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.
Produced by Bobby ‘O’ Orlando, the Flirts’ ‘Passion’—which ends up having a major influence on PSB—is released.
Chris and Neil record ‘That’s My Impression’ at Aosis Studios in London.
The Boys perform the first of two concerts in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Kylie Minogue records her vocals for ‘In Denial.’
To help celebrate 30 years of the BRIT Awards, Mastercard sponsors a competition for a member of the British public to win a live performance by an award-winner in the living room of his or her own home. The winner, Lorraine Sands of Twickenham, is surprised when the Pet Shop Boys appear today at her doorstep. They then recreate a portion of their recent Pandemonium Tour show in her living room, complete with backup singers and dancers. They perform four songs: ‘Suburbia,’ ‘All Over the World,’ ‘It’s a Sin,’ and ‘West End Girls.’ Afterward Neil describes the experience as ‘surreal but very good fun.’
While visiting Berlin, Chris and Neil write a new song called ‘Multi-Kulti,’ inspired by German chancellor Angela Merkel. (This song, still unreleased, is later retitled ‘About Time.’)
Neil re-records the vocal for ‘Leaving.’
A rumor begins to spread online that Neil has written a soon-to-be-published autobiography titled Petipedia that, among other things, describes something of a feud between David Bowie and Elton John. The story about the autobiography is almost immediately refuted by a source within the PSB organization.