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 appear in Yokohama, Japan, as part of the Japanese leg of their Performance world tour.
The Boys finish ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain.’ That evening—after first meeting and having dinner with him—they attend a Sondre Lerche concert at Naples’ Theatro Nuevo.
After an extended break, they launch the South American leg of their Fundamental Tour with a concert in Rio de Janeiro.
Chris and Neil are interviewed on Jonathan Ross’s BBC Radio 2 show.
The two-CD score of the Tennant/Lowe ballet The Most Incredible Thing is released today in the U.K.
Big announcements today on the official PSB website: that the Boys have left their longtime record label Parlophone and that their next album, titled Electric, would be released in June on Kobalt Label Services.
The Pet Shop Boys are among the artists who perform this evening with Trevor Horn’s band at a charity gala for disadvantaged youth at the Roundhouse in London.