Further evidence that Robert Smith may be revving up for an active 2011: The son of bassist Simon Gallup posted on Facebook that he was in the studio with The Cure last week, news that lit up fan sites and forums over the weekend.

Billed as its ‘only European show of 2011,’ organizers of the U.K.’s Bestival this morning announced The Cure will headline one of the festival’s four nights next September alongside Crystal Castles, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, DJ Shadow and Primal Scream performing its 1991 album ‘Screamadelica.’

A set of lyrics to ‘Disintegration’ opening track ‘Plainsong’ — handwritten and autographed by Robert Smith earlier this year — will be included in the ‘Art of the Song’ auction on Dec. 15, a fundraiser for the U.K.’s Teenage Cancer Trust.

‘Entreat Plus’ — the 12-track, remixed version of The Cure’s 1990 live album that was included on CD and digital versions of the expanded ‘Disintegration’ set earlier this year — will be released as a 2LP vinyl set on Jan. 11 by Elektra Records.

Today is the 53rd birthday of Porl Thompson of The Cure, and to mark the occasion, we present what’s arguably his signature guitar solo, the freak-out at the end of ‘Wish’ standout and concert favorite ‘From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea,’ shown here in the version included on the 1993 concert film ‘Show.’

Former Siouxsie and the Banshees bassist Steven Severin says he and Robert Smith have discussed recording a second album as The Glove — the duo’s short-lived early-’80s side project — and that The Cure’s frontman tells him, ‘It’s just a matter of time.’

Download a free MP3 of ‘Not In Love,’ Crystal Castles’ new version of its cover of ’80s New Wave act Platinum Blonde’s 1984 single, now featuring lead vocals by The Cure’s Robert Smith.

Much-buzzed digi-punk duo Crystal Castles has tapped Robert Smith of The Cure to sing new vocals on ‘Not In Love,’ a cut off the band’s second self-titled album that will be released as a single Dec. 6.

Beginning Monday, fans of The Cure will be able to bid on a double-vinyl edition of the new ‘Disintegration’ reissue signed by Robert Smith that’s being auctioned off to help raise money for the West Memphis 3 legal defense fund.

On Oct. 6, 1990, The Cure made a second attempt at a pirate-radio broadcast in London to promote its upcoming ‘Mixed Up’ remix album; this one went off successfully, and we’ve got edited audio from that night of the band being interviewed and spinning records.

Twenty years ago tonight, Robert Smith and the rest of The Cure — aided by a pair of American DJs and shadowed by MTV and the music press — set up a pirate radio station at the headquarters of Fiction Records with plans to illicitly premiere their soon-to-released remix album ‘Mixed Up’ over the London airwaves.

There’s been no official word since last fall’s announcement by Robert Smith of plans for a series of archival releases, but this week ex-keyboardist Lol Tolhurst revealed that Smith is at work on a reissue of ‘Mixed Up,’ a BBC box set and a DVD release of ‘The Cure in Orange.’

Twenty-two years ago, Robert Smith sat for a half-hour BBC2 documentary about The Cure that aired Aug. 8, 1988, as one of 10 installments of the series ‘That Was Then… This Is Now.’