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 at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
During the day, Neil and Chris manage to get in a visit to the Chicago Art Institute. That evening they perform at The Chicago Theatre.
The Boys are in Dublin, where this evening they perform at the Irish Museum of Modern Art as part of the Some Days Never End multimedia festival.
They perform a short set this evening at the various-artists ‘Concierto Exa 2012’ in Mexico City.
The PSB version of ‘Always on My Mind’ comes out on top in a BBC poll of the all-time best cover versions of other artists’ songs. At the time when the poll results are announced, Neil is being interviewed on Simon Mayo’s BBC Radio 2 show.
The second run of the revival of Closer to Heaven opens this evening at London’s Union Theatre. Both Chris and Neil are in attendance.
The Pet Shop Boys perform the first of two Super Tour shows in Oakland, California.