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.
In New York, Neil and Chris have a photo session with famed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. As they later observe, they were well aware at the time that he was ill with AIDS and ‘didn’t look terribly well.’
Dusty Springfield performs the PSB-penned ‘Nothing Has Been Proved’ on Top of the Pops.
The Boys continue work on ‘The Sodom and Gomorrah Show’ and then begin a new song, ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain.’
The Tennant-Lowe ballet The Most Incredible Thing had been scheduled to have its U.S. premiere this evening at the Knight Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina, performed by the Charlotte Ballet—the first of nine performances slated through March 18. But unfortunately this evening’s show (and that of the following afternoon) had to be canceled on account of what was described as ‘a critical mechanical failure.’ (Affected customers were offered replacement tickets for a subsequent performance.)