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”.
The Pet Shop Boys perform in Belfast.
They record in two studios today: ‘It Always Comes as a Surprise’ at Sarm West and ‘The Survivors’ at Angel Studios.
The Release Tour comes to Barcelona.
Neil presents the BP Portrait Award to painter Dean Marsh at the UK’s National Portrait Gallery.
The Boys perform at the Rockhal in Luxembourg.
As reported on their official website, while traveling on tour from Manchester to Cardiff, Chris and Neil stop for lunch by the river Severn in Worcester.
Their equipment now ‘un-muted,’ Chris and Neil work on but then scrap a disco version of ‘I Started a Joke.’ They then write the music for a new song, ‘In His Imagination.’
In Barcelona for their upcoming appearance at the Sónar Festival, the Boys help kick off the festival by performing a special abbreviated version of their current Electric Tour show exclusively for competition winners and invited guests.
The Electric Tour comes to the LG Arena in Birmingham, U.K.
Although it is almost canceled on account of stormy weather, the Pet Shop Boys’ Dreamworld Tour show in Rome proceeds as planned. Later on their website they describe it as ‘so much fun.’