KATE BUSH will release a new album on May 16th. Entitled 'Director's Cut' the release will feature a revisiting of songs from the Kate Bush albums 'The Red Shoes' and 'The Sensual World' and will be preceded by a new version of 'Deeper Understanding' which will be released as a single in April.

MORRISSEY has announced UK dates for June. Tickets for the nine date tour will go onsale on March 14th, see GIGS for all the dates.

A-HA will release a live CD/DVD commemorating the band's last ever show in Oslo last year. The release, 'The Final Concert', will be available as Bluray, DVD, CD and a deluxe 2-CD/DVD edition. The release will come out in Norway and Germany on April 1st with other regional release information to follow. See NEWS for the full album tracklisting.

DEPECHE MODE frontman DAVE GAHAN is to receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award at this year's MusiCares MAP concert on May 6th in recognition of his support for the charity. JANE'S ADDICTION will be among the performers at the show alongside Paramore, Ozomatli and others.

BRYAN FERRY will play a huge outdoor show at Dortmund's Westfalenhallen in Germany on August 1st.

CYNDI LAUPER has announced a rare London date at Hammersmith's HMV Apollo on June 30th.

GEORGE MICHAEL has recorded a version of the NEW ORDER hit 'True Faith' to benefit Comic Relief. The single will be released digitally on March 14th and as a CD on March 15th with both formats featuring an instrumental version of the song as a b-side. Both George Michael and New Order are donating the proceeds from the song to Comic Relief.

NIK KERSHAW has just seen a live DVD of a German concert from 1984 released. The release 'Nik Kershaw - Live in Germany 1984' is available now.

BLONDIE, ABC and THE SELECTER are among the first acts to be announced for this year's Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle in Dorset which takes place between July 29th and 31st. More acts are expected to be announced shortly.

DURAN DURAN will release the physical version of their new album 'All You Need Is Now' on March 21st, three months after the release of the nine-track download version of the record. The physical edition will include a further five tracks, and format information is expected soon.

NIK KERSHAW has announced two shows in Norway in June, his first shows in the country for over twenty-five years. See GIGS for the dates.

PETER HOOK will play three special shows of JOY DIVISION material in April and May as well as releasing a four-song EP of Joy Division tracks entitled '1102/2011' on May 2. Hook will play 'Unknown Pleasures' in its entirety on April 23rd at London's Scala and on April 30th at Edinburgh's Liquid Rooms, and then 'Closer' at manchester's The Factory on May 18th. The '1102/2011' release will feature covers of Joy Division tracks 'New Dawn Fades', 'Insight' and 'Atmosphere', plus a version of 'Pictures In My Mind', an unreleased song from the band that dates back to 1977.

MORRISSEY will headline Kent's Hop Farm Festival on July 2nd, on a weekend bill that will also include performances from BRYAN FERRY and GANG OF FOUR among many others. Morrissey will also release a new solo compilation 'The Very Best Of Morrissey' on April 25th featuring an 18-track CD and a 12-track DVD, preceded by the re-release of his 1992 single 'Glamorous Glue' featuring two previously unheard 'Viva Hate' era tracks, 'Safe, Warm Lancashire Home' and 'Treat Me Like A Human Being', as b-sides on April 18th. See NEWS for the full album tracklisting.

MADNESS have announced a special weekend to take place at Butlins' Minehead resort over the weekend of 25th November. The weekend will feature a full Madness show on the Saturday night as part of a weekend of 'performances, acts and entertainment'!

SHAKESPEARS SISTER will release a cover of BANANARAMA's first hit 'Really Saying Something' as their next single. The version will mark the 30th anniversary of the song. The song is a live version performed on Shakespears Sister's 2010 tour and taken from the band's forthcoming live album. The single will be available as a download as well as a limited edition CD.

TOYAH, RICK ASTLEY, T'PAU, CUTTING CREW, HAZEL O'CONNOR, KATRINA, JIMMY SOMERVILLE and NIK KERSHAW are all on the bill for Mencap's next 'Our Friends Acoustic' event which will take place on May 12th at London's Clapham Grand.

GARY NUMAN has provided vocals on 'My Machines', a track from Battles upcoming second album 'Gloss Drop' which is scheduled for release on June 6th.

KAJAGOOGOO's most recent studio album 'Gone To The Moon' has finally been made available via iTunes through other online digital download outlets worldwide, alongside solo releases Stick Insect' and 'The Maverick Helmsman' from the band's NICK BEGGS, and the Smalltown Elephants album 'R.I.P 1986 - 1988' featuring Kajagoogoo's STEVE ASKEW.

SHAKATAK have announced two shows at London's Jazz Club Soho, Pizza Express in May during which they will be previewing tracks from their new album 'Across The World' which is due for a late-spring release. The band will then head to Japan for shows at Tokyo and Osaka's Billboard clubs.

A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS will see their albums 'A Flock Of Seagulls' and 'Dream Come True' reissued on March 21st in expanded CD editions. The band's debut album, 'A Flock Of Seagulls', was originally released as an eleven-track album in 1982 and the new edition includes a further four bonus tracks, while 1986's 'Dream Come True', the band's fourth album, features the original release's nine tracks plus five bonus cuts. See NEWS for the full album tracklisting of each album.

Thanks to: www.remembertheeighties.com