here.

Bill Bailey Musical Comedy tour:

09/02/2024 – 3Arena – Dublin
10/02 – SSE Arena – Belfast
12/02 – Derby Arena – Derby
13/02 – Resorts World Arena – Birmingham
15/02 – P&J Arena – Aberdeen
16/02 – SEC Armadillo – Glasgow
17/02 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
18/02 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
20/02 – BIC – Bournemouth
21/02 – Brighton Centre – Brighton
22/02 – Plymouth Pavilions – Plymouth
24/02 – Utilita Arena – Cardiff
27/02 – Utilita Arena – Sheffield
28/02 – Connexin Live Arena – Hull
29/02 – AO Arena – Manchester
01/03 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
02/03 – M&S Arena – Liverpool
04/03 – O2 Arena – London

The ‘Sunday Lunch’ videos were born out of the pandemic in 2020 – featuring King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp and 80’s pop star Toyah Wilcox (who goes by the name of Toyah) playing light-hearted covers of classic songs such as ‘Enter Sandman’ and ‘Bad Reputation’ in there living room and often dressed in fancy dress.

The videos became a viral hit during the COVID pandemic and have continued to attract a lot of attention as the pair continue to make the videos.

Talking to Eonmusic, Toyah Wilcox spoke about being approached by production companies regarding the project: “We have a documentary crew following us, and we have quite a big production company scripting an idea at the moment,” she said.

She later added: “Obviously, we won’t be in it, it’s for actors to play, but that’s all in the back kind of pool of what you call pre-production. All of that’s going on.”

This information supports what the two have explained in the past about the longevity of the series as explained during an interview at Glastonbury, they said: “We’ve actually been picked up by a world agency and we have decided that we’re going to give them a set amount of years, at the moment our social media numbers are growing. So as long as those audiences are there and that kind of pull is there, we’ll keep going. But I will not watch him do anything that makes his health suffer.”

Toyah Wilcox later added during the interview: “Another bit of news that’s happening is we’re being courted by TV at the moment. We’ve got about three ideas in the very embryonic form that we should be shooting next year.”

The success of the videos has seen the married couple touring together for the first time, including shows at Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight Festival. The duo are currently about to kick off their ‘Sunday Lunch Rock Party’ tour at the end of September in Wimborne before heading to multiple other venues in the UK in places like London, Birmingham and Liverpool.

Tour dates

30/09/23 – Tivoli – Wimborne

01/10 – Town Hall – Cheltenham

07/10 – Royal Hall – Harrogate

08/10 – Playhouse – Whitley Bay

09/10 – The Lowry – Salford

14/10 – Assembly Hall – Worthing

16/10 – Philharmonic Hall – Liverpool

19/10 – The Apex – Bury St Edmunds

20/10 – The Anvil – Basingstoke

21/10 – Shepherds Bush Empire – London

25/10 – Opera House – Buxton

26/10 – Theatre Severn – Shrewsbury

28/10 – Grand Theatre – Swansea

29/10 – Town Hall – Birmingham

Sir Elton John Performs To Biggest Ever Crowd At Glastonbury

Brits Rising Star Winners FLO To Perform At The Isle Of Wight Festival

Willcox & Fripp Cover Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘No One Knows’

Willcox & Fripp Back With Cover of Classic The Clash Song