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”.
Chris and Neil are working on ‘The Night I Fell in Love’ when they learn of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. They halt recording and, like much of the rest of the world, watch the ensuing news unfold on television.
The Boys perform in Orlando—their third Florida show in a row.
They arrive in Miami to begin the North American leg of their Electric Tour with a concert the following evening.
Neil attends Rufus Wainwright’s concert this evening with the Britten Sinfonia at the BBC Proms in London. Rufus dedicates his performance of the song ‘Poses’ to Neil, thanking Neil for ‘believing’ in him.
Neil and Chris appear as guests on Zoe Ball’s BBC Radio 2 show, during which they not only debut their new single—‘Dreamland,’ their long-awaited collaboration with Years & Years—but also confirm that their new studio album (on which it will appear) is scheduled for release on January 24, 2020, and that they will begin their ‘Dreamworld – The Greatest Hits Live’ tour the following May with a string of arena concerts in the U.K. Afterward they rehearse with their backing band for their upcoming Hyde Park concert.