31 May 2022 (gig)
01 June 2022
“This is the first time we have been to Hull, I cannot think why we did not come sooner” informed Neil Tennant to an enthusiastic audience as the Pet Shop Boys made their first visit to the city at the Bonus Arena.
The fans had held on to their tickets for over two years due to the pandemic but the wait had definitely been worth it as the Dreamworld – The Greatest Hits Live show arrived in style.
The Pet Shop Boys have always had a mix of fashion and music that set them apart from their peers: tonight was no different with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe arriving on stage dressed all in white wearing a facial covering that looked like it had come off a deep sea diver in the nearby River Humber!
As Suburbia kicked off a two hour set of some of the best pop songs you will hear from the last forty years the duo stood under two street lights that highlighted how their songs how stood the test of time.
Just when you wished that the stage would open up more to reveal the rest of the musicians on stage the backdrop opened up as three more musicians came into view as Left to My Own Devices took the concert to a higher level.
Tennant disclosed that Domino Dancing was inspired by a holiday in St Lucia where at night he and Lowe played dominos and perfected a dance afterwards. The track itself, like the majority of their songs is a winner.
It was not all about the past: Monkey Business was released last year. The track proved that the duo could still come up with a good tune though surprisingly when the track was performed in Hull it seemed to be unknown by the majority of the audience.
A surprise came when Tennant played his acoustic guitar on You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You’re Drunk – it felt strange to hear a guitar at a Pet Shop Boys concert.
As Tennant changed into a black suit with white lapels you could be forgiven for thinking that he was a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, though like their music he brought a touch of elegance to the evening.
Musician Clare Uchima provided a magnificent vocal on What Have I Done to Deserve This? Stepping in to cover the parts of the song Dusty Springfield sang on the recorded version, Uchima was magnificent.
As Tennant changed into a long overcoat to replicate the one he wore in the video to West End Girls, Lowe put on his hat with “Boy” emblazed across it – it could have almost been 1985 again when the track was originally released.
“This is my best Tuesday night so far this year” exclaimed Tennant as Being Boring closed a visual and exciting show which had been anything but boring.
Photo credit: Graham Clark
