PET SHOP BOYS - LIVE REVIEW

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Pet Shop Boys + Mike Pickering live @ Eden 
Sessions, St Austell - 28/06/2023

My second trip to the Eden Project in five days and this time I was here to tick off one of the longest lasting items on my bucket list but more of that in a minute. First up, in among the glowing biomes and Cornish sunset, came DJ Mike Pickering - a true legend. Getting the crowd warmed up in front of a giant digital Ukrainian flag, Pickering turned a disused quarry in to an open air club and even the Cornish rain stayed away. After a brief interlude, the main even arrived with the iconic duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe taking the stage in improbable headgear to stand beneath two street lamps and start the party with a pulsating beat - the Pet Shop Boys had arrived. 

"Suburbia, where the suburbs meet utopia" came the repeated refrain on opener 'Suburbia' and from there we were taken on an all encompassing journey through the back catalogue of a band who, with the retirement of Elton John, just moved a rung up the national treasure leader board. 'Rent', 'Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)', 'Jealousy' and 'Love Comes Quickly' reminded us all what brilliant pop songs sound like with consummate ease and panache. But it was 'Where The Streets Have No Name (Can't Take My Eyes Off You)' that really transported me back to being a teenager who was obsessed with this band but suddenly discovering the concept that songs didn't have to come in one flavour and that remixes, cover versions or mash ups could introduce you to a whole new world of music. Similarly, 'Left To My Own Devices' was the first record I purchased with my own money so will always have a place in my heart and those clipped, English vocals are style personified. 

Songs like 'Domino Dancing', 'Paninaro', 'Heart' and 'It's Alright' allow the Pet Shop Boys and their percussive stage guests to show off their dance skills while 'New York City Boy', 'Single-Bilingual', 'Se a Vide e' and 'Go West' indulge us with the camper corners of their back catalogue. The visuals, as you might expect, are stunning with clever use of lights, panels and video images providing a rapidly changing backdrop - at one point making the two men appear as though they were inside a giant zoetrope. The main set was rounded off with a bombastic version of 'It's a Sin' and followed by an encore of 'West End Girls' and the nostalgia filled 'Being Boring' bringing the evening to a triumphant end. This was the perfect pop show with just the right levels of pomp, charm and style but, most importantly, crammed full with over 40 years of brilliantly written songs. So, I finally got to see the band that were my first musical obsession and they didn't disappoint. 

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