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.”
On assignment for Smash Hits, a pre-stardom Neil Tennant spends much of the day with Depeche Mode and their entourage before attending their concert this evening in Leicester, U.K.
The Boys perform in San Diego, California. Also, the issue with this date of the California gay magazine Frontiers features an interview with Neil.
In town for their concert the following evening, Neil and Chris visit the Denver Art Museum.
The Pet Shop Boys are informed that they will be recognized for Outstanding Contribution to Music at the next BRITS Awards.
On sale today: the latest issue of the U.K. political/cultural magazine The Spectator, to which Neil contributes this week’s ‘Diary’ feature. This same day, he and Chris are in the studio working on tracks for an upcoming special holiday release.
A busy day for the Boys. They sign 500 prints set to go to fans who have bought their new collection Ultimate from their website. Then they meet with designer Katrina Lindsay and choreographer Javier De Frutos about their upcoming ballet The Most Incredible Thing, during which they see a model of the set and hear production ideas.
Enjoying a day off during their brief visit to Mexico City, Chris and Neil travel roughly 30 miles northeast to the ruins of the ancient Aztec city of Teotihuacan. They make particular note of the famed Pyramid of the Sun, posting a picture that one of them took of it on their official website.
The Boys perform at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Neil spends time signing pre-ordered copies of his new book One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem.