Synopsis

"Idle Gossip" is a punk video album documenting The Toy Dolls in their fast, theatrical element. Rather than following a scripted storyline, it presents a mixture of live performances and promotional clips built around the band's frantic playing, comic delivery, and colorful stage presence. The set captures the group during its mid-1980s period, with Michael "Olga" Algar leading the performance through a selection of songs associated with the 1986 album and the band's irreverent Sunderland punk identity.

Factoids & Trivia

• The release was issued on VHS in February 1987 by Jettisoundz, with a listed running time of approximately 48 to 50 minutes.

• Contemporary trade advertising described it as a video album containing 14 "wacky songs," combining live material and promotional performances.

• The footage includes performances filmed at Klub Foot in London, an important venue in the British punk and psychobilly circuit.

• The catalog number was JE 156.

• "Idle Gossip" was later paired with the earlier "We're Mad" video for the 2002 DVD release "We're Mad + Idle Gossip."

• The accompanying video material reflects The Toy Dolls' established performance style: rapid-fire punk, exaggerated humor, and a deliberately cartoonish presentation rather than a serious or gritty visual approach.