ERASURE have announced the tracklisting of their forthcoming new album 'Nightbird'. Erasure will also release their new single 'Breathe' as a digital download on November 29th preceding the single's physical release on January 3rd next year. 'Breathe' is the first track to be taken from 'Nighbird' which will also be released in January.

TOYAH has been added to the bill of next year's 'Wasted Festival' which takes place in Morecombe from May 19th-22nd. Toyah will play a musical set as well as a spoken word performance and joins a bill that includes HAZEL O'CONNOR, THE DAMNED and THE STRANGLERS.

SIMPLY RED singer MICK HUCKNALL will be among performers at a United Nations concert in aid of Sudanese refugees on December 8th. The show will take place at London's Royal Albert Hall and will also feature THE PRETENDERS' singer CHRISSIE HYNDE. Hucknall has also lined up a very special performance at the Vatican on December 18th.

NEW ORDER will release their new studio album in February 2005, the album is still untitled, but one track is rumoured to called 'Sugarcane'.

CYNDI LAUPER will perform at the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo on December 11th. The event will honor the 2004 laureate, Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai.

BOY GEORGE will release an album 'Yum Yum' as The Twin, his current side project, in time for his forthcoming international DJ tour. The album will not be released via a record label but will be available at his shows and online only.

BILLY IDOL has changed the title of his forthcoming album from 'World Comin' Down' to 'Devil's Playground'. The album will be released in early 2005.

GEORGE MICHAEL is to be the subject of a new one-hour TV documentary that will be screened on BBC 1 on November 26th. The programme features Michael talking about the various stages of his career, including his time in WHAM! and also features contributions from a host of friends including BOY GEORGE, MARIAH CAREY and ELTON JOHN.

HUGH CORNWELL has announced a number of shows for 2005. The former STRANGLERS singer has also been forced to postpone some of the shows in his current tour until 2005 although the new dates are currently unknown.

DEPECHE MODE are starting to put plans in place to start work on a new album, their first since 'Exciter' in 2001. The band are said to be meeting up in the US in December with a view to starting the recording in January 2005 with producer Ben Hiller.

KYLIE MINOGUE will release a new single 'I Believe In You' - her collaboration with Scissor Sisters - on December 6th. The single will also feature a previously unreleased Kylie track 'B.P.M' alongside the single's video and remixes.