BBC News have just reported that thousands of gay and bisexual men found guilty of decades-old sexual offences in England and Wales have been posthumously pardoned. The new law is being referred to as the “Alan Turing law” after the codebreaker and computer pioneer who was posthumously pardoned in 2013 for his 1952 conviction for “gross indecency”. In the final section of “A Man From The Future”, performed as part of the Proms in 2015, we referred to “an exception” being made for Turing while “the convictions for ‘gross indecency’ of tens of thousands of other men, dead and alive, remain unpardoned.” This injustice has now been corrected. Full report at the BBC link below. Neil x
Pet Shop Boys are pleased to announce a series of Dreamworld shows across Europe this summer.
Recent Pet Texts
A brand new “West End girls” T‑shirt designed by Farrow is now shipping as part of Pet Shop Boys’ “Since 1984” range. Available to order exclusively through the official PSB store.
David Bowie died ten years ago today. In a special BBC 6 Music programme, Neil discusses Bowie including PSB’s collaboration with him on “Hallo Spaceboy”. The show is part of a series called “Bowie Forever”. Listen to it now on BBC Sounds.
Day off in Osaka before tomorrow’s show at the World Theatre in Kobe.
40 years ago, on Tuesday, January 7, 1986, “West End girls” hit number one in the UK singles chart and stayed there for two weeks. Neil and Chris performed the song in the number one slot on “Top of the Pops” two days later. It went on to hit the top spot in Canada, the USA, Finland, Norway and New Zealand and was the first of four PSB UK number one singles. In 2020 The Guardian newspaper elected it the greatest UK Number One single of all time.
Two new exclusive PSB “Dreamworld” Japan T‑shirts are now available online and in-store through Dover Street Market Ginza in Tokyo. All details at the link below. Pet Shop Boys perform in Tokyo tonight and in Kobe on Friday.
Neil is recovering well from the virus that led to PSB cancelling their festival show in Tokyo on Sunday. He and Chris are looking forward to tonight’s Dreamworld concert at the Tokyo Garden Theatre and to their show on Friday in Kobe.