Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an
English electronic pop
duo, formed in London
in 1981 and consisting
of Neil Tennant (main
vocals, keyboards,
occasional guitar) and
Chris Lowe (keyboards,
occasional vocals).
History
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe met in an electronics shop on
Kings Road in Chelsea, London, in August 1981. Recognising
a mutual interest in dance music, they began to work
together on material, first in Tennant's flat in Chelsea and
from 1982, in a small studio in Camden Town.
Initially Tennant and Lowe performed as West End because
of their love of London's West End, but later they came up
with the name Pet Shop Boys, derived from friends of theirs
who worked in a pet shop in Ealing. Their big break came in
August 1983, when Tennant was assigned by Smash Hits to
interview The Police in New York. The duo were obsessed
with a stream of Hi-NRG records made by New York
producer Bobby Orlando.
Music
The single reached number 19 in
the UK Singles Chart and was
followed by their debut album,
Please, on 24 March. Their second
single album Actually was released
in 1987, including songs "It's a Sin",
"Rent", "Heart".1989 also saw the
start of Pet Shop Boys' first tour
ever, in which they performed in
Hong Kong, Japan, and Britain. The
tour followed the ideas of the
extravaganza that could not have
been afforded earlier in their
careers.
Style and image
The duo have been seen as wilfully contrary in terms of commercial
image, self-promotion and the nature of their own music, defying
the expectations of record labels and the music industry.
Typically, Pet Shop Boys have favoured avant-garde tailored
fashions. Tennant has referenced the designers of his suits in certain
interviews and Lowe has often sported outfits and glasses made by
Issey Miyake, Stüssy and Yohji Yamamoto's Y-3 for Adidas.
Presentation has always been a major theme for Pet Shop Boys and
the duo have dramatically "re-invented" their image twice in their
career.
I don't like country and western. I don't like rock music, I
don't like rockabilly or rock and roll particularly. I don't like
much, really, do I? But what I do like, I love passionately.
— Chris Lowe
Thanks for your attention :)