It's been an incredible 25 years since Erasure's Andy Bell opened up his choirboy-like pipes on the debut single "Who Needs Love Like That", to give Mute the unprecedented proposition of two chart acts. The other was of course Depeche Mode (and still is), the same stable that released the frustrated Vince Clarke into the state-of-mind that is Erasure.

2011 heralds year 26 and a four-year hiatus as a sleeping giant coming to an end - now Bell and Clarke are back with a synth-pop vengeance with the announcement of a seven-date Forestry tour next Summer. First stop is Thetford Forest on 10th June, followed by Bedgebury Pinetum on the 11th, Sherwood Pines (17th), Westonbirt Arboretum (18th), Cannock (24th), Dalby (25th) and finally Delamere Forest (1st July). Tickets for the dates will go on sale this coming Friday at 9am, priced at £34.50 plus fees. Expect an in-depth coverage of their familiar hits - the tour is called "Total Pop!" after all.

Now, we're not ones to speculate but there are quite a few gaps between each Friday/Saturday appearance, which doesn't rule out a possible Festival slot. We'll keep you posted - meanwhile something far more important and worthwhile that's on the band's mind and that's the 'redux' version of their classic single "A Little Respect" (the HMI mix, no less). The song has been reissued in aid of the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a New York-based organization for social support for LGBTQ youth-members at risk (as well as all young people, regardless of orientation and gender) and is available now from usual digital-outlets.