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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

1988

The Pet Shop Boys are at #1 on the U.K. singles chart for the fourth straight week with ‘Always on My Mind.’

1989

BPI awards U.K. double-platinum status to Introspective.

2000

‘You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You’re Drunk’ debuts on the U.K. singles chart at #8.

2008

Neil attends ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ at London’s Battersea Arts Centre, which he describes the next day on the official PSB website as ‘Extraordinary.… Very gothic.’ Like everyone else, he attends wearing a mask. In his case, it’s an especially appropriate one given the ‘Red Death’ theme: one of the ‘plague doctor’ masks that he and Chris wore on the cover of their ‘Numb’ single.

2009

For the second time in as many days, the Boys announce on their official website the completion of a bonus track for their upcoming single ‘Love etc.’ The title of this second bonus track is ‘Gin and Jag.’

2014

Today the lineup of artists performing at this year’s Coachella Music Festival (in April 2014) is announced. For the first time ever at Coachella, the Pet Shop Boys are listed among the artists scheduled to appear.

2015

Although members had been informed of the fact several weeks earlier by club administration, the Pet Shop Boys formally announce today on their official website that they have closed their official fan club and that henceforth their publication Literally will be published on an annual basis and available for purchase. Meanwhile, while working on new tracks in London, they begin the first of several successive days of work on a song titled ‘Clean Air Hybrid.’