BOY GEORGE will perform live at the opening of 'Dose', a new London club-night, at Proud in Camden on October 27th.

MADNESS have added two matinee shows to their forthcoming December dates. The lunchtime shows will take place in Southend on December 5th and Newcastle on December 12th. See GIGS for all the dates. The band will also headline Edinburgh's annual Hogmanany celebrations this year, bringing in the New Year live from an outdoor concert in the city centre.

BANANARAMA will appear on the bill of the forthcoming 'Rock With Laughter' Christmas show at London's Wembley Arena on December 22nd. The show will feature a bill of comedians and musicians and will also include performances from Jaspet Carrott, Sugababes, Lenny Henry, Peter Andre, Ed Byrne and Jo Brand among others.

NIK KERSHAW is planning an acoustic album which will feature a favourites from across his catalogue. Kershaw is currently recording studio versions of some of the songs from his recent live sets and may also include some new songs on the currently untitled album.

JANET JACKSON will release a hits collection entitled 'Number Ones' on November 17th. The 2-CD compilation will feature thirty-four tracks including a brand new song 'Make Me'.

BIG COUNTRY have released a live CD/DVD package featuring the band's concert at Glasgow's Barrowlands on New Year's Eve 1983. Both discs contain the concert while the DVD contains a number of extras including a live show shot in New York City in 1982. See NEWS for the full tracklisting.

NEW ORDER are considering releasing a reissue of their hit 'World In Motion' next year to coincide with England's bid for success in the 2010 World Cup.

KYLIE MINOGUE is said to be planning a residency in Las Vegas following the success of her current US tour dates, her first North American tour.

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS have postponed their planned UK dates in London, Glasgow and Manchester which were scheduled to take place in November. The shows are to be rescheduled but refunds are available... as a consequence my planned interview with the band has also been postponed!

SHALAMAR's JEFFREY DANIEL will be in the UK in November to hold a series of dance masterclasses across the country. Daniel, in addition to his work with Shalamar, is best known for choreographing MICHAEL JACKSON's 'Bad' and 'Smooth Criminal' videos and for teaching Jackson the moonwalk. See GIGS for details of the dance classes.

THE THOMPSON TWINS will release a five-album boxset entitled 'Box' on October 26th. The release will contain all the band's recently reissued and expanded albums across four 2-CD sets and features the original albums 'A Product Of...', 'Set', 'Quick Step & Side Kick', 'Into the Gap' and 'Here's to Future Days' alongside 71 bonus tracks including b-sides and remixes.

HUGH CORNWELL has lined up a short UK run of shows as part of his current tour. The shows will see Cornwell perform both his critically acclaimed solo album 'Hooverdam' and THE STRANGLERS' classic 'Rattus Norvegicus IV' album in their entirety. See GIGS for all the dates.

KRAFTWERK are currently working on a new album which they hope to release in 2010, meanwhile the band reissue digitally remastered editions of their classic albums this week with an 8-CD boxset '12345678' scheduled for release on November 16th.

SHEENA EASTON will see her series of album reissues continue on October 19th with the release of a new edition of her 'Take My Time' album which has been expanded to include four bonus tracks. See NEWS for the full tracklisting.

CYNDI LAUPER will feature on 'Here Lies Love' the new album project from Fatboy Slim and David Byrne based on the life of Imelda Marcos. Other artists involved include Tori Amos, Martha Wainwright and Santigold. The album is tentatively sceduled for release before the middle of next year.

THE ENGLISH BEAT have added more shows to their current US dates and have announced a run of shows through November and into December. See GIGS for all the dates.

JOHNNY HATES JAZZ have reunited with original singer CLARK DATCHLER and are working on new material together with a view to announcing live shows around the world in 2010.