February 1998

On February 28 the Pet Shop Boys begin a short, four-concert Russian tour, visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg, inspired by their visit to St. Petersburg to see Brian Eno the previous summer. In Moscow they perform twice in one night, once in a large arena then later in the middle of an over-crowded nightclub. The local media ask them whether they speak Russian, "We're very good at saying 'nyet'," they explain.

April 1998

On April 13, Twentieth Century Blues: The Songs of Noel Coward is released. It is an album of Noel Coward songs covered by contemporary musicians, co-compiled by Neil, who has been working on it for the past eighteen months. He has loved Noel Coward's music since he first heard it in about 1970. "I think as a songwriter he's slightly underrated," Neil says, "simply because his plays are so famous, and people forget." The Pet Shop Boys do a version of "Sail Away", and amongst the other interpreters are Elton John, Paul McCartney, Suede, Robbie Williams and the Divine Comedy. "We tried to choose artists," Neil explains, "who somehow seem to be in the Noel Coward tradition of wit, theatrically and style." To promote the album, Neil appeared along on TFI Friday where he sang along with a busker playing Pet Shop Boys songs on an acoustic guitar.

June 1998

At the request of their former American record company, the Pet Shop Boys agreed to the release of 'Essential Pet Shop Boys', a compilation of early Pet Shop Boys songs recorded between 1985 – 1990, including a number of rare remixes, as part of a series of limited edition CDs by other artists.

June 1998

November 1998

At the behest of director Gus Van Sant, the Pet Shop Boys wrote a new song, with Tom Stephan, at extremely short notice for the soundtrack of Van Sant's remake of 'Psycho'. It is called "Screaming". "It's about an obsessive fan, written from the obsessive fan's point of view," Neil says. "Or actually just by someone obsessed with someone who doesn't love them."

On This Day

1986

The Pet Shop Boys appear on the U.K. children's morning TV show Saturday Superstore.

1989

Neil and Chris are at CBS Studios in London supervising the recording of 'Tonight Is Forever' with Liza Minnelli and 46 orchestral musicians conducted by Anne Dudley.

1991

The Pet Shop Boys perform in Los Angeles. Much of Chris's family attend this particular concert. After the show, Guns N' Roses lead singer Axl Rose meets them, says that he's a big fan, and asks why they didn't play his favorite song of theirs, 'Being Boring.'

2002

They perform 'Home and Dry' on Top of the Pops.

2004

Chris and Neil appear on the U.K. TV show Richard and Judy. On the same day, 'Flamboyant' is released as a single.

2007

The Boys perform their first-ever concert in New Zealand—in Auckland, to be precise.

2011

With the debut run of their ballet now behind them, Neil and Chris return to Berlin to resume work on new music.

2012

Neil re-records his lead vocal for 'Give It a Go' in Pete Gleadall's London studio.

2017

The 2017 edition of the Pet Shop Boys' new yearly fan publication Annually—'revived' after one previous edition back in 1989—begins shipping today to those who had pre-ordered a copy before its scheduled print run had sold out.

Next (1999)