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.
The Pet Shop Boys perform ‘West End Girls’ on Top of the Pops—their first of more than 50 appearances on the show.
Neil and Chris make their second appearance on the German TV program Peter’s Pop Show, this time performing ‘It’s a Sin’ and ‘Rent.’
The Boys perform in concert in São Paolo, Brazil.
Chris and Neil supervise the recording of orchestral and choral backing tracks for various Nightlife songs. They also work on demos for their upcoming musical.
They perform at the O2 World arena in Berlin. Bernard Sumner’s new band, Bad Lieutenant, opens for them.
Neil and Chris are spotted in attendance at this evening’s performance of A John Waters Christmas at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
A very big, busy day for the Boys. They’re interviewed on several different BBC Radio stations (2, 5, and 6), talking about, among other things, their concert that evening with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and their new musical piece about Alan Turing (‘He Dreamed of Machines’). Then later, of course, there’s the orchestral concert itself, with guest guitarist Johnny Marr. (It will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 the following evening.) Meanwhile, their official website posts news about the first U.K. dates (in June 2013) on their next concert tour.
They appear in their second of two nights’ shows at the Copenhagen Opera House.
A brand new ‘official’ lyric video of the PSB holiday song ‘It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas’ debuts today on YouTube.