Pet Shop Boys strip it back to ballads in wonderfully intimate London gig

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Pet Shop Boys at Electric Ballroom 

Verdict: Wonderfully intimate and ballad-filled 

Known for popular songs like “West End Girls” and “It’s A Sin,” the Pet Shop Boys have been touring for the last four years, solidifying their reputation as the most successful musical duo in British history.

Oh my gosh, they’re STILL touring! I’ve been tracking every single date – can you believe they’ve played 111 shows already on the ‘Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live’ tour?! And it’s not stopping there! They’re coming back to Europe and the UK this summer, and I’m already planning how I’m going to see them as many times as humanly possible. It’s a dream come true!

While known for their popular singles, Pet Shop Boys – Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – have also earned respect as an albums-focused act over the past 40 years. They’ve built on their hit songs with more complex and interesting tracks, and it was this deeper side of their music that took center stage during their London performance this week.

Tennant, 71, announced to the 1,500 fans packed into the Electric Ballroom in Camden that they wouldn’t be playing any of their well-known songs, seemingly addressing anyone who came expecting to hear them.

We’re planning a repeat event this summer. Tonight, we’re featuring a different side of the Pet Shop Boys.

‘It’s B-Sides and album tracks. We’re going deep… and there are quite a lot of ballads.’

I was so thrilled to see Neil Tennant deliver on his promise! He took the stage with Lowe, who’s 66, and they were joined by two amazing keyboard players and a fantastic drummer. It was everything I’d hoped for and more.

Following their tradition of single-word album and tour names, the band called their five-night performance series ‘Obscure.’ This allowed them to delve into their older music, including some songs they’d never played live before.

There were a couple of minor issues during the performance. In 1993, the show had to be paused and restarted when David Tennant momentarily forgot the lyrics and was looking at his sheet music.

It wasn’t hard to picture a world where songs like that one, and “Will-O-The-Wisp” from 2020, became major hits instead.

On the other hand, it was also clear why some songs, like “Bet She’s Not Your Girlfriend,” weren’t released as main tracks and remained as bonus or lesser-known recordings.

As Tennant predicted, the concert featured a lot of ballads, which surprisingly worked really well. “To Face The Truth” was a light and airy bossa nova, and “King Of Rome” was a successful take on lounge jazz.

The song ‘Love Is The Law,’ featured on the band’s 2024 album Nonetheless, sounded as epic and dramatic as a theme song from a James Bond movie.

While big, popular attractions will return in the summer, this event was a special and creative experience on a smaller scale.

Pet Shop Boys play Lytham Festival, Lytham St Annes, on July 4 (lythamfestival.com).

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2026-04-10 17:18