July 1975

After completing a degree in history at the Polytechnic of North London, Neil takes a job at Marvel Comics, anglicizing spellings and indicating where over-risque woman needed to be redrawn decently. While there he interviews comic fan Marc Bolan, who politely points out that his tape recorder wasn't working. In 1977 he works at Macdonald Educational Publishing, later moving to ITV Books. In June 1982, he joins Smash Hits.

On This Day

1991

The Pet Shop Boys perform the second of two consecutive nights' shows at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco.

1997

They perform 'A Red Letter Day' on Top of the Pops.

2007

The jet carrying the Pet Shop Boys to Auckland, New Zealand, early this morning comes within about 40 seconds of being struck by fiery debris—initially reported as a disintegrating Russian satellite, but more likely a meteor—plunging through the atmosphere. Neil, Chris, and their entourage sleep through the near-catastrophe.

2016

The Boys are interviewed this evening on John Wilson's Front Row program on BBC Radio 4 about their upcoming shows at London's Royal Opera House.

2019

They perform this evening at the AsiaWorld Expo Convention Centre in Hong Kong.

Next (1976)