After completing a degree in history at the Polytechnic of North London, Neil takes a job at Marvel Comics, anglicizing spellings and indicating where over-risque woman needed to be redrawn decently. While there he interviews comic fan Marc Bolan, who politely points out that his tape recorder wasn’t working. In 1977 he works at Macdonald Educational Publishing, later moving to ITV Books. In June 1982, he joins Smash Hits.
The Pet Shop Boys kick off their MCMLXXXIX Tour in Hong Kong.
The Boys perform at Finland’s Turku Festival.
This evening in London, Neil and Chris attend the English National Opera’s acclaimed premier production of the opera Two Boys by composer Nico Muhly and librettist Craig Lucas.
They bring their Electric Tour show to Stockholm.
The German leg of the Super Tour continues this evening with the Boys performing in Dresden.
Taped on June 23, the guest appearance of Neil, Jonathan Harvey, and Frances Barber airs on Graham Norton’s BBC Radio 2 show (the last one before his summer break) to talk about the Boys’ new cabaret stage show Musik, starring Ms. Barber. Later this same evening, attendees at The Killers’ headlining performance at the Glastonbury Festival receive a huge surprise when the Pet Shop Boys suddenly appear onstage as unannounced special guests to duet with the headliners on two songs: ‘Always on My Mind’ and The Killers’ own ‘Human.’
Having revised the lyrics, Neil re-records his vocal on ‘The Schlager Hit Parade.’
The Dreamworld Tour comes to Hannover, Germany.