Pet Texts

We are very sad to hear that Alan Yentob has died. Alan was a legend in British TV, responsible for some of the BBC’s finest programmes including the documentary series, “Arena” and “Imagine”. We were lucky enough to be the subject of one of his “Imagine” documentaries broadcast last year. He was a stimulating person to spend time with and a great supporter of all artistic endeavours. We send our sincere condolences to his wife, children, friends and colleagues. Neil and Chris x

We visited the John Rylands Library in Manchester yesterday and saw the fascinating “Secret Public” exhibition which examines “the profound influence of LGBTQ performers, artists and activists on mainstream pop culture” and includes Neil’s original manuscripts of the lyrics for “West End girls” and “It’s a sin”. Highly recommended. Full details at the link below.

To accompany the release of Mark Springer’s “Sleep of Reason” album, which features Neil on vocals, a video for the opening track, “Phantoms and Monsters”, has been created by John Maybury and Daniel Goddard with footage from their forthcoming film “Confessions of a Pin Eye Zombie”. Link below.

Tickets for Pet Shop Boys’ “Dreamworld” show at the Royal Sandringham Estate on 14^th August are now on sale at the link below.

I loved performing three songs at last night’s London Soundtrack Festival concert at the Roundhouse in London with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra arranged and conducted by Anne Dudley. In this photo Jake Shears and I are duetting on “Rent”. I also sang “Nothing has been proved” and “Everybody’s Talkin’” (from “Midnight Cowboy”). A great experience. Neil x
Photo: Julie Edwards

“Phantoms and Monsters”, composed by Mark Springer, with Neil Tennant on vocals and the Sacconi Quartet on strings is out now digitally at the link below.

This quintet piece is the opening track of Mark Springer’s forthcoming new album, “Sleep of Reason”, which will be released along with a solo piano piece and a quartet piece on 25^th April 2025.

Neil discusses Pet Shop Boys’ relationship with Russia in an interview with the independent Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, now also published in The Guardian. Links below. 

I just met the composer Mark Springer to get some CDs of his beautiful work, “Sleep of Reason”, the first part of which I sing on. It’s always exciting to get finished copies of a new record and this looks very handsome! It’s released on April 25^th. Neil x

Pet Shop Boys have remixed a song by Primal Scream, “Innocent Money”, and you can hear it now at the You Tube link below and on streaming services. More information at the NME link below. 

Pet Shop Boys are among more than 1,000 musicians who have come together to release “Is This What We Want?”, an album protesting the UK government’s proposed changes to copyright law, which would allow artificial intelligence companies to build their products using other people’s copyrighted work — music, artworks, text, and more — without a licence.

The album consists of recordings of empty studios and performance spaces and can be heard at the link below. All profits are being donated to the charity Help Musicians.

Just over a year ago the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, died in prison in Russia. We wrote and demoed this song in the last few days and dedicate it to his memory and his cause. Neil and Chris x

UK and Europe summer 2025 dates will be announced soon.

The London Soundtrack Festival have revealed further details of their “Great Movie Songs with Anne Dudley & Friends” concert in which Neil will appear as a guest vocalist with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on March 25^th at The Roundhouse in London.

Neil will appear as a solo guest vocalist for “Everybody’s Talkin’” (from the film “Midnight Cowboy”) and “Nothing Has Been Proved” (from the film “Scandal”) and, following their 2024 Radio 2 Piano Room duet, Neil and Jake Shears will again perform “Rent” by PSB (a karaoke version of the song recently appeared in the film “Saltburn”). Tickets are now available at the link below.