As promised in the last newsletter, my new and EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with former PROPAGANDA singer CLAUDIA BRÜCKEN is now online. We talk about Claudia's brand new live DVD, the excellent 'THIS HAPPENED' (which also features guest appearances from OMD's PAUL HUMPHREYS, HEAVEN 17's MARTYN WARE and GLENN GREGORY, ERASURE's ANDY BELL and Claudia's former Propaganda bandmates SUSANNE FREYTAG and RALF DÖRPER), her future plans both solo and with ONETWO, and - perhaps inevitably - touch upon the legacy and future of Propaganda along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed the interview, and many thanks to everyone who sent questions for me to consider using, I got in as many as I could! NIK KERSHAW will release a new studio album on August 6th. Entitled 'EI8HT', the eleven-track album will be supported by a single 'The Sky's The Limit' on the same date and there will be a UK tour - combining a full rendition of Kershaw's 1984 album 'Human Racing' with a set of new songs and old favourites - in September. MORE RICK ASTLEY has announced a seven-date UK tour for the second half of October this year with an Australian to follow in November. Both tours are expected to feature new material alongside music from his entire catalogue. MORE NEW ORDER have announced a short run of shows in the USA and Canada in October, their first shows in the USA for seven years, with their Toronto show being the band's first show in Canada since 2001. MORE BOY GEORGE has announced a new project entitled 'A Boy Called George' which will be the name he will use for future electronic projects. The first release under that name will be a new collaboration with DJ Yoda entitled 'Happy' which will be released later in the summer. Meanwhile I have a new Boy George video on the website featuring his cover of the recent Lana Del Rey hit 'Video Games'. The video is the first in 'a story of young love in bleak Britain' that will be continued??? MORE MICK HUCKNALL has announced that he will take his 'American Soul' show on the road in April next year, following the previously announced dates at London's Royal Albert Hall on September 18th and 19th this year. The shows will in support of Hucknall's upcoming solo album 'American Soul' which will see the former SIMPLY RED frontman put his own take on some of the classic songs that have influenced him throughout his life. MORE HAPPY MONDAYS' original line-up have confirmed that they are working on a new studio album, their first for twenty years, with the band's manager recently quoted as saying "Shaun has been writing and the band have been getting together in the studio putting ideas down. I'm sure it will be a great Happy Mondays album." MORE SPARKS will release two 2-CD compilations on August 13th, each featuring remastered versions of material originally released on various labels around the world between 1979 and 1984. 'Shortcuts' will dedicated to their 7" singles and b-sides, while 'Extended' will feature a selection of their 12" remixes. MORE ALISON MOYET has announced three intimate London 'Rare and Obscured' shows to take place in October. The shows - at the legendary Ronnie Scott's venue - will take place on October 8th, 9th and 10th and will see Moyet perform 'songs less visited' from her catalogue of the last ten years instead of her hit material. MORE JIMMY SOMERVILLE will reissue his first two solo albums, 'Read My Lips' and 'Dare To Love', in expanded 2CD editions on July 30th to join the similarly reissued editions from BRONSKI BEAT and THE COMMUNARDS' catalogues. 'Read My Lips' was originally released in 1989 and features the hits 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' and 'To Love Somebody' while 'Dare To Love' was released in 1995 and featured the singles 'Heartbeat' and 'Hurt So Good'. Both will be released as special slipcased editions featuring the original albums plus b-side and remixes, many on CD for the first time. MORE DEPECHE MODE have announced that they will tour again in 2013 but have stressed that no dates have yet been announced anywhere, despite rumours to the contrary. A statement to fans from the band's management announced that tickets are likely to go onsale in late autumn and any confirmed shows will be announced first on the band's website and social media pages. MORE GARY NUMAN will release a new live CD and DVD, plus a limited edition book and CD package, entitled 'Big Noise Transmission' on August 20th. The release was filmed and recorded at the HMV Ritz, Manchester in December 2011 on Numan's 'Dead Son Rising' tour. MORE PET SHOP BOYS have unveiled the official video for their new single 'Winner' which is already available as a single-track download but will receive a full release on August 6th on limited edition CD with bonus tracks, 12" vinyl and via two different download bundles. 'Winner' is the first single to be taken from the band's forthcoming new album 'Elysium' which will be released on September 17th and you can see the video on the website. MORE Thanks to: This Is Not Retro - 80s Music. All Grown Up. WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | 
