NEWS DIGEST: Monday, May 12

11:26 AM GMT 12/05/2008

Gang of Four have been halved, following the departure of bassist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. Allen plans to spend more time focusing on his blog, pampelmoose.com, whilst Burnham is beginning work on a doctorate. The remnants of the band will still be playing several gigs over the summer, including an appearance at the Meltdown Festival in London.

Audiophile Neil Young fans rejoice! The country-rock legend plans to release his long-awaited 10-disc Archives box set on the new, high-resolution Blu-ray format this autumn. The extra memory of the discs will apparently ensure higher-quality audio and a host of extras. These will include photos, video footage, handwritten manuscripts and a clutch of unreleased tracks. This volume, the first of a planned series of Archives releases, will cover Young’s career from 1963 to 1972.

On a less technological note, Young has inspired a biologist in Alabama to name a new species of spider after him. The Neil Young spider is part of the trapdoor group, and was apparently distinguished from other species based on differences in genitalia. Now you know.

The first exhibit showcasing Bob Dylan’s drawings is coming to London this summer. The exhibit opens on June 14 at the Halcyon Gallery in Mayfair. The Drawn Blank Series will include Dylan’s sketches made whilst on the road between 1989 and 1992. For more information, visit www.halcyongallery.com

Queen have added new dates to their autumn UK tour after tickets sold out within a matter of hours. Fans will have another chance to buy tickets for the following new dates:

Sunday, October 19 – Sheffield Arena
Tuesday, November 4 – Newcastle Arena
Wednesday, November 5 – Manchester Arena
Friday, November 7 – London O2 Arena

The tour, kicking off in Nottingham on October 10, will coincide with the band’s first studio album in 13 years. Tickets for the extra dates are scheduled to go on sale on May 17.

And finally...Happy Birthday Ian Dury! The new wave legend would have been 66 today. Here he is with The Blockheads in 1977.