LAST MENTION OF GLASTO, PROMISE

So finally to two down and out pop moments. Shakira wowed the Glastonbury audience on Saturday afternoon with her perfect blend of pop and world music. From the off it was an incredible sexual performance with fun moments where we howled along to She-Wolf and tried out the Waka Waka dance to emotionally intense ones like my favourite Shakira song 'Underneath Your Clothes'. In the perfect sunshine, this was pretty special. Shakira later humped a speaker so violently we were all driven to staring at the floor.



Shakira was always on my Glastonbury to do list but the other amazing highlight for me wasn't. I've seen the current Pet Shop Boys show twice now, and was seriously tempted to head to the Pyramid for Muse as I hadn't seen them in about 5 years. In the end though, the PSB won out and I had the immense joy of the show totally converting some of my hating friends into total PSB lovers and felt like I was cheating on Colin going to see them with Daniel.

Annoyingly the moment isn't on YouTube so I can't show it, but 'It's A Sin' hit me hard during this show. It somehow transformed from AMAZING pop song to BLOODY INTENSE EMOTIONALLY DISTRAUGHT UP GAY RIGHTS pop song. I know it always was that, but I hadn't quite got it until standing about in the cold with lots of people off their face while Neil was bathed in demonic red lights.

CHE GUEVARA AND DEBUSSY TO A DISCO BEAT INDEED.

p.s. amazing (AMAZING) pop fact - Helena from 'Frank' is one of the PSB's dancers. I thought it was her, then I chastised myself for being racist by assuming a girl with an afro who I could only see from far away was another girl with an afro, for no other reason than she had an afro. BUT THEN, it was her. So there.

We Have Band

For the last couple of years I've been going to an event called Bug at London's National Film Theatre, or to give it it's new pointless name the BFI Southbank. Hosted by Adam Buxton, with whom I have since fallen in love, it's a look through the latest exciting music videos with some youtube banter in between. It's great, but the selection is always quite swayed to the trendy rather than anything very popular.

One of the videos last time round was for the suitably trendy We Have Band. Their single 'We Came Out' features the delightfully silly/scabby lyric 'We went out, and we got wasted! You went home and turkey basted!" sung over and over again by the yelping Dede. Colin covered them in Attitude a few months ago and we caught them live at Latitude (best festival ever) a few weeks ago. They are right on the edge of being fun DIY and so trendy they infuriate. On the whole though, their basslines are quirky and bouncy and the repetition of lyrics mean you can start singing along within about 20s of each track. Why oh why they decided to cover Pet Shop Boys' 'West End Girls' then is beyond me. Not only is it almost a straight cover but they've removed all the quirks and really zapped the energy levels.

Anyway here is the video for 'We Went Out':

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtGJ1lD23-U[/youtube]

The video involved the band lying still for two days in a studio while 4,816 separate stills were taken to create the face-painting effect - you can see all the individual pictures over on flickr.

DOUBLE PSB

I was out tonight so disappointingly didn't get to watch the Brit Awards live on TV. Instead I'm catching up via youtube and started at the end with the Pet Shop Boys outstanding achievement medley. Seriously - how amazing is this? I wish I'd been there, but was so overwhelmed just watching this, I'd have exploded into tears.

I was a little confused why they needed guest stars, but they did't detract at all. Gaga pulled off Dusty's bit perfectly and Brandon looked hilariously excited. Plus a shout out to my home town of Blackpool - I can't imagine how mental Little Boots went during that bit.

Double woops must also go out to Elbow & Girls Aloud for scooping their first Brits. As for Katy Perry? Shame on you Brits voters!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OAlTWrNN6o[/youtube]

I have touched Neil Tennant's arm.

Tonight the Pet Shop Boys will be given the Outstanding Contribution to British Music award at The Brits, and boy do they deserve it. Although I wasn't exposed to most of their material during the time it was released and don't know every song in their back catalogue, I would label them one of my two favourite bands. They look like such unlikely pop stars but their music and the telling lyrics always are spot on. Plus Chris Lowe is from Blackpool so double woop for him.

I adore It's A Sin and always thought it was my favourite PSB song but recently I've been swayed towards West End Girls. It's so bleak and the video captures London in the 80s so magnificiently. What London locations can you spot? Does it start on Roman Road? I am rubbish at playing spot the London location!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAHfoIfo_7A[/youtube]

On the other hand here's a brilliant Pet Shop Boys production but a terrible video from the 80s. It's Dusty's 'In Private'.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1z5DZEse3I[/youtube]