From the British music industry journal, “Music Week”: Pet Shop Boys are facing a close battle with Ronan Keating as they look to score their first number one album in the UK in more than 15 years. The duo’s new Parlophone-issued album “Yes” is presently around 1,200 units ahead of Keating’s Polydor release “Songs For My Mother”, according to early retail reports, but the story is made more complicated by the PSB album having accidentally ended up on iTunes three days early last week. It is understood around 2,500 sales of the album achieved on the Apple site following its premature release there last Friday will not count towards this coming week’s chart as they will be recognised as sales from last week instead. Pet Shop Boys, who won the outstanding contribution award at this year’s Brits, have only topped the albums chart once before. “Very” reached number one in October 1993.
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We are delighted to learn that the distinguished theatre director and playwright, Terry Johnson, will be directing the revival of “Musik”, starring Frances Barber, which opens at Wilton’s Music Hall in London on October on October 14th. More information at the links below.
Photo: The Guardian
Thanks to the BFI for hosting a double-PSB screening of “It Couldn’t Happen Here” and “Battleship Potemkin” yesterday, including a conversation between me and film writer/director Paul Tickell. The restored print of “Battleship Potemkin” is a revelation and it was nice that “It Couldn’t Happen Here” got a much warmer reception than it did from critics on its original release in 1988! BFI blu-rays of both films are available now. Neil x
Photo: JW
A year ago, Pet Shop Boys released a souvenir clip from their intimate show at Funny Girls club in Blackpool, in which the audience provided the vocals for “It’s a sin”. Some fans have made a video adding phone footage to PSB’s video of that performance and it’s now available to watch on YouTube.
Sandringham, Durham and Warwick: a wonderful finish to the festival season! Thanks to all Dreamworld audiences in Europe and the UK for joining us on tour this summer. Pet Shop Boys are continuing their Greatest Hits Tour in Japan in January 2026.
Photo: Adam Kennedy
We had a fantastic show at Warwick Castle last night, the last of the summer tour. We’re so lucky to tour with these wonderful people! And we’ll be getting back together in Japan in January. Thanks to everyone who came to one (or more) of our concerts this year. And of course thanks to our crew. Neil & Chris xx
Photo: Chris Heath
“Battleship Potemkin” with music by Pet Shop Boys opens in selected cinemas in the UK and Ireland for the first time today. To mark its centenary, Sergei Eisenstein’s legendary silent film was restored by Deutsche Kinemathek. A full list of UK cinema dates is available on the BFI website at the link below.
Nice review in The Times newspaper for “Battleship Potemkin” and the PSB score. The film is showing in selected UK cinemas from today.