On August 19th, Neil and Chris meet by chance in an electronics shop on the Kings Road. Realizing they have a common interest in dance music, they begin to write together. Initially they call themselves West End; later they come up with the name Pet Shop Boys, a name derived from some friends who work in a pet shop in Ealing. “We thought it sounded like an English rap group”.
Please debuts on the U.S. album chart, beginning a 31-week run during which it goes platinum and peaks at #7.
Chris and Neil begin writing a new song titled ‘After the Event.’
After having spent about three weeks in Berlin working on new music, they fly back to London to begin working with Stuart Price in preparation for their upcoming tour with Take That.
Still traveling in their Winnebago, Neil and Chris journey across the Sonoran Desert from Phoenix back to Indio, California, for their second appearance (which takes place this evening) at this year’s Coachella Music Festival. On this same day, a special vinyl single of ‘Fluorescent,’ featuring two newly recorded mixes of the song, goes on sale exclusively at select U.K. independent record shops for ‘Record Store Day.’
Rehearsals begin in London for the pandemic-delayed Dreamworld Greatest Hits Tour.