Pet Shop Boys in concert at Place Des Arts Montreal

Ok before I start I need to get this off my chest. They didn't do one song from my favorite Pet Shop Boys album "Nightlife", NOT ONE!! They didn't sing "New York City Boy"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do not be late at a Pet Shop Boys concert. The show was scheduled for 8:00PM and they started at 8:10. The show was very artsy in a theatre kind of way which fitted right in at Place Des Arts. The decorations were "minimal" with a stage backdrop that was in 3 sections that could be moved to change scenes, or project images or video's. They had a few dancers and back up singers and just Neil and Chris with his keyboard and lap top. No actual band, Chris Lowe does all the music.

The concert started off a bit week with the slow "Psychological" one of my least favorite songs from the new album. I kind of wish I was a bigger fan because the show was filled with lots of lesser know album tracks, b-sides and surprises like the song "Shopping" an album track from "Actually" which followed "Minimal", both songs spell out the title and they sound so alike. I guess they thought they were cute by doing them back to back. I was surprised to hear "Suburbia" one of my favorite early songs. I don't like sitting at concerts but this venue seems to be made for that. The show started to pick up steam when they did the song "Heart", it was as if someone gave everybody permission to stand up and dance thank G_D. There was a 20 minute intermission I guess to go along with the theatre theme.

When they came back they did the new Diane Warren ballad "Numb", I don't like the slow stuff but this sounded and looked great with the black & White images on the screen. I was shocked to hear songs like "Flamboyant" (one of 2 new songs from their Greatest Hits CD "Pop Art") and "Dreaming Of The Queen" from the "Very" LP.

The fans seemed to love the set of "Se a vida é" which I don't know well, and "Domino dancing". In my opinion the highlights were "You were always on my mind", "Where the streets have no name/Can't take my eyes off of you" where they were joined by cowboy dancers dressed in gold shiny outfits, and the show stopper, "The Sodom and Gomorrah show". For the encore they did "So hard", "It's a sin" which was so cool and they ended with the usual "Go west". I thought that with all the applause they were going to come back on but no the lights went up.

There were so many people there I knew. It was a lot of fun.

The setlist

Psychological
Left to my own devices
I'm with Stupid
Suburbia
Can you forgive her?
Rent
Minimal
Shopping
Dreaming of the Queen
Heart
Opportunities
Integral

Intermission
Numb
Se a vida é (with a bit of Single)
Domino dancing
Flamboyant
Home and dry
You were always on my mind
Where the streets have no name/Can't take my eyes off of you
West End girls
The Sodom and Gomorrah show

Encore
So hard
It's a sin
Go west