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History

August 1981

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”.

On this day

1988

An interview by Andrew Sullivan with Neil and Chris appears in the current issue of Sky magazine.

1996

Based on advance orders, BPI awards a U.K. gold record to Bilingual one day before its scheduled release.

2009

The Pet Shop Boys perform the first of two consecutive nights’ concerts at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.