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.
Tina Turner’s album Wildest Dreams is released, featuring the song ‘Confidential’ written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys.
2008: Neil attends the filming of the video for their latest collaboration with Sam Taylor-Wood: her cover version of ‘I’m in Love with a German Film Star.’
Billboard magazine declares ‘Love etc.’ to be the #2 best-selling single in the United States. But because of an almost total lack of radio airplay, it doesn’t appear at all on the more popular and prestigious ‘Hot 100’ singles chart.
The Pet Shop Boys perform a special concert this evening at London’s Royal Albert Hall, together with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and special guest Johnny Marr, to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust. Support vocalists include Sylvia Mason-James and Sally Bradshaw.
They conclude their brief mini-tour of East Asia this evening with a concert in Osaka, Japan.