Tonight:
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André Paine's rating
, Biggest show so far for Pet Shop Boys
By
André Paine
22 Jun 2009
Following their outstanding- contribution Brit Award and strong new album, Yes, this was actually the Pet Shop Boys’ biggest British indoor show in their 25-year career.
For a synth-pop act reluctant to play live at their Eighties peak, a 16,000-capacity O2 was a real test of their pop prowess and ability to overcome that early lack of stage presence. Unfortunately, it got the better of them during the first of the concert’s four acts and Heart and Love Comes Quickly plodded along disappointingly.
As big on concepts as they are on tunes, the artistic, theatrical element emerged early on when the duo and their singer-dancers performed with coloured boxes on their heads. But it just wasn’t visually dramatic and hardly lived up to the tour’s title: Pandemonium.
That all changed suddenly, though, when the white blocks used to project the graphics, films and blown-up faces of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe were deliberately collapsed. With the audience out of their seats, Go West even had Lowe playing drums and the mood turned celebratory. The intelligent, intricate staging became apparent as Tetris-style tiles lit up Lowe’s keyboard booth, while a rare performance of the early Two Divided by Zero introduced pleasingly analogue textures.
Tennant was subtly choreographed but, given his headmaster of pop persona, he wisely left the box-headed dancers to leap around and climb the blocks. Instead, he focused on his conversational, melancholy vocal, used to great effect on Left to My Own Devices, King’s Cross — one of the great London songs — and new album standout The Way it Used to Be.
There was a clever cover of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida with Tennant making another costume change into a crown and cape, although Lowe’s mirrored coat must be the show’s biggest wardrobe expense.
They donned even more outrageous plumaged hats for the encore of Being Boring and West End Girls, with Lowe pumping out booming bass. After that faltering start, a fantastic finale.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (20)
The show in Zagreb was fantastic, 5000 people---
it was hard to stop singing, dreaming, dancing and loving what they achieved through all of this years... very interesting visuals, scene ...respect from the depths of my soul ...
- Igor, Zagreb, Croatia, 01/12/2009 17:44
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great show in vancouver!! people were out of there seats , dancing, great tunes, great energy, great stage, great set, loved it!! cb, vancouver bc
- Courtney, vancouver, 14/10/2009 23:43
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I saw the show in New York at Hammerstein Ballroom. It holds a few thousand people and was sold out. I think the show was very similar to the ones in England. The music improved as the evening went on. I was not thrilled by the dancers, but the "wall" set got more interesting as it moved and crumbled. I loved "King's Cross," the version of "Viva La Vida" and some of the tracks from the fantastic "Yes" CD. Crowd pleasers included "New York City Boy," "Go West," "Always on my Mind." Overall, a good show. They are an incredible duo.
- Peter Malbin, New York, USA, 14/10/2009 22:43
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Had an absolutely fantastic time. Went straight home afterwards and got another ticket for the December show. For only 30.00 it was definately money well spent. No disapointments at all for me.
- Paul, London, 14/10/2009 22:43
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As a lifelong PSB fan who has been lucky enough to attend many of their gigs over the years I thought the show was disappointing. The sound, medley style arrangements, small stage and odd setlist were key issues. As I say I'm a lifelong fan and as much as I love and respect the guys I'm not going to say the gig was amazing if it wasn't. What was telling for me was most people I could see spent the gig stationary or wandering off for a beer and hotdog. At least the merchandise was cool, if overpriced! I'm going back for more in December and I really hope anyone involved in the tour has a chance to read and act on many of the negative comments made about the show on this site and elsewhere. Please also play After the Event - can't believe that was chucked out as a B-side, utter classic!
- James Cunningham, London, 14/10/2009 22:43
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In Russia show was amaizing, sound was bad, but it was a problem of our stage. Look for the photos from the show in Russia: http://www.photocreator.ru/psb.html
Best regards
Ann V Chekharina
- Ann_Chekharina, Russia Moscow, 14/10/2009 22:43
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I was about 12 ft from the stage and had a fantastic night, along with everyone around me. The sound and visuals were great, it was the best Pet Shop Boys concert I have been to so far. An amazing night! Worth it for 'The Way It used To Be' alone!!! Roll on Dec 21st 
- Tim, London, England, 14/10/2009 22:43
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Was Dennis at the same concert as me, i wonder?
I thought it was the best concert of theirs i've been to. I was seated up in the gods towards the back, and i heard everything. Perfectly. I thought Neil's voice was very good, i have often thought he's sounded too weak and 'trying' but he sounded fine this time. The music was recreated terrifically, using new sounds and samples of the old stuff, and it was great to hear some older rarely performed tracks such as Two Divided By Zero, Do I Have To? and Love Comes Quickly. I was particularly pleased to hear Heart to kick it off as that's my Favourite! I even enjoyed lesser favourites such as Go West.
Fans and friends i was there with also loved the show.
- Steve Houlihan, Crowthorne, England, 14/10/2009 22:43
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Never been to the O2 and it was a good venue but not for this show.
They should have scaled the show to this venue. I was sat in Level 1 directly facing the stage, but the music and the lights were too near the front and didn't surround you (they should have utilised all those mini screens that surrounded the venue. My mate said Coldplay did that). It just didn't make you feel part of the show. I remember seeing them on the 1989 tour in Birmingham and it totally surrounded you and made you feel part of it.
People just stayed seated and I could hear loads of talking and saw people getting up to get drinks (which was really annoying). Also, the air con should have been turned up as it was quite hot (obviously to make people by more drinks - which were extortionately priced).
This show would have been better suited to smaller venues like their last tour.
Ho hum, let's hope they learn their lesson and scale it accordingly for the December show.
- Scott Gibson, Liverpool, UK, 14/10/2009 22:43
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Beautifully haunting melody of The Way It USED TO bE and Neil was dressed so suavely in a dinner jacket I almost thought he was singing to me.
- Jasmine Wok, colombia, 14/10/2009 22:43
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Traveled from Dublin to see show and it was worth every penny or should i say euro ...................................................
cant wait to see them again in Liverpool in 3 weeks time...........petshopboys keep getting better all the time
regards
frank grimes
- Frank Grimes/Mary Byrne, Dublin/Ireland, 14/10/2009 22:43
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it was a dull concert. seemed to be something wrong, or a rehearsal. it reminded me of the Performance tour which also left a lot of people cold. not sure if it was the size of the venue, but certainly the messing about with the boxes was a mistake, as were a couple of the dancers, not sure why the dancers on suburbia were rushing around as tho they were full of e numbers.me and my companion were wondering if they were people we ought to know judging by their strutting and gurning round the stage.maybe my love affair with the petties is over.
sylvia mason james was MUCH missed.
- Robin Storer, swindon, 14/10/2009 22:43
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a supurb concert Pet Shop Boys just get better,love the new cd. The vocals could have been a little louder/clearer
- Sandra Edgell, peterborough england, 14/10/2009 22:43
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So very disappointing. It started on an odd choice of song and it never really got going after that. It seemed to me that the crowd wanted a big walloping evening of disco, and everytime a big tune was played everyone was up - you could feel the relief - but each time the crowd got going we were deflated with another detour into miserabilism. I love their ballads, and mid tempo songs but by halfway through the show I was bored to tears and planning my grocery list. Too slow, too quiet, the set/dancers were an in-joke, a real ho hum evening.
- Denis, London, England, 14/10/2009 22:43
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This was a great gig - a set list that pleased both the diehard fans and the casual bystander. The visuals have gained mixed reviews but I liked them - they didn't distract from the songs. This isn't a Girls Aloud gig remember. Neil and Chris were their usual meaured cool selves, but got into it more and more as the show progressed.
The old songs stood up very well, but some of the new tunes were excellent too - The Way it Used to Be and All Over the World especially. However, the disco stomper highlight of the recent album - Pandemomium - disappointed - its engery lost in the caven of the O2.
All is all a good time, roll on their return in December.
- Mike, Oxford, UK, 14/10/2009 22:43
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Saw the show at the O2 and at The Apollo, Manchester.
There were some sound problems at both venues - but my only real complaint was that the show should have been about twice as long. With a 25 year back catalogue, any song selection is inevitably going to feel sparse; everyone will miss some of their favourites.
Anyway, I've booked to see them again in Manchester in December, which is about as good a testimonial as you can get...singing 'It's a Sin' with 16,000 other people was a remarkable experience.....
- Richard Parker, Leeds, UK, 14/10/2009 22:43
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My first night out in London for years, my first big concert in years and the first time I have seen the Pet Shop Boys!
What an absolutely fantastic evening of magical entertainment that my senses were treated to!
At the start the stage looked a bit sparce but adequate for their needs but during 'Building a wall' (a track from the new 'Yes' album) the 'walls of cubes' fell down and over the course of the evening these cubes gradually filled the stage and grew and grew into a fantastic silhouette of a cityscape before the whole thing crashed down again...this was very cleverly done and not what you was expecting!
As for the songlist...I got to hear everything I wanted to hear and a few more besides, I am a huge fan of the new album and was very pleased to hear some tracks from that particulary 'The way it used to be'. The music was pretty much non-stop as songs were mixed into each other with snippets of other tracks thrown in as a teaser. There was plenty to keep both new an hardcore PSB fans happy and even Chris had a little dance front of stage at one point! Neil was fantastic too, he must have changed costume about 6 times, sounding as good live as on record!
I was on the top level of the 02 Arena and was somewhat distracted by the constant flow of people going backwards and forwards to the bar/toilets...next time I'll go to the standing area and hopefully get a better view as well!
I think a smaller venue would suit this type of show better. I give it 11/10!
- Keith, Spalding, England, 14/10/2009 22:43
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Saw the concert at Manchester, and unbelievable crowd, a fantastic event. Pet Shop Boys best show to date! The sound problems seemed to be at the sides of the venue with the bass too loud, but if you got to the centre in the standing area the acoustics where top notch and vocals really stood out. Loved everything about the show. The blocks falling down, being rebuilt into different scenes, the large skyline of boxes behind, the floating boxes towards the end - all the video visuals and lighting effects - fantastic vocals, great costumes - and the amazing dancers interpretation a "jealously" had my jaw on the floor. I can not fault this magnificant concert in any way. There are songs I have yet to hear them sing live and would love to hear them perform 'Somewhere', 'Miracles' and "Closer to Heaven" in the future. The good news is PSB continue to tour and record new material whilst always evolving, staying modern and relevant. They will tour again, I will see them again. Thank you Neil and Chris for all your work so far - you moved me to tears 3 times during the concert last week. I was in awe. Spellbinding, mesmorising and enthralling.
- Sean, Burnley, 14/10/2009 22:43
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I thought Neil looked like a fantastic daddy and so cool!!! Charlotte Woolycot was fabulous what a fantastic dancer she is. She is absolutely gorgeous and what a voice! I guess she could be the girlfriend of Shaun Woolycot. I wore my fabulous mini with a pair of cycling shorts underneath it cost me a fortune and I got some tacky stuff all over it.
I am trying to do my hair just like Charlotte's now. I want to BE HER!!!
So fast, first in line and straight in there. I just cant compete!!!
- Jasmine Wok, newcastle, 14/10/2009 22:43
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Im afraid I have to agree with James. Also a life long fan maybe expecting to much. Appeared late on stage. All we got was hour and 20 minutes of them. Obviously the whole thing was good for there pockets and it no way a suprise another visit to do it all over again in December with possibly another 16000 fans. I think the o2 arena is appauling. Even at level 1 behind the standing area you could not make out who is on stage. The lack of lighting being used to gain any atmosphere. It seems now the only way for artists to make there money is to go live but personally would never go back again to the o2 whether PSB was there or not. I enjoyed what i saw from go west to kings cross and the new stuff however I would probably appreciate the dvd more
- B Barnes, Margate UK, 14/10/2009 22:43
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