UNDER THE INFLUENCE

I was a lonely girl, no strength, no joy - well almost. I was thirteen years old and uninterested in anything when one day during June 1987 I turned the television on and watched Top of the Pops. The Pet Shop Boys were on, performing their number one hit, It's A Sin. Neil Tennant sang the lines 'When I look back upon my life it is always with a sense of shame. I have always been the one to blame.' My ears pricked up for I had written those same lines only weeks before. I listened to the entire song and thought 'WOW!' This was the beginning of what would be a long lasting devotion to intellectual popism. I had entered the world of the Pet Shop Boys!
For half my life I have been under the influence of the Pet Shop Boys. I have been seduced by the music, lyrics and lifestyles of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Of course I have my own unique identity, but I would not be the person I am today had I not encountered the Pet Shop Boys.
At last I had found something I could relate to. The Pet Shop Boys were not the discovery of a new religion for me, but more a vehicle for escapism. They are the ultimate drug. Whether my dependency on the PSB has increased over the years, I cannot say, but life in the world of the Pet Shop Boys is a permanent high.
My attraction to the Pet Shop Boys broadened my horizons. I developed an interest in pop music. The radio became more than just audio wallpaper; it was a means of consolidating the fact that the Pet Shop Boys did indeed produce better music than the other banal acts which infested the media. Greatness always stands out. I would often listen to the radio hoping to hear my favourite band. The radio intrigued me, as it is more powerful than television, for it lets the imagination run free. Years later, whilst at university, I became an executive member of the radio station W963. I made sure the Pet Shop Boys were always on the playlist.
I am well read and this is to a certain extent due to the Pet Shop Boys. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe present rather intelligent interviews and often only the more erudite are able to follow all that is said. I wanted to understand everything and this made me a voracious reader. I read about Russian history. I read the works of Orton, Wilde, Trollope, Shakespeare, to name but a few. This stimulated my interest in literature and it is the reason why today I am reading English at Cambridge University.
The Pet Shop Boys have not only influenced my studies, but have also had some bearing on my choice of leisure activities. I first saw the Pet Shop Boys live at Wembley Arena in July 1989. It was my first pop concert and it was amazing. I was surrounded by thousands of other people who shared my enthusiasm for these 'intellectual disco bunnies'. I was hooked for life. Since then I have bought numerous PSB recordings and have seen them live as often as possible. All my disposable and not so disposable income has been spent on maintaining my Pet Shop Boys heaven, and every penny has been worth it.
In the United Kingdom, I have seen the Pet Shop Boys live at Wembley Arena, Birmingham NEC and the Savoy Theatre. On August 11th 1999 I saw the Pet Shop Boys in Penzance perform at their first ever Radio 1 roadshow, headlining the special eclipse show. I would never have seen a total solar eclipse if it had not been for them. A few weeks later I travelled to Liverpool to see the Pet Shop Boys perform at Creamfields. That night was mind-blowing. It set me on the path to Clubland.
In March 1998 I was set to see the Pet Shop Boys in concert in St Petersburg, but sadly my visa did not arrive in time - I did have an interesting time at the Russian Embassy in London though. Two years later I had the pleasure of seeing the Pet Shop Boys perform in Paris. This went on to become a fantastic fortnight's holiday. Later this year I plan to see the Pet Shop Boys play Glastonbury. I always said I would never brave the elements unless the PSB did Glastonbury, and now they are. I am looking forward to the experience.
For many years being a Pet Shop Boys fan was a solitary experience. I knew of nobody who shared the fervour I had for this fabulous group. Then I discovered the Internet. In 1993 I subscribed to a mailing list called Introspective. Instantly I was in touch with hundreds of people who loved the Pet Shop Boys as much as I did. I met up with a few of them and we talked for hours about the meaning of PSB lyrics. I was amazed at how similar these fellow Pet Shop Boys fans were to myself. The Pet Shop Boys soon had a significant presence on the World Wide Web and almost daily I was able to access updated information on the group. Reading about the Pet Shop Boys became part of my routine. I was able to talk to other PSB fans in real time with the aid of chatrooms. I almost forgot that I knew no other fans in real life. Then in 1999 a Pet Shop Boys forum was set up on the Dotmusic website. I found this virtual community to be extremely congenial and now spend much of my time posting to it.
It is strange that two people who I have met only very briefly could influence my life so much. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have inspired me. I have entered the world of the Pet Shop Boys during my times of darkness and my times of joy and every time I have experienced the magic of PSB. It may seem that my admiration verges on obsession, but the Pet Shop Boys are my opium.
I never fear that the Pet Shop Boys will disappear like many other talented artists. For the Pet Shop Boys are geniuses and talent does what it can, but genius does what it must. The Pet Shop Boys must carry on and hence I shall never be alone.

Amanda E M Wright
March 2000