On February 28 the Pet Shop Boys begin a short, four-concert Russian tour, visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg, inspired by their visit to St. Petersburg to see Brian Eno the previous summer. In Moscow they perform twice in one night, once in a large arena then later in the middle of an over-crowded nightclub. The local media ask them whether they speak Russian, “We’re very good at saying ‘nyet’,” they explain.
On April 13, Twentieth Century Blues: The Songs of Noel Coward is released. It is an album of Noel Coward songs covered by contemporary musicians, co-compiled by Neil, who has been working on it for the past eighteen months. He has loved Noel Coward’s music since he first heard it in about 1970. “I think as a songwriter he’s slightly underrated,” Neil says, “simply because his plays are so famous, and people forget.” The Pet Shop Boys do a version of “Sail Away”, and amongst the other interpreters are Elton John, Paul McCartney, Suede, Robbie Williams and the Divine Comedy. “We tried to choose artists,” Neil explains, “who somehow seem to be in the Noel Coward tradition of wit, theatrically and style.” To promote the album, Neil appeared along on TFI Friday where he sang along with a busker playing Pet Shop Boys songs on an acoustic guitar.
At the request of their former American record company, the Pet Shop Boys agreed to the release of ‘Essential Pet Shop Boys’, a compilation of early Pet Shop Boys songs recorded between 1985 — 1990, including a number of rare remixes, as part of a series of limited edition CDs by other artists.
At the behest of director Gus Van Sant, the Pet Shop Boys wrote a new song, with Tom Stephan, at extremely short notice for the soundtrack of Van Sant’s remake of ‘Psycho’. It is called “Screaming”. “It’s about an obsessive fan, written from the obsessive fan’s point of view,” Neil says. “Or actually just by someone obsessed with someone who doesn’t love them.”
The Boys set up their own management office, ending their professional relationship with Tom Watkins.
BPI awards a U.K. platinum album to Behaviour.
BPI awards a U.K. platinum album to Discography.
They begin the Australian leg of their DiscoVery tour.
They perform on the U.K. TV show TFI Friday.
BBC Radio 2 airs the second half of its interview/popumentary Pet Shop Boys, Really.
The Pet Shop Boys perform at the Arizona State Fair.
Neil and Chris perform a brief set at a War Child benefit concert at Brixton Academy. They had been specifically invited to perform by Tim Rice-Oxley of the band Keane.
Ultimate, the Pet Shop Boys’ third hits collection, is released today in the U.K. and various other countries (although it had been released in several countries a few days earlier).
At Metropolis Studios in London, Neil goes through tapes in preparation for the re-mastering of tracks for their upcoming b‑sides collection Format.
The Boys perform at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas.
Neil’s book One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem is published in the U.K. today. Also, an online auction of ‘celebrity shoes’ begins today to benefit the charity Small Steps Project. Neil has donated a pair that he wore during a 2016 appearance by the Pet Shop Boys on The Graham Norton Show, during which they performed ‘The Pop Kids.’