SOFT CELL singer MARC ALMOND will be one of the live guests on the New Year's Eve edition of the BBC TV music show 'Later With Jools Holland', alongside acts including Goldfrapp, Kaiser Chiefs and James Blunt.

GEORGE MICHAEL is considering touring in 2006. The former WHAM! frontman is currently in talks about the idea and it is expected that any shows will take place on the back of the release of two new songs which will be released as part of a compilation next year, the release of which will mark the end of the singers relationship with Sony.

MANHATTAN CLIQUE, the DJ/remix duo who collaborated with ERASURE singer Andy Bell's recent solo album and are in the process of issuing a series of B-52S remix EPs have announced that they will also be working on a project with ONETWO (featuring CLAUDIA BRUCKEN from Propaganda and PAUL HUMPHREYS from OMD).

THE CURE are among artists who have recorded JOHN LENNON songs to help Amnesty International. The download series, 'Make Some Noise', will be released next week and feature's The Cure's take on 'Love' alongside contributions from Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas and Snow Patrol.

CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT frontman BEN VOLPELIERE-PIERROT will preview some new material at a forthcoming appearance in Southampton on December 15th. The show - which will also feature a selction of Curiosity classics - will take place at Jumpin Jaks as part of the 'School Daze' night.

MICHAEL JACKSON will follow in Elvis' footsteps in 2006 with plans to re-release 20 singles from all stages of his solo career. The first single to be reissued will be 'Thriller' on January 23rd - and will come with a collector's box to store the set of singles - and the final re-release will be 'Blood On The Dancefloor' on May 29th.

WHAM! are reunited in 'A Different Story', a new documentary film charting the highs and lows of GEORGE MICHAEL's career. George Michael's Wham! partner ANDREW RIDGELEY agreed to talk about the duo's expereriences as Wham! on camera for the first time since the eighties with Michael saying "I am so thrilled he agreed to take part. He is all over the movie. He is such a big part of my life."