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 Stuttgart, Germany.
They perform at the Dekalb Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
They discuss album artwork for Elysium with Mark Farrow and Gary Stillwell.
The second date of the Electric Tour ‘proper,’ with the Boys’ concert at Luna Park in Buenos Aires.
They continue working with Frances Barber on her vocals for Musik. Today she provides new vocals for the older songs ‘Friendly Fire’ and ‘Run, Girl, Run,’ and also re-records her vocal for ‘Ich bin Musik.’
The Boys arrive in Brussels for their Dreamworld Tour show the following evening. Unfortunately, their luggage gets stuck on the carousel at the airport, temporarily blocking the other passengers’ bags.
Neil and Chris visit Manchester’s John Rylands Library to see the ‘Secret Public’ exhibition, which focuses on the influence of LGBTQ artists and activists on popular culture. Included are Neil’s original lyric manuscripts for ‘West End Girls’ and ‘It’s a Sin.’