Pet Shop Boys more than proved their staying power with a sublime schooling in pedigree pop in Newcastle on Friday night.
While some music acts come and go as quick as the latest fashion trend or must have gadget, Pet Shop Boys have stood the test of time and remain as slick and stylish as ever. And it’s when you witness a stellar setlist of all their killer hits that you appreciate exactly why.
Other big music stars can’t even put the bins out without you knowing about it, whereas Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have been letting their music do the talking for four decades years now. Although their outfits and sets are unquestionably eye-catching, it’s the music that demands attention with every note.
Friday’s show at the Utilita Arena was a triumphant homecoming for Tyneside native Neil, with the Geordie crowd up out of their seats before he and Chris had even arrived on stage to the sounds of Suburbia, the perfect show opener which triggered a near two hour masterclass in effortless excellence.
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Can You Forgive Her was a call to arms for air punching from the captive crowd, before the sheer joy of the Where The Streets Have No Name/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You was in serious danger of having things reach their peak too early.
Thankfully for the legions of fans who flocked to see the PSBs, there were plenty more classic cuts at Neil and Chris’ disposal I Don’t Know What You Want But I Can’t Give It Anymore sounds as fresh as it did on it’s release before the turn of the millennium, mid-90s summer scorcher Se A Vide E was a sun drenched stand out, swiftly followed by the epic and anthemic Domino Dancing.
Pet Shop Boys’ pop peers would kill to have a back catalogue as copious and compelling a theirs. And when you experience it in the flesh, the blend of Chris’ electro beats and Neil’s powerful yet understated vocals is truly hypnotic.
The opening bars of their chart topping Elvis reworking Always On My Mind still, for me, stand the test of time as one of the best intros to a pop song ever and no words can really do justice to just how impactful It’s A Sin is.
The phenomenal success of the Channel 4 drama of the same name has seen the track’s message and appeal reach new heights and the angst and pain ridden lyrics are both thought provoking and mesmerizing in equal measure.
I could throw many a superlative at Pet Shop Boys’ feet to try and give even just a hint of how good Friday night’s concert was.
Thankfully for me, the tour title says it all - Dreamland - with Neil and Chris were the perfect tour guides for a trip with an itinerary packed full of musical magnificence.
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