SPANDAU BALLET will play shows in Australia and New Zealand in April next year with TEARS FOR FEARS joining them as special guests. See GIGS for all the dates.

CAPTAIN SENSIBLE will join the HERE AND NOW roster on August 10th when he plays on a bill at Ascot Racecourse that will be headlined by BOY GEORGE and will also include BELINDA CARLISLE, MIDGE URE, THE CHRISTIANS, JOHNNY HATES JAZZ and CUTTING CREW.

BOY GEORGE has announced a special Christmas residency at London's Leicester Square Theatre in December. The run of eight solo acoustic shows will feature George's 'biggest hits from Culture Club, his solo career, new writing, and covers from his own music heroes...' See GIGS for all the dates.

MORRISSEY will appear on BBC Radio 4's 'Desert Island Discs' on November 29th.

JAKI GRAHAM is to publish an autobiography, entitled 'Heaven Knows', next year and is set to release a jazz album - a collaboration with PATRICE RUSHEN - around the same time.

LLOYD COLE AND THE COMMOTIONS will reunite for a one-off performance at Scotland's Tartan Clef Awards on November 27th. The show will take place at Glasgow's SECC and will also feature performances from The View, King Creosote and Mott the Hoople.

NIK KERSHAW, who is about to release a solo acoustic album featuring key tracks from his career, has announced a UK tour for February and March next year, see GIGS for all the dates.

GARY NUMAN is to record a special session for BBC Radio 6 in collaboration with Little Boots. The session will be recorded at the BBC's Maida vale Studios on December 7th. Numan's 'Pleasure Principle' show at Brighton's Dome this week has been reviewed, with photographs, in the REVIEWS section.

BRYAN FERRY will release a CD/DVD compilation 'The Best of Bryan Ferry' on November 23rd. The release will contain nineteen single and two bonus tracks on the CD and all Ferry's promo videos on the DVD alongside TV performances and bonus footage. See NEWS for the full album tracklisting.

PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED are to reissue their 'Metal Box' album on December 14th in two editions, a 3-CD set and a limited edition 4-CD set which features rarities, including radio sessions and remixes, on the extra disc.

KILLING JOKE will play two UK shows, in Edinburgh and London, in April 2010. See GIGS for details.

OMD will release a live DVD on December 7th featuring a show they recorded at Liverpool's Royal Philharmonic Hall in June. The show, recorded with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra featured the orchestral premiere of The Energy Suite followed by a selection of classic OMD songs with orchestral backing.

SIMPLE MINDS will release each concert on the current 'Graffiti Soul' European tour, including the forthcoming UK dates, on special USB sticks which will be available directly after each show in special presentation boxes. Each show will also be available for download after the performance and both formats are to be made available via Concert Online. See GIGS for upcoming tour dates.

DEPECHE MODE will release 'Fragile Tension' and 'Hole To Feed' as a double a-side single on December 7th in the UK. The band will also be celebrated at a special Christmas clubnight 'Music For The Christmasses' at the London Stone on December 19th. The night will be hosted by the team behind London's 'Electric Dreams' and 'Ashes To Ashes' clubnight who will be holding their next 'Electric Dreams' night at Camden's Purple Turtle on December 11th and their 'Ashes To Ashes' New Romantic night at The London Stone on November 28th and New Year's Eve.