Obscure - Your Set List.

[CroMagnon]

Will be interesting to see whether PSB lean into grouping the tracks based on lyrical themes, eras, or mood. With the need to play the big hits gone, there are tracks that seem to 'belong' together somehow. For example, 'Dreaming of the Queen' into 'After The Event' into 'King's Cross' into 'The theatre' works, with Queen linked post-hoc with the death of Diana, After The Event hinting at the aftermath, then King's Cross and the fire link, into The Theatre exploring the underbelly of London life.

I can also imagine

- a history section - 'The resurrectionist', 'Don Juan', 'Hell', 'My October Symphony'
- a political section - 'Integral', 'Fugitive', 'What are we going to to about the rich?'
- a personal tragedy / betrayal section - 'To face the truth', 'I made my excuses and left', 'It couldn't happen here', 'Love is a catastrophe'

[CroMagnon]

Also a 'seedy', Neil-on-the-pull section:

- 'To speak is a sin', 'I want a lover', 'I get excited, you get excited too', 'Willo-the-wisp'

.... could segue into a 'Neil falling in love' section of 'Closer to heaven', 'It always comes as a surprise' and 'Only the dark'.

[alternativeformat]

My dream set. Eleven b-sides and eleven album tracks I'd love to get the attention. How did we get so lucky to have forty years of PSB?

Always
Beauty has laid siege to the city
Bet she’s not your girlfriend
Bright young things
Do I have to?
I get excited (You get excited too)
It must be obvious
It’s not a crime
Miserablism
We all feel better in the dark
We’re the Pet Shop Boys

I made my excuses and left
I want to wake up
If there was love
Inside a dream
My October symphony
Nervously
Radiophonic
To face the truth
Tonight is forever
Twentieth Century
Why am I dancing?

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[petshopgrrl]

Alright! I'm going to celebrate my 500th post with an impossible dream. You could say I'm going to a dreamworld...

Roughly in order:

For Your Own Good
Closer To Heaven (Nightlife version)
Radiophonic
The Resurrectionist
The Truck-driver And His Mate

Discoteca
Nightlife
Bright Young Things
Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend
Sexy Northerner
The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On
I Want A Lover
One Night
Feel
It Always Comes As A Surprise
Indefinite Leave To Remain
Forever In Love

Too Many People
It Couldn't Happen Here
Your Funny Uncle
Somebody Else's Business
Miserablism
Some Speculation
Love Is The Law
One More Chance
Tonight Is Forever
(encore)
Will-O-The-Wisp
Decide

This was tough - my shortlist was 87 tracks long! Nice to see certain songs getting lots of love. If they don't do Will-o, I say we riot. You know you're getting New London Boy though, don't you?

Also a 'seedy', Neil-on-the-pull section:

- 'To speak is a sin', 'I want a lover', 'I get excited, you get excited too', 'Willo-the-wisp'

.... could segue into a 'Neil falling in love' section of 'Closer to heaven', 'It always comes as a surprise' and 'Only the dark'.

I think that's the theme of my entire middle section here.

[bongsteve]

I did 2 different lists. Mine, which has some slower tracks included and an upbeat list where all of the songs are, well, more upbeat.

Setlist in no particular order, ask me tomorrow and they'll probably be very different.

Mine
1. This Must Be the Place
2. My October Symphony
3. I Want To Wake Up
4. Decide
5. Luna Park
6. Always
7. Beauty Has Laid Siege to the City
8. Hit and Miss
9. I'm Not Scared
10. We’re All Criminals Now
11. A Face Like That
12. Fugitive
13. Listening
14. King of Rome
15. The Dictator Decides
16. We All Feel Better In The Dark
17. If Jesus Had a Sister
18. An Open Mind
19. In His Imagination
20. Happy People
21. The Secret of Happiness
22. Between Two Islands
23. Dreaming of the Queen

Upbeat
1. This Must Be the Place
2. I Want To Wake Up
3. Decide
4. We’re All Criminals Now
5. A Face Like That
6. The Boy Who Couldn’t Keep His Clothes On
7. Inside a Dream
8. The End of the World
9. Fugitive
10. Happy People
11. I’m Not Scared
12. I Will Fall
13. I’ve Got Plans (Involving You)
14. For Your Own Good
15. Somebody Else’s Business
16. Why Am I Dancing?
17. Two Divided by Zero
18. Tonight is Forever
19. Why Don’t We Live Together?
20. Between Two Islands
21. A Different Point of View
22. We All Feel Better in the Dark
23. Bet She’s Not Your Girlfriend

[markus]

Alright! I'm going to celebrate my 500th post with an impossible dream. You could say I'm going to a dreamworld...

Roughly in order:

For Your Own Good
Closer To Heaven (Nightlife version)
Radiophonic
The Resurrectionist
The Truck-driver And His Mate

Discoteca
Nightlife
Bright Young Things
Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend
Sexy Northerner
The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On
I Want A Lover
One Night
Feel
It Always Comes As A Surprise
Indefinite Leave To Remain
Forever In Love

Too Many People
It Couldn't Happen Here
Your Funny Uncle
Somebody Else's Business
Miserablism
Some Speculation
Love Is The Law
One More Chance
Tonight Is Forever
(encore)
Will-O-The-Wisp
Decide

This was tough - my shortlist was 87 tracks long! Nice to see certain songs getting lots of love. If they don't do Will-o, I say we riot. You know you're getting New London Boy though, don't you?

Also a 'seedy', Neil-on-the-pull section:

- 'To speak is a sin', 'I want a lover', 'I get excited, you get excited too', 'Willo-the-wisp'

.... could segue into a 'Neil falling in love' section of 'Closer to heaven', 'It always comes as a surprise' and 'Only the dark'.

I think that's the theme of my entire middle section here.

You're getting my official vote, I''d buy a ticket to hear this setlist.

[lalolalo]

I wouldn't dare to risk a full setlist I wouldn't select tomorrow, but I know I would love to have these tracks included:

- Nervously.
- After the event.
- Hey, headmaster.
- I want a lover.

and closing/encores with either:
- Shameless
- Delusions of grandeur

[dbaseboy]

All great suggestions, and I have my own favourites which I hope they play - as well as hoping it gets recorded. But the one huge huge surprise I think (and can’t see it’s been mentioned) is if they debut “In the club or in the queue”

[Gabby]

Fugitive's been played live already on the Electric tour, so if the criteria is stuck to, it wont be on the playlist.

They haven't said it will only be songs never performed live.

My bad - in my defense I did pretty much skim all of the stuff about Obscure and Volume in my 6am waking up fuzz so I could frantically sign up for the pre-sale.

[Gabby]

Just saw the PSB Facebook post for this which has Music For Boys playing - can we assume that is one of the tracks they'll do?

That would make for a good opener as they come on stage to segue into something else.

[CroMagnon]

You know you're getting New London Boy though, don't you?

'New London Boy' was part of the double A-side with 'All the young dudes', so shouldn't be eligible, even though Dudes got all the attention and radio play. Similarly, we shouldn't get 'How can you expect to be taken seriously?', although it would be cool to reprise its Performance outing.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

You know you're getting New London Boy though, don't you?

'New London Boy' was part of the double A-side with 'All the young dudes', so shouldn't be eligible, even though Dudes got all the attention and radio play. Similarly, we shouldn't get 'How can you expect to be taken seriously?', although it would be cool to reprise its Performance outing.

Have they ever performed live a version of How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously that's been done Behaviour-style, rather than Brothers In Rhythm style? That wouldn't seem out of place.

Retro.

[Drico One]

All great suggestions, and I have my own favourites which I hope they play - as well as hoping it gets recorded. But the one huge huge surprise I think (and can’t see it’s been mentioned) is if they debut “In the club or in the queue”

It crossed my mind that perhaps they intend to accompany this show with a new single or EP - further songs which they could play as they would be "obscure" in the truest sense. It would give what is a "looking back" exercise a more contemporary feel.

Imagine In the club or in the queue...swoon.

Drico.

[Dog]

All great suggestions, and I have my own favourites which I hope they play - as well as hoping it gets recorded. But the one huge huge surprise I think (and can’t see it’s been mentioned) is if they debut “In the club or in the queue”

It crossed my mind that perhaps they intend to accompany this show with a new single or EP - further songs which they could play as they would be "obscure" in the truest sense. It would make what is a "looking back" exercise a more contemporary feel.

Imagine In the club or in the queue...swoon.

Drico.

Yes, I had imagined an “Obscure” compilation - a best of made up of non-single tracks - but a new EP of unreleased material would be even better

Highly limited of course, to retain its obscure status.

[Drico One]

All great suggestions, and I have my own favourites which I hope they play - as well as hoping it gets recorded. But the one huge huge surprise I think (and can’t see it’s been mentioned) is if they debut “In the club or in the queue”

It crossed my mind that perhaps they intend to accompany this show with a new single or EP - further songs which they could play as they would be "obscure" in the truest sense. It would make what is a "looking back" exercise a more contemporary feel.

Imagine In the club or in the queue...swoon.

Drico.

Yes, I had imagined an “Obscure” compilation - a best of made up of non-single tracks - but a new EP of unreleased material would be even better

Highly limited of course, to retain its obscure status.

With an exclusive slipcase designed by Farrow, signed by Neil and Chris, and more expensive than the price of a concert ticket.