Pet Shop Boys Bring Down the House

Upon arrival, it was already clear that the audience was excited! A huge line of people braved the heat to get in on time for the Pet Shop Boys concert. Despite being the second time in the Netherlands during this tour, the AFAS in Amsterdam was sold out again! The diversity of the attendees was evident in the line, with young and old alike ready for a great party. Once inside and just after eight, the show began. The venue’s music transitioned to fitting Pet Shop Boys tunes before the lights went out and the men took the stage. The dancing from the crowd immediately picked up.

An intro with the hit ‘Suburbia,’ followed by ‘Can You Forgive Her,’ where singer Neil Tennant removed his mask. During this song, there was already nice interaction with the audience, with occasional shouts of ‘Amsterdam.’ Visualizations in the background added an interesting dynamic to the performance, not to mention the outfits. Great respect for Neil and Chris, who were performing in thick coats, turtlenecks, and long pants, while the audience enjoyed themselves (or melted away) in shorts or dresses.

Fans who had seen the duo before remarked that they sounded just as good as ever. Their version of ‘Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You)’ was introduced with a monologue in which Chris explained the tour name: ‘We’re going to Dreamworld, our world, a world of music where being boring is a sin and the streets have no name.’ The audience was actively encouraged to sing and dance along. As the concert progressed, more colour appeared on stage and in the visuals. The men delved further into Dreamworld!

As a surprise, a singer appeared behind the LED panels after a few songs, revealing that the gentlemen had brought some extra support. The lady and three men joined in at intervals as background singers, on drums, or on keys! They also provided musical intermissions when Chris and Neil went for an outfit change.

The interaction with everyone in the venue was very welcome and was well received. The talk about the second time in the Netherlands, in which he ended with a ‘Bedankt’ (thank you), was met with loud cheers. It was interesting to hear the stories behind the songs. For instance, he introduced the next song with a story about a song that was created in Lucia in 1987, when they had nothing else to do after dinner but play dominoes. The friend they made there always did a dance when he won, which led to the song ‘Domino Dancing.’ The audience immediately started dancing and sang the chorus loudly. Tennant appreciated it: ‘Amsterdam, that was amazing,’ which ensured that the second time, the chorus was sung just as loudly.

‘A New Bohemia’ came along, followed by an intro to the song ‘Jealousy’; the first song they ever wrote together. ‘You know this one, right?’ ‘Oh, this one is fun too,’ ‘This is my favourite,’ were heard from various corners of the venue. After some encouragement, the audience enthusiastically joined in on most songs. Later in the evening, with the song ‘Dreamland,’ little encouragement was needed as everyone danced along immediately.

Later, there were performances of the Village People’s cover of ‘Go West’ and the crowd favourite ‘It’s a Sin.’ Phones went up in the air to capture the moment! The big sing-along was an absolute hit and turned the sold-out AFAS Live into one big choir. A resounding end to a resounding concert! But then there was the encore. As a finale, everyone enjoyed one last outfit change, the song ‘West End Girls,’ and some spectacular graphics on the screens. This song also led to lots of dancing and some last bits of singing. As a big surprise, there was a second encore, ‘Being Boring,’ but then it was truly over.

And so, the Pet Shop Boys once again threw a fantastic party during their second time in the Netherlands on this tour!