Today’s New Zealand Herald newspaper reports that the Lan Chile Airbus A340 flying from Santiago, Chile, to Auckland, New Zealand, on Tuesday night came close to being hit “by blazing pieces of a Russian satellite hurtling into New Zealand airspace. The disintegrating satellite was so close to the aircraft that the pilot could hear the roar it made as it broke the sound barrier.…At the aircraft’s cruising speed of 880km/h it was within about 40 seconds of a potential catastrophe.”
On board the plane, asleep and unaware of this drama, were Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe and the entire Pet Shop Boys touring party. Lan Chile flight 801 left Santiago late on Monday evening and, crossing the International Date Line, arrived safely at Auckland at 4 am on Wednesday morning.
Pet Shop Boys perform their debut New Zealand concert tonight at the St James Theatre, Auckland.
PSB plane “40 seconds from air disaster”
We visited the John Rylands Library in Manchester yesterday and saw the fascinating “Secret Public” exhibition which examines “the profound influence of LGBTQ performers, artists and activists on mainstream pop culture” and includes Neil’s original manuscripts of the lyrics for “West End girls” and “It’s a sin”. Highly recommended. Full details at the link below.
Recent News
Produced by Pet Shop Boys in 2008, the Gui Boratto mix of Sam Taylor-Wood’s “I’m In Love With A German Film Star” is part of the new “Kompakt 500” compilation, which is released today.
Pet Shop Boys will be headlining one of the stages at the Way Out West Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden, with a “Dreamworld” show on Saturday, August 9th 2025.
Pet Shop Boys are happy to reveal two new remixes for Tina Turner and The Hidden Cameras, both of which are released digitally today and available to hear now at the links below. Also Mark Springer’s new album “Sleep of Reason”, which includes a collaboration with Neil Tennant, is out now (see news story above).
Composer Mark Springer’s new album, “Sleep of Reason”, which includes a collaboration with Neil Tennant, is out now and available on double vinyl, CD and digitally at the link below.
Due to circumstances outside of our control, we regret that the forthcoming release of the Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live in Copenhagen Blu-ray/CD has to be postponed until August 1.
Pet Shop Boys’ “Discography” is being reissued on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1991.
Pet Shop Boys can announce a new UK summer tour date. On Thursday, August 14th they will be performing in the grounds of the Sandringham Estate with very special guests, Scissor Sisters.