There was an abundance of mutual appreciation when Pet Shop Boys brought their greatest hits tour to Leeds.
On a wonderful summer’s evening, 13,000 people packed out Leeds First Direct Arena to see 80s synth pop legends Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Ahead of their performance, a Ukraine flag was displayed on the stage screen as Pet Shop Boys continued their career-long flight against inequality.
The concert soon commenced. Pet Shop Boys have never been strangers to theatrics and showmanship. The impressive ever-changing staging started with Tennant and Lowe positioned under streetlights wearing metallic masks as they opened with Suburbia.
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Welcoming the masses to Dreamworld, Tennant, 68, who famously worked on Smash Hits magazine in the 80s before the duo’s own propelled them to musical stardom, said: “Being boring is a sin.” Thanks to the scintillating combination of Tennant's unmistakable vocals, the masterful musicianship and eye-catching set, of course stocked with a plethora of lasers and lights, there was little danger of boredom for those at the Leeds city centre venue.
As we know, Pet Shop Boys are Tennant and Lowe but on the road they are accompanied by three highly-skilled band members who were revealed when the stage screen lifted and streetlights parted during the first quarter of the 20-odd song set. With this regular evolution came a multitude of unapologetic costume changes as the crowd were reminded, if they needed to be, just how many hits Pet Shop Boys have.
The majestic adventure through their back catalogue brought the very best out of the audience - who were up for a party throughout. As we all know, the good people of Yorkshire like a singsong but the arena rumbled rapturously as the thousands took the lead on Domino Dancing’s chorus.
The charismatic Tennant, who changed from a black suit and white hat to sparkly silver jacket as the gig gained increased momentum, declared: “Leeds, that was amazing.” He added: “I heard Leeds knows how to party.”
There were anecdotes, which never halted the evening’s flow, about the creation of some of Pet Show Boys’ songs - Domino Dancing and Monkey Business getting that treatment. As the latter was performed, someone standing down the front joyously lifted a cuddly monkey aloft.
Given it was Saturday night, it felt the ideal time for a rave and Pet Shop Boys more than delivered on that. That easily-recognisable opening beat or two of Always On My Mind saw anyone still seated lift to their feet. A cover, yes, from Gwen McCrae originally and then Elvis Pressley but now so synonymous with the electronic icons.
In a career spanning over 40 years there’s been a lot of songs and a lot of Pet Shop Boys eras which is why the arena’s audience was made of such a lovely wide demographic. Arguably, a new section of fans have come to Tennant and Lowe’s music in recent years thanks to It’s A Sin. The defiant anthem, belted out loud and proud by the masses on Saturday evening, has reemerged as a major part of this country’s cultural zeitgeist thanks to its use in Russell T Davies’ Channel 4 drama of the same name.
That brought the end of the show but those in attendance demanded a return to the stage. Lowe and Tennant, who’d previously spoke of his appreciation for their backing band, returned rather poignantly as a duo to conclude - under the lampposts.
Youthful images of the pair flashed on the screens during their rendition of West End Girls. Tennant, at this point dressed in a long overcoat, slowed things down as Pet Shop Boys ended on Being Boring.
Clearly of emotional significance to him, he embraced Lowe, 63, as he softly sang ‘you could always rely on a friend’. On occasion as artists finish, you can often see a few people sneaking out to beat the rush but the capacity remained showing Pet Shop Boys the love they deserved.
It felt like the clapping and cheering would never stop. The duo stood together, clearly touched, taking it all in. Momentarily, there was a sense that rare beast, a second encore, was imminent.
It never materialised. To be fair, after all these years, Pet Shop Boys were never going to forget the first rule of showbusiness…always leave them wanting more.
Setlist
- Suburbia
- Can You Forgive Her?
- Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
- Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
- Rent
- I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More
- So Hard
- Left to My Own Devices
- Single-Bilingual / Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)
- Domino Dancing
- Monkey Business
- New York City Boy
- Jealousy
- Love Comes Quickly
- Paninaro
- You Were Always on My Mind
- Dreamland
- Heart
- What Have I Done to Deserve This?
- It's Alright
- Vocal
- Go West
- It's a Sin
Encore
- West End Girls
- Being Boring
To find out the latest event news in our city you can visit our Best in Leeds homepage. There you will also find a guide to great things to do in Leeds.
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