The Pet Shop Boys would probably be the first to admit that two men on a stage - one standing glued to the spot and the other a 52-year-old - does not immediately sound like a great night out.
 | | Chris Lowe was shining brightly on keys |
However, Pet Shop Boys have mastered concert performances, and on the back of an acclaimed new album, Fundamental, they have hit the road once again Thetford Forest's venue at the Forestry Commission Centre is fantastic. I have been to several concerts here, all in dry weather, and the site, facilities and organisation are second to none. Support band The Norwegian support band, Lorraine, played a short but pleasant set. The standout track was their recent single, appropriately titled I Feel It. My companions debated if they were good, bad or fell somewhere in the middle. Central to this discussion was whether they sounded like Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys or even Europe - disturbingly one of their songs had a Final Countdown feel. I’m not sure we came to a consensus! Star act It was up to the Pet Shop Boys to give the masterclass.
 | | Neil Tennant takes the spotlight |
The headliners showed that the appetite to entertain - certainly in Neil Tennant's case - is stronger than ever. The stage set was simple, with two huge white blocks continually moved to provide illuminated backdrops. The set-list boasted enough new and old tracks to keep everyone happy. As with their new album, the gig opened with Psychological. Break in pace The only breaks in a high-energy set were Numb, the amazing new track penned by Diane Warren which must be a single, the ever-popular West End Girls and the poignant Dreaming Of The Queen, performed to a backdrop of visuals from Princess Diana's funeral cortege. As always, the older tracks including Left to My Own Devices, Always On My Mind, Streets Have No Name, It’s A Sin and the encore of Go West went down exceptionally well. New tracks However, songs from the new album, such as the recent single I’m With Stupid with its overtly political lyrics and visuals, the new single Minimal, The Sodom And Gomorrah Show and Integral were all well received.
 | | The show left fans smiling |
The merging of Minimal with Shopping was a nice touch and hung together effectively. The only omission from the set was Being Boring but with a back catalogue as vast as theirs, someone's favourite will always be missed out. So where do the Pet Shop Boys go from here: two middle-aged men churning out intelligent pop music. On the basis of this performance, and the rapturous reception they should continue to hang around. Pop music is out of fashion, but who needs to worry about trends when you can have this much fun. Pet Shop Boys played at Thetford Forest on Friday, 21 July, 2006. Photo credits: Rob Dunger. | 
