BBC News have just reported that thousands of gay and bisexual men found guilty of decades-old sexual offences in England and Wales have been posthumously pardoned. The new law is being referred to as the “Alan Turing law” after the codebreaker and computer pioneer who was posthumously pardoned in 2013 for his 1952 conviction for “gross indecency”. In the final section of “A Man From The Future”, performed as part of the Proms in 2015, we referred to “an exception” being made for Turing while “the convictions for ‘gross indecency’ of tens of thousands of other men, dead and alive, remain unpardoned.” This injustice has now been corrected. Full report at the BBC link below. Neil x
A new lyric video for Pet Shop Boys’ “It doesn’t often snow at Christmas” is now available on YouTube.
Recent Pet Texts
Neil has been interviewed by Jake Shears on his “Queer The Music” podcast, talking about the lyrics and the making of the PSB song “It’s a sin”, Pet Shop Boys’ creative process, collaborators and much more. The season finale episode is out now and available at the link below.
Alexei Gorinov, the first Russian citizen to be imprisoned for protesting against Russia’s war on Ukraine, has now been sentenced to three more years in prison on trumped-up charges. In court he made a heartfelt statement against the war. Read it at the link below. We salute his courage.
Very sad to learn that this renowned music shop is closing in Newcastle. As a teenager I used to visit after school and ask to listen to David Bowie in one of their stereo listening booths and then browse through the records and sheet music and wish I could afford a posh guitar. It will be much missed. Neil x
In the latest Official Physical Singles Chart in the UK, CD singles by Pet Shop Boys are at numbers 1, 4, 13, 20, 41 and 60! Link to chart below.
Last night, Pet Shop Boys and their long-term manager, Angela Becker, received the Artist & Manager Partnership Award “in recognition of their shared impact on music and culture” at the culmination of the Artist & Manager Awards in London. Thanks to the Featured Artists Coalition and the Music Managers Forum for the award and the nice evening! xx
Photo: Paul Hampartsoumian
The limited-edition tea set, which commemorates 40 years of PSB and includes a teapot, cups and saucers, a milk jug and a sugar bowl, starts shipping today and is available to order at the link below.
The bespoke fine bone china set was designed by Farrow with PSB and manufactured by Duchess China in Stoke-on-Trent, as part of the new “Pet Shop Boys since 1984” range — more products to be announced in due course.
Repression of dissent continues in Hong Kong. Brave people sentenced to jail. Full story at the link below.