Huxleys Neue Welt, Berlin, Germany13th July 2026
Pet Shop Boys - “Obskur Pet Shop Boys” - Princess Julia
Sometimes life simply gets in the way. Between a wonderfully busy holiday in Germany, the long journey back to Mumbai and returning almost immediately to an equally busy working routine, this review had to wait a little longer than originally intended. Looking back, however, perhaps that was not such a bad thing. Some concerts deserve a little distance before trying to put them into words - and my evening with PET SHOP BOYS was certainly one of them.
Berlin had the rare opportunity to experience three PET SHOP BOYS performances within three consecutive days. Following the large-scale Dreamworld show at Waldbühne on 11th July (check our review HERE), Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe moved to the considerably more intimate Huxleys Neue Welt for two sold-out “Obskur Pet Shop Boys” concerts on 12th and 13th July. Instead of another greatest-hits production, these evenings were devoted exclusively to non-single album tracks, B-sides and long-standing fan favourites, with PRINCESS JULIA opening both shows with a DJ set.
Princess Julia
London clubbing legend PRINCESS JULIA has been part of British nightlife, fashion and alternative culture for several decades. Her long-standing connection with PET SHOP BOYS and the cultural world surrounding the duo made her a particularly appropriate choice for these unusual concerts. A DJ set before a concert can easily become little more than background music while people arrive, talk and search for a suitable position.
PRINCESS JULIA’s appearance felt more deliberate. Her selection gradually established the atmosphere without demanding the audience’s full attention, providing a natural transition from an ordinary evening at Huxleys into the rather more exclusive world of Obskur. It did not feel like a conventional support slot, but like an extension of the concept itself. Given that much of the audience clearly knew exactly what kind of evening awaited them, she did not need to create excitement artificially. Instead, her set complemented the relaxed club atmosphere and prepared the room for what followed.
Pet Shop Boys
Since forming in London in 1981, PET SHOP BOYS have become one of the most influential and recognisable acts in electronic Pop. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have spent more than four decades combining intelligent songwriting, elegant electronic arrangements and a distinctive visual identity. Although their worldwide reputation rests partly on classics such as ‘West End Girls’, ‘It’s a Sin’ and ‘Always on My Mind’, the Obskur concept deliberately turned away from these obvious choices. Having premiered during five sold-out nights at London’s Electric Ballroom in April, the production was built around the deeper and less frequently performed parts of their catalogue.
Music & Performance
Some concerts are simply another assignment. Others have accompanied you for most of your life before you ever enter the venue. For me, this evening belonged firmly to the latter category.
PET SHOP BOYS were quite literally the first band I ever loved. Their music entered my life when I was four years old, and at the age of six I received my very first CD - naturally, a PET SHOP BOYS album. During the four decades that followed, they were sometimes my absolute favourite band and sometimes a quieter companion somewhere in the background. They may occasionally have moved out of focus, but they never truly disappeared.
It therefore seems slightly absurd that it took more than forty years before I finally experienced them live. Looking back, however, I could hardly have chosen a more fitting first encounter. While “Dreamworld” undoubtedly offered the spectacular parade of hits, I had deliberately chosen “Obskur”. Hearing the famous singles would have been wonderful, but experiencing songs that even dedicated fans could hardly expect to encounter on stage felt considerably more special.
Huxleys Neue Welt was also precisely the right venue for it. It remains one of my favourite concert locations in Berlin, and its comparatively intimate dimensions gave the evening an immediacy that would have been difficult to recreate in an arena or open-air setting. Although the show was sold out, the atmosphere never felt anonymous. There was a shared understanding between the band and the audience: everyone inside the room knew that this was not going to be an ordinary PET SHOP BOYS concert.
Following the recorded introduction ‘God Willing’, the duo opened with ‘The Theatre’ and immediately committed themselves to the concept. There was no familiar hit to reassure casual listeners and no gradual journey towards the more obscure material. Songs from different decades appeared side by side, yet the set remained remarkably coherent. The reactions within the audience were perhaps the clearest indication of how well the idea worked. Recognition did not always arrive with the immediate roar familiar from a greatest-hits show. Sometimes it travelled through the venue in waves: a few opening notes, a brief moment of realization and then enthusiastic applause from those who understood how rarely they might ever hear that particular song live.
Early highlights included ‘Two Divided by Zero’, ‘To Face the Truth’ and ‘Always’, while ‘One in a Million’ playfully incorporated elements of CULTURE BEAT’s ‘Mr. Vain’. The set moved confidently between introspective Pop, sharper electronic passages and songs that had spent decades hidden behind the band’s famous singles. A special moment arrived during ‘In His Imagination’, when PET SHOP BOYS were joined by Joel Gibb of THE HIDDEN CAMERAS.
The Canadian-born musician has long been based in Berlin, making his appearance especially fitting for the occasion. It was not merely a ceremonial guest spot, but a genuine addition to the performance and one of the moments that distinguished the Berlin concerts from a standard tour date. PET SHOP BOYS later specifically thanked Princess Julia and THE HIDDEN CAMERAS for joining the sold-out Huxleys shows.
Neil Tennant was exactly as one would hope: warm, dryly humorous and effortlessly engaging without ever appearing overly theatrical. He did not need grand gestures to hold the room. A short comment, a subtle expression or the distinctive delivery of a lyric was often enough. His understated presence suited the intimate surroundings particularly well.
Chris Lowe remained the familiar, quieter counterbalance behind his equipment. His restraint has always been an essential part of the duo’s dynamic, and there was no need to alter that formula here. While Tennant led most of the direct communication, Lowe’s unmistakable electronic presence formed the backbone of the performance.
Among the later highlights, ‘Young Offender’, ‘King of Rome’ and ‘King’s Cross’ demonstrated both the depth and emotional range of the catalogue. The latter, in particular, carried considerable weight in the comparatively intimate room. Rather than simply watching a sequence of rarely performed songs, the audience seemed to listen with unusual concentration.
‘Requiem in Denim and Leopardskin’ brought the main set to a reflective conclusion before Neil Tennant returned alone at the piano for ‘Your Funny Uncle’. After the precise electronic arrangements of the preceding songs, this reduced moment felt especially intimate. Chris Lowe subsequently rejoined him for an encore that included ‘The Way It Used to Be’, ‘Later Tonight’ and the final ‘I Dream of a Better Tomorrow’.
The fact that the concert ended without suddenly falling back on one of the unavoidable greatest hits was important. There was no ‘West End Girls’, no ‘It’s a Sin’ and no ‘Go West’ offered as a final concession. “Obskur” remained committed to its own idea until the last note.
Musically, the performance was exceptionally polished. Every electronic layer remained clear, Neil Tennant’s vocals sat naturally within the arrangements, and the material from different eras formed a coherent whole. The lighting and visual presentation were restrained compared with Dreamworld, but that was exactly what the venue and the concept required. Nothing competed unnecessarily with the songs.
Sharing the evening with one of my oldest friends, who had travelled to Berlin especially for the occasion, added another personal layer to an already meaningful concert. Some shows stay with you because of their production or a particular song. Others become inseparable from the person standing beside you while they happen.
When I left Huxleys that night, I was not overwhelmed by a gigantic finale or trying to process an excess of special effects. What remained was something quieter: the knowledge that after more than forty years, I had finally seen the first band that had ever truly mattered to me. And somehow, experiencing PET SHOP BOYS for the first time through the songs usually hidden between the hits felt exactly right.
Setlist
01. God Willing (recorded intro)
02. The Theatre
03. Will-o-the-wisp
04. Two Divided by Zero
05. Jack the Lad
06. To Face the Truth
07. After the Event
08. Hit and Miss
09. Always
10. One in a Million / Mr. Vain
11. Sexy Northerner
12. In His Imagination (with Joel Gibb)
13. Young Offender
14. Through You
15. Bet She’s Not Your Girlfriend
16. King of Rome
17. King’s Cross
18. Love Is the Law
19. Why Don’t We Live Together?
20. Requiem in Denim and Leopardskin
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21. Your Funny Uncle (Neil Tennant alone at the piano)
22. The Way It Used to Be
23. Later Tonight
24. I Dream of a Better Tomorrow
Intro Photo: Chalkie Davies
