Neil plays in a group in Newcastle called Dust: Their most popular song is a preposterous affair he has written called “Can you hear the dawn break?”. They are heavily influenced by The Incredible String Band. “We were convinced we would become terribly famous. It was a very kind of stoned seventies but we used to think it was absolutely brilliant at the time”.
A Top of the Pops special devoted to the Pet Shop Boys airs on U.K. television. On the same day, Neil and Chris take part in a live webchat hosted by the BBC.
As part of an effort to help ‘save’ independent record shops (which have been dwindling now for several years around the world), today has been declared ‘Record Store Day.’ As part of the effort, various record companies and performers have issued special limited-edition ‘hardcopy’ releases to be sold exclusively in such shops. The Pet Shop Boys release a vinyl 45 of ‘Love Life’ backed with ‘A Powerful Friend.’
Neil reportedly attends a small, ‘intimate’ Rufus Wainwright performance this evening at Under the Bridge in the Fulham section of London.
It’s Maundy Thursday—the eve of Good Friday on the Christian calendar—and the German electronic duo Diamond Version debut online their new cover of the classic gospel hymn ‘Were You There?’ featuring vocals by Neil Tennant.