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”.
Neil completes the vocals for ‘Radiophonic.’
The Boys perform at Germany’s Viva Comet Awards show, where they win ‘Best International Video’ for ‘I Don’t Know What You Want But I Can’t Give It Any More.’
Chris and Neil attend a performance in Edinburgh of the musical built around their songs, Seriously: Pet Shop Boys, Reinterpreted. Although they had seen it previously on a specially created DVD, they had never before seen it ‘live.’ Afterwards both of them praise the show; Chris describes it as ‘very moving.’
Neil is among the guests at comedian David Walliams’s fortieth birthday celebration at Scott’s, a fine-dining establishment in the Mayfair section of London.
The Pet Shop Boys perform their Electric Tour show in Shanghai, China.
The ‘Feel’ single is released today as a digital bundle with bonus tracks.