Too Rye Yay! Dexy's Midnight Runners Reform!

"We WILL be playing the hits," they can assure us.

It's been a whole 17 years and the image of Kevin Rowland in a dress is probably still fresh in some people's minds, but lo-and-behold here we go, go, go.

There is set to be a UK theatre tour from October to November, which includes a London show at the Royal Festival Hall on Nov 10th.

The band, famous for reinventing and restyling their image AND music over three albums, will have yet another new look created by Rowland and Soho tailor Mark Powell.

As for the lineup, joining main-man Rowland is original member Pete Williams, with Lucy Morgan on violin. Other band members (and tour dates) are to be announced.

Rowland has warned "don't expect a revival, because you will be disappointed. We intend to bring a theatrical edge to the whole show... we will be doing at least a couple of new songs and we will be putting a new perspective on the whole thing. A lot of the album tracks will be re-appraised to make them relevant to us, and, I believe, the audience, now."

You can also expect a new greatest hits package in September, which will include two new songs - 'Manhood' and 'My Life In England (Part One)' - both scheduled for single releases.

Virgin books are also set to publish a biography on the band, entitled 'Let's Make This Precious'.

S'all good.