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History

March 2011

On March 14 a double-CD of the music from the ballet The Most Incredible Thing is released under the name Tennant/Lowe. It contains the full performance score of the ballet with orchestrations by Sven Helbig.

2011 March

On March 17 the ballet The Most Incredible Thing has its first public performance at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. Its genesis can be traced back to a week in where, by chance, two initially unrelated events took place. Ivan Putrov, a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet whom the Pet Shop Boys had got to know through Sam Taylor-Wood, called Neil to ask whether they would write a piece for him to dance to. Two days later, before Neil had even had a chance to ask Chris, Chris called to say that he’d just read a story in a new translation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tales that he thought would make a great ballet: “The Most Incredible Thing”. This eventually led to the Sadler’s Wells production, choreographed by Javier de Frutos and starring Ivan Putrov, Clemmie Sveaas and Aaron Sillis. All ten performances sell out.

May 2011

On May 27 the Pet Shop Boys appear at the Sunderland Stadium of Light, joining Take That at their invitation as “special guests” on their first reunion concerts as a five-piece on what will be the biggest British tour ever – 29 British stadium shows – followed by a short European leg. “45 minutes of intensity,” says Chris.

December 2011

On December 31 the Pet Shop Boys appear at a New Year’s Eve concert on an island in Sydney Harbour.

History

On this day

1963

Future Smiths/Electronic guitarist and frequent PSB collaborator John Maher—better known as Johnny Marr—is born in Manchester, U.K.

1984

The Pet Shop Boys sign a five-year management contract with Tom Watkins of Massive Management.

1999

The Boys perform at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

2005

Neil and Chris write an unidentified song with Robbie Williams.

2010

Continuing the promotional activities related to the new PSB hits collection Ultimate, Neil is featured on Matt Everitt’s BBC6 radio show The First Time. The music programmed for the show includes not only several PSB numbers but also tracks by other artists that have influenced them or otherwise played a role in their history, including (among others) the Beatles’ ‘Fool on the Hill,’ the Incredible String Band’s ‘October Song,’ the Flirts’ ‘Passion,’ Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love,’ and, perhaps most surprisingly, Isao Tomita’s electronic rendition of Debussy’s ‘The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.’

2016

The Boys are in Austin, the capital city of Texas, in anticipation of their Super Tour show there the following night. The Pretenders also happen to be in town, so Chris and Neil attend their performance this evening (‘Brilliant concert,’ as Neil later enthuses on their website) and visit with Chrissie Hynde afterward.