Rare is the crowd who whoop and holler the news that there will be “no hits” over the coming two hours, just “B-sides, album tracks and what we’re calling ‘fan favourites’.” Because rare is the band that can carry off such an affront to civilised entertainment. You could count them on the fingers of one hand after a major industrial accident: The Smiths, yes, Suede, yes, Oasis, yes, but… Pet Shop Boys?
As one of British pop’s most celebrated and successful singles bands, it’s a bold move indeed for Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe to mark the release of a new retrospective book Volume by staging a full five nights at Camden’s Electric Ballroom entirely bereft of pop smashes. They’ve dubbed the week Obscure, but Foolhardy would’ve been just as apt a title.
