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”.
Accompanied by Liza Minnelli, Neil attends the London premiere of the film Batman starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson.
Alternative and DiscoVery (Live in Rio) are released simultaneously.
Johnny Marr records guitar parts for ‘Birthday Boy’ and ‘You Choose.’
The Pet Shop Boys perform at Denmark’s Skanderborg Festival.
Chris and Neil fly to Singapore for their concert there the following evening.
Exactly one decade to the day since their previous appearance in Skanderborg, Denmark, the Boys perform there once again this evening.
A new Superchumbo remix of the classic Bronski Beat track ‘Why?’ with added spoken parts by Neil Tennant is released to digital/streaming services today.
A signed limited-edition 7‑inch vinyl single of ‘Hymn (In Memoriam Alexei Navalny)’ goes on sale today, its proceeds slated for Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation. With a printing of only 300 copies, it sells out almost immediately.