On April 22, the Pet Shop Boys musical Closer to Heaven is performed in London for the first time in fourteen years, in a sold-out month-long run at The Union Theatre. (It will return for a further five weeks beginning on October 21.). For this revival, at the Pet Shop Boys’ request, the musical’s original final number, “Positive role model”, is replaced by “Vocal”.
On August 15, the final date of the much-extended Electric tour – which began in March, 2013 – takes place at the Flow Festival in Helsinki. The tour has visited over forty countries.
On December 2, the Pet Shop Boys appear at MAMA – the Mnet Asian Music Awards – in Hong Kong. They are given the Worldwide Inspiration award and play a lengthy live medley, joined for their final two songs, “What have I done to deserve this?” and “Vocal”, by the K‑Pop artist f(x). At the organisers’ request, they wear the Electric tour straw jackets for, possibly, the final time.
The Pet Shop Boys perform ‘Being Boring’ on Top of the Pops.
They bring the Pandemonium Tour to Zagreb, Croatia.
The single ‘Together’ is released in the U.K. on CD and in various digital bundles. Meanwhile, the Boys’ appearance on The Alan Titchmarsh Show, videotaped a week earlier, airs today. In addition to being interviewed by the host, they perform both the new single and ‘What Have I Done to Deserve This?’
Chris and Neil are in Hong Kong in anticipation of their upcoming performance at the MNET Asian Music Awards show on December 2. This evening they attend a festival featuring New Order and Chic, which they describe the next day on their website as a ‘fantastic gig.’ They also meet the legendary Chic guitarist, songwriter, and producer Nile Rodgers.
As noted on their official website, Neil and Chris drive today from Tilburg, Netherlands (where they performed the night before) to Hamburg, Germany (where they are scheduled to perform the following night). For most of the route they take the famed Autobahn and, appropriately enough, listen along the way to the full 22:43 version of ‘Autobahn’ by Kraftwerk.
They bring their Dreamworld Tour show to Santiago, Chile.