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
Recent Pet Texts
Pet Shop Boys enjoyed a hot and sunny start to their “Dreamworld” summer tour over the past week. Thanks to all who danced through the heatwave with us in Taranto, Istanbul and Athens. Next up is Paris on Wednesday, before Chris’s homecoming at Lytham Festival this Saturday. See you there!
Photo by: Release Athens Festival
Wednesday’s concert at Blind Fest in Istanbul was such fun thanks to the fabulous audience.
“Pet Shop Boys projected Pride images onto giant screens, sending a well-deserved salute from the stage to our streets where Pride is banned…. The concert, which began emotionally and romantically, suddenly transformed into the warm, party atmosphere of Ibiza towards the end with the weight of the bass and the magnificence of the lights. The stage was fantastic. Right in the middle of the past and the future, of sadness and resistance; we both danced and felt the power of love and music side by side.” (Review from Radio Cazkolik.)
Now we’re in Athens for our Release Festival performance tomorrow evening.
Photo: Blind Fest
10 years ago today, Pet Shop Boys released “Twenty-something”, the second single from their album “Super”. The video was directed by Gavin Filipiak, who had directed the video of a cover version of “West End girls” by the cholo goth group Prayers. It won the San Diego Film Award for Best Music Video. Link below.
Taranto, Italy, last night. Our first show of the summer and our first visit to beautiful Apulia. Grazie!
Photo: Medimex Music
Pet Shop Boys are looking forward to their Dreamworld summer tour, which begins this Saturday at Medimex Festival in Taranto, Italy. See you there!
Starting today, the newly restored centenary edition of Sergei Eisenstein’s masterpiece “Battleship Potemkin” with music by PSB can be seen in French cinemas for the first time. All details at the link below.
Production rehearsals today for “Dreamworld”. See you soon in Italy, Türkiye, Greece, France, the UK, Germany, Spain, Norway and Denmark. Neil and Chris xx