The Pet Shop Boys...and the Real Deal

[liz_marcs]

Damn! How much do I love the Pet Shop Boys.

There's a fantastic vid up at YouTube from the 2009 Brit Awards that show just how much they are the Real Deal. Talented, consummate entertainers, and the ability to merge the human element with the technological.

They're all the more fantastic just because they still have that edge of humanity while technology eats the rest of the music industry.

sunfell had a fantastic link to the use and abuse of AutoTune in the music industry, and the reason why so many pop records have that "Singing Cylon" effect, almost like a computer is trying to sound human, instead of the other way around.

[The time story she links to has a PodCast that's worth listening to.]

The Pet Shop Boys always had a bit of Cylonicity in their performances, but unlike a lot of popsters today who are going for their inner Cylon in the recording studio, the Pet Shop Boys can replicate their sound in a live performance.

Here's the fantastic 10-minute vid where they do a live melody of their better-known tunes at the this year's Brit Awards.

[Note to my U.K. peeps: I'm jealous. Seriously]

Comments

[silent-ic-river.livejournal.com]

I lurves me Pet Shop Boys, oh yes!

[serendu.livejournal.com]

I saw them live on their last tour and I have to say that they are one of the best live performances I've ever seen (and I've seen quite a lot). Plus they resurrected Shoppingwhich was just brilliant.

Now I'm getting emails about their next 2 UK concerts. Nooo - I want a whole tour!

[sunnyd-lite.livejournal.com]

Definitely my fav band from my high school years!

Thanks for sharing!

[secondalto.livejournal.com]

1) Neil's voice hasn't changed a bit and 2) this was like the soundtrack to my childhood, so great.

[suaveswede.livejournal.com]

Very cool, then again their dry acerbic wit makes them ever so British. You realise this could be from nowhere else.
On a side note i think Lady GaGa worked quite well in this context.

[draconin.livejournal.com]

I love them! I have most of their CDs (& on mp3 format) plus a couple of DVDs. It's odd because their sound is definitely not my usual, which is typically things like the Eagles, Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons, Genesis, Yes, Enigma - basically rooted in the seventies when I was a teen. However, something in them resonates with me big time. :-) To a far lesser degree also Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.

[minim_calibre]

I have been making people watch that clip all day. It's just so wonderful.

[rileysaplank.livejournal.com]

I'm nowhere near being described as a 'fan' of the Pet Shop Boys, but they are one of these bands that have always been there and feel that they are very under appreciated.

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

The last few days you've reminded me of a ton of music from my teen years that I had all but forgotten. If you'd asked me for 3 Pet Shop Boys songs I couldn't have done it. But this started playing and it was "I remember that song, and that one and.." well, you get the idea. Thanks!