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.
‘Suburbia’ debuts on the U.S. singles chart, where it will peak at #70. On this same day, the Pet Shop Boys appear on German television, performing both ‘Suburbia’ and ‘Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)’ on Peter’s Pop Show.
K‑Klass complete their mixing work on ‘Metamorphosis.’
The Pet Shop Boys perform in Rostock, Germany.
Chris and Neil are interviewed this evening on BBC Radio 2’s The Radcliffe & Maconie Show.
They fly to Berlin to work some more on demos of songs for their next album.
Their concert performance the night before with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is broadcast this evening on BBC Radio 2.
Chris Evans interviews the Boys this morning on his BBC Radio 2 show.
Neil is among the guest performers this evening at Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright’s ‘A Not So Silent Night’ Christmas show at the Royal Festival Hall in London. He sings ‘It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas,’ duets with Martha on ‘I Cried for Us,’ and joins the whole ensemble for several group numbers.
Tickets go on sale this morning for the January 31 and February 4 ‘sepcial event’ showings of the Pet Shop Boys’ Dreamworld concert film in theaters worldwide.