By Ananda Alves, Editorial Intern
RIO DE JANEIRO – Last in Rio in 2007, British duo Pet Shop Boys will be playing at Citibank Hall on October 14, showcasing their new album “Yes”, released in March of this year.
The duo consists of Neil Tennant, the main vocalist, and Chris Lowe on keyboards. They met in August 1981 and discovered they shared the same love for progressive dance music, founded Pet Shop Boys. Many of their greatest hits, including “It’s a Sin” and “Rent”, were written during the early years.
The duo got their big break in 1983. New York producer Bobby Orlando suggested recording with Pet Shop Boys after they sent him a demo tape. In April 1984, Orlando produced the club hit “West End Girls”.
In October 1985, Tennant and Lowe released their debut album “Please” and a new version of “West End Girls”, this time produced by Stephen Hague. The song hit the top spot in many countries including Finland, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
In 1987, Pet Shop Boys received a BRIT Award and an Ivor Novello Award for the single “West End Girls”. In the same year, “It’s a Sin” was released and became their second number-one hit. The following year, the duo released a brand new single, “Domino Dancing”, which remains one of their best-known hits.
Five years later, Pet Shop Boys decided to reinvent their image and returned to the UK Singles Chart with the hit “Can You Forgive Her?”. They also covered Village People’s “Go West”, and reached number two in the UK charts, with a computer-generated music video inspired by the Soviet Union.
In 1994, the musicians offered a remix of the single “Girls & Boys”, by the British band Blur. It was the beginning of a trend for the duo to remix other artists’ songs. In August 1995, Pet Shop Boys released a single called “Se a vida é” (That’s The Way Life Is), inspired by Latin American music, featuring drums by Brazilian act Olodum. This song was recorded on their sixth album “Bilingual”, released in September 1995.
Pet Shop Boys released two greatest hits albums a couple of years later. In 2003, “Pop Art: Pet Shop Boys – The Hits”, a double compilation, brought two new singles: “Miracle” and “Flamboyant”. The tracks were divided into two discs: “Pop” presented their most mainstream pop and dance hits, while in “Art”, experimental songs showed a different side to the duo.
Four years later, Neil and Chris released “Disco 4”, their latest remix album, offering remixes of artists such as The Killers, David Bowie, Madonna and Rammstein. In 2007, they came to Rio, performing an impressive concert full of visual pizzazz, choreography and high-tech stage tricks.
At Citibank Hall, Pet Shop Boys will play a set including new material from “Yes” and their biggest 80s and 90s hits such as “Being Boring”, “Domino Dancing” and “West End Girls”. We can certainly expect another masterpiece from Neil and Chris.
Check their website for news and further details.
Pet Shop Boys at Citibank Hall
October 14 9:30PM
Avenida Ayrton Senna, 3000 Barra da Tijuca
Tickets from R$70 to R$250.