Who
Pet Shop Boys
Where
Birmingham Resorts World Arena
When
28th May 2022
Price
£60.00
Who with
No-one
Position
Seated, towards the left
Comments
For my second show of the year I continued the theme of making a long-awaited return viewing of an old favourite from a seated position. I'd last watched Pet Shop Boys back in 2009, making for a relatively modest 13 year gap, and that show had been so gloriously definitive I'd not thought I'd be back for more. The delay was prolonged after the show was rescheduled from May 2020 to May 2021, before finally taking place two years late. I'd even got a refund at one point when I'd gave up much hope of shows taking place and didn't want to risk losing the cash, but I rebooked eventually, even being bold enough to pay for a non refundable hotel. Once I saw that Pet Shop Boys were scheduled to start at 8pm and with no support I did consider dropping the hotel, but stuck with the plan and thought I should make the best of it. I did refrain from driving and parking there though to avoid the disgusting parking charges. Last time at the NIA I'd been very close to the front and enjoyed the standing, but this time I knew I'd be much further away. I'd really enjoyed the Pandemonium DVD live recording and my appreciation for the guys had just increased over time, and in the end I just couldn't bear to miss out. I hadn't been at the NEC for a music show since successive performances from Noel Gallagher and ELO back in early 2016, and although I call it by its new official name Resorts World Arena above, for me the venue will always be the NEC!

It was a crazily busy Saturday night for the West Midlands, with The Killers supported by the Manics performing in Coventry, and even Radio 1's Big Weekend also in Coventry, albeit that was just full of musical effluent like Ed Sheeran! But it made for a lot of action for one night, making me wonder if the late trains would be insanely popular as a result. I had no doubt that Pet Shop Boys were the right choice though! They'd actually billed this as their first greatest hits tour, but as a band who rarely shy away from their best songs, the title was a little bit redundant. I'd enjoyed a bit of drama with my blu ray player acting up to try and sabotage my watching of Twin Peaks, along with a fuckwitted bin man destroying my brand new outdoor pot plant due to outrageous negligence and carelessness. But everything worked out in the end and on balance it was a fantastic weekend, as before the show I finished sorting out my 2021 photos at long last. I also finished Twin Peaks on the Sunday and realised I didn't need to pre-book many attractions for my forthcoming trip to Wales. I even found time to watch the four hour version of Justice League too! I packed quickly for an overnight stay but intended to return early the next morning to continue with my activities, missing out on a Sunday morning swim being my main sacrifice. It was a gorgeous and sunny day but I was pretty focused, skipping the Cheese Festival yet again, catching the train in that I was confident would give me sufficient time to check into the hotel then return to the venue promptly. I started drafting some notes on my phone so the write-up of this review would be similarly efficient, and the only thing I didn't do was listen to some PSB hits beforehand.

I had to change trains once and it filled up at Brum, but once I arrived at Birmingham International I was delighted how easy it was to find the bus stops, which even had clear live departure information and contactless payment to get me to the hotel quickly and easily. I was staying at the Travelodge which was physically near the Airport and arena, but as the trip involved going around the runway, walking wasn't really an option. I still have frustrating memories of trying to walk into Heathrow and how it was made pretty much impossible and as a result bullied you into getting a tube, car or taxi to gain access. After checking in I headed up to my room on the 6th and top floor, being caught a little off-guard by someone commenting on my green 1996 SFA/Howard Marks t-shirt. It was a lovely room and check in was easy, and the seemingly pleasant bar made me think I should make the most of it, and ensure I enjoy a full English breakfast the next morning for my troubles. After getting changed into a shirt it was similarly simple to get the bus back to Birmingham International, and this time I figured out which stop was slightly closer to the hotel, although they looked about the same on Google Maps. I got off the bus at the airport and decided that Burger King would be the best option, enjoying large chicken fries with actual potato fries and also a large drink. As Burger King is outrageously biased towards burgers I feel slightly aggrieved you can't order these together as a meal, and it ended up being pricier than the food on offer in the NEC! But it was quick and easy, and compared to a restaurant it was hardly pricey. I then got the cool former maglev train back to Birmingham International before walking through the NEC venues to the NEC arena itself.

It was a bit of a walk to the arena, but I recalled I'd explored Resorts World and looked at the lake and surroundings before, so just made my way there. Security was hassle-free as I'd long since given up on my determination to bring in bottles of water, and I was a little taken aback both by the size of the welcome area and how busy it was. I couldn't believe much of the food was cheaper than Burger King, but I'd made my decision and at least I'd got to eat in a quieter place. Also the volume of people was insane and reminded me that the pandemic really is over, or at least that we'd all decided to pretend it was to the point that it had actually became our reality! Given the range of food and drink on offer, in conjunction with the outrageously priced £25 programs, I'm sure the show was quite a money spinner for the guys! Also much like at the NIA and the Alan Partridge show I'd recently seen, the venue had a dedicated Pravha bar, but I correctly predicted there'd be quieter bars if I walked onwards and down the ramp closer to the seats. I went one better than Pravha and had Lost Lager by Brewdog, and despite the £6+ price tag and nasty plastic cup, it was lovely that the venue had embraced the concept that people may actually want beer that isn't totally fucking horrible. As I felt pleased with myself for skipping the queue and getting a hassle-free pint, I didn't mind at all. After admiring the elaborate overhead pinky/purple lights I recalled from last time, I headed up the stairs and towards my booked seat. The arena had opened at 6pm and I took my seat by 7pm, a solid hour before the band were due onstage. It was relatively quiet but filled up just enough that I didn't feel comfortable leaving my seat again and being that twat who pushes past everyone to get back in.

After emerging up the stairs into the arena the view initially seemed great and actually remained so after climbing lots more steps up to my seat on row W. I was in the middle of the left tier, albeit not as far left as I'd been for ELO. In fact it was a pretty decent seat, and I had no issues whatsoever with the chairs either. They seemed quite comfortable! I felt closer to the stage than I had done at the NIA, and I had a look online to be shocked by the fact that the NIA and NEC have pretty much the same capacities! This fact astonished me because I'd always thought that the NEC was far larger. It also makes me wonder why anyone would play the NEC when it's so much more inconvenient for the fans to get to? And I still feel that larger acts choose the NEC, so the facts don't quite stack up, but there they are. It was a strange choice that there was no support but the Pet Shop Boys don't mess around with their production, and I could see that two lamp posts were already set up on a black and smoke-filled stage, which gradually demisted as the commencement time approached. From reading the back of fan t-shirts in front of me I could see that the guys had done a few dates in Europe first and would be revisiting after, and given that the West Midlands was sandwiched between a show in Newcastle and one in Glasgow, they were enduring quite a painful and excessive trek and could have planned it better! On Facebook the band posted a cute pic of some Lego minifigures sporting some of their classic costumes, and the morning after praised the show and said that they were heading up to Glasgow. Simple information, but the personal touch on a band's social media is surprisingly rare.

The DJ spun Metal Guru by T-Rex and also Delivery by Babyshambles, but otherwise I can't say I noticed much that was played. The time went by almost as fast as my pint went down, and loud electronic music was pumped out just prior to the band arriving onstage a little after the advertised 8pm, as the lights went down and the crowd were enthused. By now the arena seemed pretty full, and the band appeared to perform the delightful Suburbia! I shot my first video and the singing along was perhaps the loudest of the night, but it was just the two guys performing on a small stage in front of a very wide video screen, and with side screens also. Also Neil was standing completely still and sporting an unusual mask that you can also see Chris wearing in one of the two pictures above. I had faith that it was very intentional and part of the performance, and the fact that Chris was moving around more than Neil at first was perverse and most amusing! The guys were wearing lab coats as well as the elaborate masks, and I just knew that this was part of a masterplan to build up as the performance went along. On my video I zoomed in a lot so it turned out quite short and jerky as a result, but despite the lack of motion and relative simplicity, the brilliance of the song shone through and the crowd loved it. Also my view was great, albeit a little reminiscent of my position for The Killers at Nottingham Arena. The feel and layout of the venues is similar, but Pet Shop Boys are a superior band, as the lyrical awfulness of Brandon Flowers means their tunes have very little depth once the immediate pleasure of hearing them live passes by. I had no doubt I'd made the right decision, but to have three of my top acts playing on the same night, and also unusually the three bands that my family universally like, was most special and notable.

Next up was Can You Forgive Her?, which went down well but it was very clear that they were starting slowly. Much more exciting was Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money), which was the first tune I'd not heard before. The band came alive a little as I captured by video, and by now Neil had taken off his mask and glasses and was moving around a bit. This delightful start improved even more with Where The Streets Have No Name and then Rent! I can't imagine that they were catering to those who'd just watched the Pandemonium tour, but it really felt like they were! They were delivering the hits and also filling in the omissions from last time. Streets was very energetic and encouraged some crowd singing, but Rent was much more my tune. I shot another jerky close up video capturing a scrolling background and it was really pretty. I also was taking near-record numbers of photos, but my phone simply couldn't achieve the same level of zooming as my camera managed. The glory of the start was matched by knowing that the guys were just warming up, and we had confidence that they wouldn't be fobbing us off with unwanted b-sides tonight! Neil welcomed us to Dreamland, cheesily quoting a few lyrics of the world they were evoking with their unique take on suburbia. Next up was I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More, which was another new hit for me but a fairly minor one, before the much more familiar So Hard. I shot another video capturing that the stage was still small and sparse, but the band were on form and the sound very dynamic. Next up the band left the stage and Left To My Own Devices was the big turning point. The screen raised, a live backing band appeared, Chris ascended to an elevated stage for his main keyboards, and then Neil re-emerged in a black suit and what looked to be a white fez.

Left To My Own Devices has long been one of my faves and naturally I shot another video, this time a longer one and with less zoom to capture the full spectacle. Neil only ascended the Kylie-like stairs to stand by Chris once I believed, and they were surrounded by a semi circle of black revolving portrait screens also. This was the stage set I knew was coming and it didn't disappoint, although compared to the performance aspect and sheer production of Pandemonium, by comparison this was low key! Proceedings then got even better with Single-Bilingual, which was the one I ended up posting onto Facebook the morning after. I think I'd convinced myself it wasn't a top drawer tune after they omitted it last time around, but my mind was changed by how catchy and exciting it was. The band accompanied it with energetic drums and spacey purple and blue lights. It didn't last though and ended up segueing into Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is), which is a strong contender for my all-time favourite. It's just such a positive and catchy number, mashing together glorious pop with expertly constructed technique. The crowd loved it also, and I shot a short seventh video capturing the red lights. The videos were certainly turning out better now I'd zoomed out a bit. Domino Dancing was preceded by a story about how Neil and Chris had gone to St Lucia together on holiday and were frustrated by a friend who kept beating them at dominos and dancing to celebrate. I shot another video capturing Neil encouraging us to sing along amid the red lights. It's far from an essential tune, but the energy was positive and everyone was loving this.

After a succession of hits it was perhaps inevitable that something else would appear, and a story about meeting an American who asked if they were the Pet Shop Boys, then declaring something about being on monkey business led to a song I later confirmed was also called Monkey Business, which was from their latest album Hotspot. It had been released back in January 2020, but the pandemic had prevented us from hearing it live until now. Although unknown and a bit weird, the inevitable catchiness and quality shone through, and the sheer clarity of Neil's vocals and how he retains it in live performance cannot be overstated. I shot a short video for what I think was New York City Boy, then to my shock my camera said that the memory card was full. I had literally space for 2000 pictures and it continued taking photos without an issue, so this was wrong and utterly bizarre. Also the viewing lens had stopped working and I'd noted videos refused to record for longer than 90 seconds, so I'd have to sort out my camera sometime if I could. It's a shame because the sound and picture quality was generally excellent, but after a while I decided that some relatively blurry phone videos would have to do instead. And at least they weren't photo Nazis, but when it comes to a musical performance they'd have a nerve to try and stop us, and would struggle to with the length of the rows and lack of space to approach us and whine about it. Alan Partridge had been undermined a little by the stewards being Nazis, which was extra annoying as they hadn't even announced beforehand that we couldn't take pictures.

Next followed yet another unheard hit and a brief acoustic moment of You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk, which Neil performed on a guitar underneath one of the two lamp posts. By now his hat was off and we could see his head was completely shaved, and also the lamp posts had been pulled apart to make a bit more space for the elaborate set. Jealousy was pretty but lacked the theatrical performances that had elevated it last time, whereas Love Comes Quickly offered yet another unheard hit. It was memorable as a screen had descended to hide the band and Neil started at the left, gradually walking to the right in front of cool ambient lights, timing the completion of his slow walk across the stage with the length of the tune. It was so far down the list of songs I wanted to hear, but was made great by how well they did it and that we had confidence it wouldn't be at the expense of greater hits to come. My setlist states that Losing My Mind by Stephen Sondheim was next, but I can't remember this at all besides my photos informing me that Neil was now behind the video screen, with his image and the band being reflected through. Pet Shop Boys had held back all four of their number one hits until now, and first up - to my surprise - was Always On My Mind! This was the first video I shot on my phone and the sound was much boomier, although the image also was much poorer as I feared. This also was the moment we all finally got to our feet and sang along. I still feel annoyance that people slag this off for holding the terminally overrated Fairytale Of New York off number one, as in the grand scheme of things this remains a truly great number one record. It may suffer a little credibility from being a cover version, but no-one can call it a pointless retread as the guys completely reimagined it and ultimately kicked the shit out of the original!

I'd expected this to be a finale and was quite surprised that they didn't leave the stage for an interval after unleashing it halfway through the set. Perhaps because The Divine Comedy had done the same, and both the band and the fans would have been quite happy to enjoy a lucrative and profitable interval, it was something of a surprise. I wouldn't have minded a loo break either, but I consider leaving during a performance to be an unforgivable sin and was determined to stick it out. For Dreamland Neil put the sunglasses back on along with a fancy silver coat, and I'm glad that I was taking so many photos to capture this, especially as I knew from experience how few were likely to turn out well. It worked much better without the hugely punchable Olly Alexander sullying Neil's vocals, but much more exciting was the glorious Heart! Of course I shot another video of the Kraftwerk-like techno backdrop and it remains one of my favourites, although it wasn't quite as exciting as when they'd opened with it last time around. Having a top quality official DVD recording of their last tour really helped it to live in the memory! What Have I Done To Deserve This? was preceded by a shout out to the late Dusty Springfield, but on vocals tonight was a lady called Clare Uchima. She and Neil stood on opposing lamp posts while roadies dressed as builders carefully edged them closer to each other in time with the duet elements. I shot a short video and it was yet another brilliant moment. Next up was my final unheard couplet of hits in It's Alright and Vocal. By my count that's nine hits we'd not enjoyed last time, and that really is an astonishing tally. This fact alone comfortably justified my attendance tonight, without a shadow of doubt.

The crowd were more enthused by Go West and I shot another video, but this was really far, far less dramatic than it had been on the Pandemonium tour, although it did allow us to enjoy the song with some clapping and punching of the air amid deep red lights. The emotion that Neil brings to the vocals really elevates what could be a silly and campy song into something truly special. I'm sure many would argue that It's A Sin is the high point, and there is something incredibly exciting about it. The dramatic and flashing red lights gave my phone video a bit of trouble keeping up, and I'd probably have uploaded this to Facebook after the show if a random error message didn't stop it from doing that! The sound and picture quality was pretty great and the transparent front screen again came down partway, reminding me of ELO, although with my side view for that concert I perhaps didn't fully appreciate it then. Chris and Neil simply turned their backs to us and walked offstage. The main set was over! We clapped and cheered for their return but it was hardly in doubt, and it wasn't a surprise when they re-emerged for the final number one hit of West End Girls! Neil introduced Chris twice, firstly by just pointing at him, and secondly along with the rest of the band. Chris by now was wearing a baseball cap that simply said "boy" on it, and I shot a two minute video of the initially minimalist lights that accompanied West End Girls. For me it will always remain one of the best raps ever committed to record, and although it wasn't quite their debut single in reality (having been re-released), it is a strong contender for the best start to a career ever!

The screen was down again but I believe the band were still playing in the background, and much as the show had began it had now returned to the beautiful simplicity of the duo just standing next to each other and performing. Without a doubt, Pet Shop Boys are the greatest duo of all time, I don't see who else can remotely compare? West End Girls featured some old images of the band on the screen and I thought it would be a solid end to the show, but Neil declared that the last tune was here and it was dedicated to the recently departed Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode, and indeed everyone else who was no longer here. The pandemic and delay in the show wasn't specifically referenced, but it was a poignant comment that some who'd have hoped to attend tonight were sadly no longer with us. This sentiment was undermined a little by the disappointing choice to finish up with Being Boring, which for me really lives up to its name! It's quite hypnotic but I heard the band express annoyance that Heart got to number one but Being Boring was a much better song, and I must very firmly and strongly disagree with that sentiment! But it had been an amazing show and a low key ending took us full circle, and given the volume of hits unleashed I don't think anyone was remotely unhappy. There'd only been one encore and proceedings had finished by 10pm, but there really wasn't much more we could have asked for. Pet Shop Boys had played a hits-filled and high-production show for almost two hours, and what more could anyone possibly want? Perhaps I could have got the train back but I tried not to think about it, and I must say it was quite nice to not feel I had to race to get back to Birmingham International.

Apparently Spread A Little Happiness by The Cliff Adams Singers was played as we exited, or at least tried to exit but it was extraordinarily slow. I dread to think what would have happened if there was a fire, as we were standing up for ages before eventually moving down the stairs and out. Considering they'd very pointedly filtered us towards specific entrance points to take to our seats, it didn't seem very good and was unexpected given how well organised most other aspects of the night were. Given how tricky it can be to get home from the NEC, I'm surprised how relaxed everyone was about the slow escape! The stage was being efficiently dismantled by roadies/builders wearing hi vis jackets, and once I reached the concourse I looked to my left and found an open door, skipping past the majority of the crowd who were blindly heading to the main entrance, which is pretty much the opposite way to the train station. We followed a direct road then some stairs up to the train station, and the crowd dispersed until only a handful were ahead of me in the queue for the bus. It filled up before departing as I sat in the back seat, but fortunately a lot randomly got off at the first stop in the middle of nowhere. I made a few phone notes but figured I'd take further advantage of the hotel by going straight to bed, falling asleep once I got the airflow through the window right to get the room to the correct temperature. The next day I enjoyed an early and yummy full English breakfast buffet before 8am, tidied up, made a few notes on my phone and got my bus then trains home without the slightest fuss. It was great as I had a lot I wanted to do! I also heard some of the songs on my phone while waiting at New Street. As far as I can see the setlist on this tour remains fairly constant, and they came extraordinarily close to a definitive setlist. Love Etc, Before and I'm With Stupid were the biggest omissions, but I guess that just gives them something to remedy next time around. Also Building A Wall and Two Divided By Zero had gone down a treat last time and were missed as a result. Given how much I'd enjoyed it I certainly would be happy to watch them again. And despite being a massive seated arena show, such PopArt can only be rewarded with a fitting 9/10 score!
Setlist
Suburbia
Can You Forgive Her?
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)
Where The Streets Have No Name
Rent
I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More
So Hard
Left To My Own Devices
Single-Bilingual
Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is)
Domino Dancing
Monkey Business
New York City Boy
You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
Jealousy
Love Comes Quickly
Losing My Mind
Always On My Mind
Dreamland
Heart
What Have I Done To Deserve This?
It's Alright
Vocal
Go West
It's A Sin
West End Girls
Being Boring

Mark: 9.0/10