Last night’s concert with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra was a wonderful experience for us. The orchestra played with such luxurious power and conviction, conducted by Dominic Wheeler, and the Manchester Chamber Choir brought ethereal beauty to, for instance, “Miracles” and “He dreamed of machines” (from our new piece about Alan Turing). To hear Johnny Marr playing the guitar riff from “This must be the place I waited years to leave” was a real thrill so many years after he played on the original record; his acoustic guitar playing on “Breathing space” was gorgeous. Other highlights for me were performing live for the first time “It couldn’t happen here”, “The survivors” and “For all of us”. Sven Helbig’s orchestral arrangements were both magnificent and subtle: “New York City boy” was returned to Broadway; “He dreamed of machines” had a pale beauty. Many thanks to everyone at the BBC, Parlophone and our management and tour personnel for making it happen, to Pete Gleadall for programming and to Jo Whiley for introducing it. The concert can be heard on BBC Radio 2 tonight at 8 pm. I hope you enjoy it. Neil x (Photograph by Kate Southall/BBC.)
Pet Shop Boys are happy to announce some new 2025 gigs for their acclaimed tour, “Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live”.
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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 25th 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.
In 1989 we produced (with Julian Mendelsohn) half of Dusty Springfield’s album “Reputation” and it was released the following year. Dusty had hit singles with “Nothing has been proved” and “In private” but we also wrote some more experimental tracks like “Occupy your mind” and “Daydreaming”. Dusty was always keen to try something new! The album has just been remastered and will be re-released on limited edition pink vinyl on Record Store Day2025. Neil and Chris xx
It’s just been announced that Johnny Marr is releasing a live album recorded last year at Hammersmith Apollo. The record includes his two live duets with Neil Tennant, “Rebel Rebel” and “Getting Away With It”, and will be released on Record Store Day, April 12.
Thanks to Private Eye magazine for drawing our attention to this disgraceful fact.
Today is the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau. This evening BBC TV in the UK will broadcast The Last Musician of Auschwitz, a film telling the story of cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch who, along with other victims of the camp — Jews, Poles and Roma — played and created music amidst the terrors of the Holocaust. Together they show how, amid the most brutal and dehumanising situations, music could be a lifeline, a way to give testimony and even a means of resistance.
Pet Shop Boys have recently passed 2 million followers on Spotify and 1 million followers on YouTube! Thanks to everyone who’s been listening to our music. xx
Photo: Eva Pentel