On August 19th, Neil and Chris meet by chance in an electronics shop on the Kings Road. Realizing they have a common interest in dance music, they begin to write together. Initially they call themselves West End; later they come up with the name Pet Shop Boys, a name derived from some friends who work in a pet shop in Ealing. “We thought it sounded like an English rap group”.
Blur’s single ‘To the End,’ featuring the Pet Shop Boys’ remix of ‘Girls & Boys,’ hits #16 on the U.K. charts.
The Pet Shop Boys perform live on U.K. Channel 4’s T4 On The Beach.
They perform at the Apollo in Manchester.
Continuing their role as Take That’s ‘special guests,’ they open the show this evening in Dublin.
They perform a sold-out show at London’s O2 Arena. Rapper Example makes a surprise live guest appearance to perform his rap in the Boys’ new song ‘Thursday.’
2024: Neil and Chris attend this evening’s performance of the new revival of Closer to Heaven at London’s Turbine Theatre and meet the cast after the show.