After completing a degree in history at the Polytechnic of North London, Neil takes a job at Marvel Comics, anglicizing spellings and indicating where over-risque woman needed to be redrawn decently. While there he interviews comic fan Marc Bolan, who politely points out that his tape recorder wasn’t working. In 1977 he works at Macdonald Educational Publishing, later moving to ITV Books. In June 1982, he joins Smash Hits.
‘Suburbia’ is released as a single.
The Pet Shop Boys perform ‘Domino Dancing’ on Top of the Pops.
Neil, who had never learned to drive and until now never had a driver’s license, passes the test for his license on his first attempt. He celebrates by going out for an afternoon drive all by himself.
The Boys perform the first of two consecutive nights’ shows at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater.
They make a surprise appearance as after-dinner entertainers at an exclusive white-tie gala at The Stud House, Hampton Court, London—a fundraiser for the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation, a charity devoted to the battle against childhood cancer. Neil and Chris perform ‘Go West’ and ‘West End Girls.’
The Electric Tour comes to Philadelphia.
It’s the last full day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Chris and Neil are spending it in the midst of a Southern California heat wave; they’re in Los Angeles recording tracks for their next album with producer Stuart Price.