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”.
BPI awards a U.K. gold record to Please.
The Various video collection is released.
George Michael visits with the Pet Shop Boys at Sarm West studio and plays them some tracks from his upcoming album, Older.
Chris and Neil perform a charity concert at the Camden Barfly in London. Dubbed ‘Two Men and a Powerbook,’ it’s their first full show with no other musicians accompanying them either onstage or backstage.
They take part in a public Q&A session hosted by the Popjustice website at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts.
Comedian David Walliams completes a 24-hour marathon live stunt for the Comic Relief charity, during which he serves as the host for a series of recreations of classic TV game shows with various celebrity guests. The last of them, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, includes Neil Tennant among the guest panelists. It proves to be a very ‘charitable’ day for Neil, as he later attends the Winter Carnival at The Ivy private club to benefit the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), a charity that supports homeless LGBT youth. The Pet Shop Boys donate a limited-edition vinyl copy of PopArt signed by both Neil and Chris, which is among the many items auctioned off to raise funds.