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”.
The Boys are in San Bernardino and then Duarte, California, for location shooting for the ‘Suburbia’ music video.
The Independent of London reports that Neil Tennant was among 45 persons who contributed more than £5000 to Britain’s Labour Party the previous year. The exact amount was not reported.
The Pet Shop Boys perform at Bestival on the Isle of Wight.
The Pandemonium Tour comes to the Fillmore Theater in Miami Beach.
They make a surprise appearance for Volkswagen Group Night before the opening of the Frankfurt (Germany) Auto Show, during which they perform ‘Vocal’ and a special version of ‘Axis’ that includes what they later describe as ‘quotes’ from several older songs: ‘West End Girls,’ ‘It’s a Sin,’ and ‘Domino Dancing.’