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.
Discography and Videography are released simultaneously.
Chris Heath’s book Pet Shop Boys vs. America is published.
The Boys perform in Sydney, Australia.
In Seattle for their Fundamental concert the following evening, Chris and Neil attend a showing of the film Borat at a local cinema. Neil subsequently describes it (on their official website) as ‘wickedly funny and highly recommended.’
Excerpts from the Warchild benefit concert three nights before, including one song by PSB (‘West End Girls,’ wouldn’t you know?), air on late-night U.K. television, carrying over into the wee hours of the following morning.
‘Thursday’ is released as a single in both physical and digital formats.
Neil appears this evening with the Boys’ chief graphic designer, Mark Farrow, at London’s University of the Arts for an onstage ‘conversation’ with the school’s Chair of Visual Communication, Scott King, including Q&A with members of the audience.
Neil and Chris are in Nashville, Tennessee for their first visit ever to ‘Music City, U.S.A.’ They present their Super Tour show there this evening at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Andrew Jackson Hall.
Working with a full band in Berlin’s Hansa Studios, the Boys record ‘I Don’t Wanna.’