Pet Shop Boys, Bournemouth International Centre

Out of this world!

The BIC Windsor Hall has seen some extraordinary shows over the years but nothing quite like this!

Imagine stepping inside a giant kaleidoscope filled with incredible colours, flashing lights, lasers and music that transports you to the past, the present and the future leaving you giddy and euphoric.

Electro- pop pioneers The Pet Shop Boys took us on the most incredible inter-galactic visual and musical journey arriving on stage like alien space travellers in silver helmets: front man Neil Tennant’s blasted open to reveal metal curls like a Medusa, while keyboard player Chris Lowe had his head completely encased.

That was just the start of it.

The sky really was the limit with this epic show that left us open- mouthed with amazement yet unable resist the urge to dance, sing and embrace the silliness of it all.

There was a fair amount of newer material from the recent albums Super and Electric as well as tracks from the very early years yet, knitted together by the pulsating dance beats and techno rhythms and Neil’s distinctive vocals, all sounded as relevant today as back in the eighties – only better!

Starting with Inner Sanctum they quickly moved on to a classic ‘Opportunites (Let’s Make Lots of Money). Pop Kids from the new Super album that followed did not create the same excitement despite its catchy chorus and dance beats, and neither did the new track The Dictator Decides with its mono lighting and imagery and dark messages but they worked well within the set and as part of the whole theatrical experience. There was a disco-tastic New York City Boy that took the tempo up before launching into the Latin rhythms of Se A Vida (That’s the Way Life Is).

West End Girls brought huge cheers and applause with Neil Tennant’s distinctive narrative and vocal drawl sounding as good as ever.

With a massive back catalogue it was inevitable a few favourites would be left out- there was no Rent, Heart or Suburbia . But what a delight it was to hear

It’ a Sin, Love Comes Quickly, Left to my own Devices, Go West, and, in the encore, Domino Dancing and Always on My Mind.

A sensational show from start to finish.