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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.

History

On this day

1992

The Pet Shop Boys perform at the Haçienda nightclub in Manchester both to commemorate the club’s tenth anniversary and to promote an exhibition of Derek Jarman’s paintings at the city art gallery. Included in the setlist is their first-ever concert performance of ‘Go West.’ The next day Jarman writes in his diary that ‘Neil was dressed in a grey Madame Mao outfit and Chris had a floppy grandad hat.’

2007

They perform at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, Germany.

2013

Although there had been a ‘preliminary’ date nearly two months before in Veracruz, Mexico, the ‘Electric Tour proper’ (with a full setlist) begins with the concert this evening in Santiago, Chile.

2015

Chris and Neil begin writing a song that evolves into ‘Happiness.’

2016

Neil attends the performance this evening of composer Mark Simpson’s new opera Pleasure at London’s Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. Writing about it afterward on the official PSB website, Neil describes it as ‘original and absorbing.’

2019

Chris is in the studio with Pete Gleadall, transposing the keys of songs the Boys have composed for Musik.