Arctic Monkeys are to give their second album an airing with a special 11-date Spring tour. And, to ensure that fans get a fair crack at buying tickets, there will be a lottery for subscribers to the band's official mailing list. "The opportunity to buy tickets will then be determined through a ballot allowing everyone to have the best and equal chance to get tickets for the upcoming tour," says a post on their official web site. "We are trying hard to fight against touting and therefore invite you to take part in a fair ballot to get tickets for this tour. The mailing list will close at 19.00 on Wednesday the 14th of March. You will then all be mailed and asked to register for one venue and date only including your age and postal address.

"All successful applicants will be selected completely randomly by computer. You will be told on Friday afternoon by email if you have been successful and given a unique PIN to use on the Arctic Monkeys web site, to order your tickets."

The tour dates are as follows:

Monday 9 April Guildhall, Southampton
Tuesday 10 April University Great Hall, Exeter
Thursday 12 April Astoria, London
Friday 13 April Astoria, London
Saturday 14 April Academy, Liverpool
Monday 16 April Academy, Newcastle
Tuesday 17 April Caird Hall, Dundee
Wednesday 18 April Barrowlands, Glasgow
Friday 20 April Academy, Birmingham
Saturday 21 April The Leadmill, Sheffield
Sunday 22 April The Leadmill, Sheffield

For full details of how to buy tickets, see www.arcticmonkeys.com

The new single Brianstorm arrives on 16 April and will be the first track to be taken from the highly anticpated second album Favourite Worst Nightmare, which follows on 23 April.