On May 2 the Pet Shop Boys appear at Heaven nightclub in London, playing a four song set as part of Can You Bear It?, a benefit for Dainton Connell’s family. For the final song they are joined by Suggs and Carl from Madness, in rambunctious high spirits, to perform a dance version of Madness’s “My Girl”: “It was a very emotional night”.
On October 27 a Pet Shop Boys-produced single by the British artist Sam Taylor-Wood, “I’m in love with a German film star”, is released on the cult German dance label Kompakt. It is the Pet Shop Boys’ third collaboration with Sam Taylor-Wood though the previous one was released under the pseudonym Kiki Kokova. The song is an electronic reinterpretation of the 1981 single by the Passions, a suggestion of Neil’s.
This year’s annual Christmas single from the Killers — “Joseph (Better You Than Me)” — is originally planned as a collaboration between The Killers and Elton John. Neil gets involved after Brandon Flowers asks for help with the lyric; in the end Neil’s short section of guide vocal for the lyric he contributes will remain in the final song when it is made available for download.
Neil and Chris begin two days of filming for the video of ‘I Don’t Know What You Want But I Can’t Give It Any More.’
For the second time in less than two weeks, the Pet Shop Boys perform at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. In attendance at tonight’s show are Kylie Minogue as well as Tim Rice-Oxley from the band Keane.
The Boys report on their official website that this evening they attended the live premiere of the duo Nero’s Dubstep Symphony at the new BBC Media City in Salford. It’s performed by Nero with the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Joe Duddell, who collaborated with Nero on the composition.
The Boys perform the first of three consecutive nights’ shows in Sydney, Australia.
Traveling in Spain from the previous day’s gig in Badajoz to the following day’s show in Pamplona, Neil and Chris stop at Valladolid for the night. Writing on their official website, Neil says that he ‘enjoyed wandering around the old city.’
At the request of the director of My Beautiful Laundrette, the Boys create a ‘darker version’ of ‘Johnny’s Theme.’ They title the new track ‘Johnny’s Dark Side.’
They perform this evening in Madrid in what Neil later describes as ‘a beautiful little theatre.’
Pet Shop Boys perform this evening at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.