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History

August 1983

Neil is sent to New York by Smash Hits to interview The Police. By this time the Pet Shop Boys are obsessed by a stream of hi energy records made by New York producer Bobby Orlando, known as Bobby O’. “I thought well, if I’ve got to go and see The Police play then I’m also going to have lunch with Bobby O’ ”. Neil and Bobby O share a cheeseburger and carrot cake at a restaurant called The Apple Jack on August 19th (two years to the day since Neil and Chris met) and Bobby O’, flatered by Neil’s compliments, suggests making a record with the Pet Shop Boys.

On this day

1993

The Pet Shop Boys perform ‘Can You Forgive Her?’ on Top of the Pops. Wearing the same costumes and employing some of the props used in the song’s video, they turn in one of the most surreal performances ever to grace the TOTP stage.

1996

Chris and Neil settle on the final running order of the songs on Bilingual—though they later conclude (too late) that they should have stuck with a previous order.

2009

The Boys kick off their Pandemonium Tour with a performance this evening in St. Petersburg, Russia.

2011

Still in Manchester for their string of shows with Take That, Neil and Chris take some time today to tour the set of the popular British soap opera Coronation Street.

2017

Kicking off the Summer 2017 leg of their Super Tour, and capping off the city’s week of Gay Pride festivities, the Pet Shop Boys perform this evening in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park.

2019

They resume work on the track ‘Beautiful Laundrette’ and begin ‘Night Sings (Popa’s Theme).’

2020

Chris composes music for a new song that will soon become ‘Dancing Star.’

2022

This evening they perform at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany. Earlier in the day at their hotel, just after lunch, Neil runs into Till Lindemann, the lead singer of Rammstein, who are also performing in Stuttgart that evening. ‘We had quite a chat,’ Neil later says.