Check out the new “Since 1984” merchandise items which have just been added to the official PSB store, including T‑shirts, a hoodie and a cap. All available now at the link below.
Latest News
Pet Shop Boys are happy to announce that they will return to Norway this summer for a “Dreamworld” show at Oslo’s Unity Arena on 20th August.
Pet Shop Boys are pleased to confirm that they will be headlining this year’s edition of Suset Festival in Esbjerg, Denmark on Saturday, 22nd August
Pet Shop Boys Volume, the complete visual record of PSB from 1984 to 2024, is published by Thames & Hudson today.
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Disco 5
Pet Shop Boys
On this day
1992
The Pet Shop Boys perform at the Haçienda nightclub in Manchester both to commemorate the club’s tenth anniversary and to promote an exhibition of Derek Jarman’s paintings at the city art gallery. Included in the setlist is their first-ever concert performance of ‘Go West.’ The next day Jarman writes in his diary that ‘Neil was dressed in a grey Madame Mao outfit and Chris had a floppy grandad hat.’
2007
They perform at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, Germany.
2013
Although there had been a ‘preliminary’ date nearly two months before in Veracruz, Mexico, the ‘Electric Tour proper’ (with a full setlist) begins with the concert this evening in Santiago, Chile.
2015
Chris and Neil begin writing a song that evolves into ‘Happiness.’
2016
Neil attends the performance this evening of composer Mark Simpson’s new opera Pleasure at London’s Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. Writing about it afterward on the official PSB website, Neil describes it as ‘original and absorbing.’
2019
Chris is in the studio with Pete Gleadall, transposing the keys of songs the Boys have composed for Musik.
- Facts collated by geowayne.com
News in this city
breaks without pity
Long after the war has ended
we’re still in fatigues
Up against it
The higher you fly
the further you fall
Up against it
wondering why
we fought after all
Such a cold winter
with scenes as slow as Pinter
Synchronise your watches
There’s still time to kill
Up against it
Drinking this swill
to sweeten the pill
Up against it
The more that it hurts
the less that it works
Wrapped in nostalgia
to queue for a show
Back to Trafalgar
One kiss then I’ll go
So deep in quicklime
the bones of an old crime
I knew a man who raked them over
He’s still suffering
…
Spotify
Pet Shop Boys’ most iconic hits, as well as some of their most loved single releases in one place.
Pet Texts
In the latest issue of “Annually”, there’s a history of PSB in 20 objects found in the basement of our studio. Here are three that didn’t make it! Ivor Novello Awards for International Hit of the Year in both 1986 (“West End girls”) and 1987 (“It’s a sin”) and for Outstanding Contribution to British Music (presented in 2000). The awards are presented every year to recognise excellence in songwriting.
Stormzy’s 2019 Glastonbury vest is just one item in the excellent new exhibition, “The Music is Black: A British Story”, at the V&A East museum which has just opened in Stratford, London. Definitely worth a visit! More information at the link below. Neil x
50 years ago today, I went with my friend Eric Watson to see a gig by a new rock group called the Sex Pistols at the Nashville pub in West Kensington. The Pistols were impressive — they reminded me a little of The Ramones whose first album I had heard — but then a member of the audience was beaten up by one of the group’s friends in a horrifying incident. Eric and I left the gig stunned and I wrote a letter to the NME about it. To my surprise, the NME printed my letter as a little news piece with a photo by Joe Stevens. Later in 1976, the Pistols achieved notoriety in a controversial TV interview. A series of brilliant and subversive singles and an album followed which resonate to this day. Neil x
Pet Shop Boys Volume has officially entered the Sunday Times bestseller list at number two. Earlier last week, the book went straight to number one in the UK Independent Bookshop Top 20. Thanks to everyone who has bought a copy of “Volume” so far. xx
