Pet Shop Boys Community

Controversial, or maybe not, opinion: I have almost zero interest in most of their side projects.

I think they are essential for them as artists, but the musical outcomes hold very little appeal for me. I think I listened to Potemkin for a week or two when it came out, and haven't slipped on the CD in decades. Same for The Most Incredible Thing. The Turing stuff sounded impressive to me at the time, but it hasn't been released... As for Muzik, I liked For Every Moment and Ich Bin Musik, but I wouldn't entertain going to see such a show. Closer to Heaven just seemed like a failed experiment to me.

I dunno, I love them as pop stars. Some of the stuff they do off-piste perks my interest (the songs are always worth a listen), but other than these things giving them a wider range, I glaze over when I hear that Javier de Frutos or Jonathan Harvey is working on something with them.

Hard to deny these things are enriching, mind. I'm glad they enjoy them. I think it broadens their pallet and we see the benefit of that in their songwriting and stage shows. But, musically, on their own terms? Meh.

Drico.

Drico One wrote: Sun 12 Apr 2026, 6:50 pm Controversial, or maybe not, opinion: I have almost zero interest in most of their side projects.

I think they are essential for them as artists, but the musical outcomes hold very little appeal for me. I think I listened to Potemkin for a week or two when it came out, and haven't slipped on the CD in decades. Same for The Most Incredible Thing. The Turing stuff sounded impressive to me at the time, but it hasn't been released... As for Muzik, I liked For Every Moment and Ich Bin Musik, but I wouldn't entertain going to see such a show. Closer to Heaven just seemed like a failed experiment to me.

I dunno, I love them as pop stars. Some of the stuff they do off-piste perks my interest (the songs are always worth a listen), but other than these things giving them a wider range, I glaze over when I hear that Javier de Frutos or Jonathan Harvey is working on something with them.

Hard to deny these things are enriching, mind. I'm glad they enjoy them. I think it broadens their pallet and we see the benefit of that in their songwriting and stage shows. But, musically, on their own terms? Meh.

Drico.

I'm interested in their side projects for both artistic value and also I find it fascinating how they "diversify" their monetary intake.

Whereas Closer to heaven was a bad executed idea in the wrong time, I have high appreciation for both Battleship Potemkin and The Most Incredible Thing (seen both live). In my opinion they are musically very rich and both risky creative projects that succeeded in their own terms (watching the movie with the soundtrack on Bluray has been refreshing and a great reminder of that huge experience in Trafalgar Square back in the day).
I think Musik stands a bit cheap altough I have not seen the play neither the movie. In my opinion the songs sound a bit demo-esque, but I read somewhere that it could be made on purpose to fit that kind of show (not sure about that).

The second screening in Norwich Odeon today also had 5 tickets sold. I wonder what sales in the rest of the country were like? One of the staff at the Odeon told me they wouldn't have made enough in returns to pay the electricity bill to have the screen open so I doubt anyone has made any profit from this. It truly was pretty awful mostly though.

It's got a longer run: Wyeside Arts Centre on Thursday, April 30 at 7pm and on Sunday, May 3 at 2pm for instance.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/whats-on ... ls-6570461

scousepsbfan wrote: Sun 12 Apr 2026, 9:27 pm The second screening in Norwich Odeon today also had 5 tickets sold. I wonder what sales in the rest of the country were like? One of the staff at the Odeon told me they wouldn't have made enough in returns to pay the electricity bill to have the screen open so I doubt anyone has made any profit from this. It truly was pretty awful mostly though.

I was at the Vue movie theatre on Leicester Square on Thursday night to watch Musik. I never got to see it live so I bought a ticket in the afternoon. I guess between 20-25 people were there. Not impressive considering how many Petheads were in town for Obscure.

I didn't like the movie/documentary very much besides the music. I went primarily to learn the backstory of Frances Barber's role as Billie Trix. I had the privilege to see Closer to Heaven three times in the Arts Theatre 25 years ago so Thursday was kind of a nostalgic experience too. I didn't like the story very much though.

I had my helping of Soup in Wimbledon today. I attended alone (long story I do have friends!) as did three women and one other man. The women ended up on the same row and were interesting to talk with. Two of them had been to Obscure. One to all 5 nights as I had.

Sandy Shaw wrote: Sun 12 Apr 2026, 11:01 pm I had my helping of Soup in Wimbledon today. I attended alone (long story I do have friends!) as did tbree women and one other nan. The women ended up on the same row and were interesting to talk with. Two of them had been to Obscure. One to all 5 nights as,I had.

One of them was me, thank you for letting me know about this forum! We were a sparse but appreciative audience for the film. To be fair, I didn’t expect Wimbledon to have the biggest target audience!

Shasha wrote: Mon 13 Apr 2026, 10:44 am

Sandy Shaw wrote: Sun 12 Apr 2026, 11:01 pm I had my helping of Soup in Wimbledon today. I attended alone (long story I do have friends!) as did three women and one other man. The women ended up on the same row and were interesting to talk with. Two of them had been to Obscure. One to all 5 nights as I had.

One of them was me, thank you for letting me know about this forum! We were a sparse but appreciative audience for the film. To be fair, I didn’t expect Wimbledon to have the biggest target audience!

Hello Shasha!

Thanks for finding and joining the Forum. I've corrected my typos now!

Closer to Heaven was a great idea (a musical using contemporary dance music) but the execution was dreadful. The play aspect was tired even upon release and the songs were both weak musically and miles from the original remit. I never listen to this soundtrack, unless it's to remember how bad it is. I'd go so far as to say it's the only real misfire in their career, even if I dislike Nightlife.

Battleship Potemkin is solid. It works as a score and I still listen to it often. Nothing to be ashamed of there.

The Most Incredible Thing is gorgeous. I still listen to it fairly often, especially the second and third sections. I couldn't care less about the ballet aspect.

A Man from the Future has some terrific stuff in it, but the narration makes it a bit of a slog. I think I'd like it more as a purely musical album. Still hoping for an official release.

The play EPs (My Beautiful Launderette/Musik) are inessential. I'll never watch the Musik film but I'm the guy who unironically thinks Soup is one of their strongest musical moments. It's a hell of a melody to have written, and thrown away on that. Not sure why they're so obsessed with Billie Trix. Maybe an age thing? Dull, dull, dull.

Looking forward to Naked, if it ever happens.

I don’t think they’ve released it in cinemas to actually make money. I do believe, and I’m happy to be corrected, that if a “project” is also shown in cinemas, regardless of how short a run it has, it makes it eligible for different and extra possible awards. I think it’s been a theatrical release purely for this reason.

tottenhammattspurs wrote: Mon 13 Apr 2026, 3:54 pm I don’t think they’ve released it in cinemas to actually make money. I do believe, and I’m happy to be corrected, that if a “project” is also shown in cinemas, regardless of how short a run it has, it makes it eligible for different and extra possible awards. I think it’s been a theatrical release purely for this reason.

How else would it qualify for the Golden Raspberry Awards?

Sandy Shaw wrote:I had my helping of Soup in Wimbledon today. I attended alone (long story I do have friends!) as did three women and one other man. The women ended up on the same row and were interesting to talk with. Two of them had been to Obscure. One to all 5 nights as I had.

I was that one other man! Sorry I didn't know to say Hi, @Sandy Shaw. I had been hoping to chat with a fan from Hong Kong who was in line with me at Thursday's show. He said he'd be at Musik on Sunday, too, but then was not among that handful of us in the cinema. I might have been under a misapprehension that Wimbledon was the only screening in London. It was a fun enough outing in any case, for my last day in the UK.

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