Born on 10 July: Neil Tennant, English gentleman of synth pop

He was born in 1954 in North Shields, near Newcastle (England) and was a journalist - a music journalist, of course - before elegantly becoming a figurehead of British synth-pop.

A music lover from childhood, he learned to play the guitar and the cello but stopped playing them, publicly at least, ages ago. As a teenager in the 70s, he played in a local band called Dust. After studying history in London, he worked in publishing, notably for Marvel UK and as a journalist for the teen music magazine Smash Hits, where he became assistant editor. This magazine was the equivalent of ‘Joepie’ or ‘7 Extra’ in Belgium.

In 1981, he met Chris Lowe in an electronics shop in London. Their shared passion for synth pop and the German precursors of electro led them to form the duo Pet Shop Boys. Their first international hit, ‘West End Girls’, was released in 1985 and propelled them onto the world stage. Since then, the group has released fifteen studio albums. The latest is ‘Nonetheless’ (2024). With hit singles such as ‘Always On My Mind’, “Suburbia”, i, ‘Go West’ (borrowed from Village People) and ‘What Have I Done To Deserve This’ (a duet with Dusty Springfield), they have undeniably become one of the pillars of British synth pop.

Neil Tennant is also renowned for his commitment to LGBT rights and his support for various social and even political causes, with the recent “Hymn (In Memoriam Alexei Navalny)”, with its references to Pachelbel, closing the doors on Russia as long as dictator Putin continues his evil work. However, from 1998 until 2016, the duo gave a number of memorable concerts in Russia, from Moscow to St Petersburg. The Pet Shop Boys also remain firmly rooted in their time with ‘How Do You Love?’, a cross-collaboration with The Hidden Camera, the project of Berlin-based Canadian wizard Joel Gibbs.

So what is the Pet Shop Boys' recipe for success? The best way to find out is to ask Neil Tennant himself: "We've always wanted the creation of the band's songs and albums to be specific to us. Each time, we try to create our own world. All the recurring themes, characters, musical collaborations, literary references and tour settings are all part of the same work of art, a work that never stops growing...". Without, of course, taking itself too seriously!

Upcoming concert:

2 August: Grote Kaai - Lokeren (Belgium) as part of the Lokerse Feesten festival, which runs from 1 to 10 August. Info and tickets: lokersefeesten.be

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo : © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo : Neil Tennant avec The Pet Shop Boys dans le cadre des Diamond Awards au Sportpaleis d'Anvers (Belgique) en décembre 1987