NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
After a two year postponement, 80s synth-pop hitmakers Pet Shop Boys and New Order kicked off their Unity tour at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto. I was planning to cover this show originally in NYC but the first show of a tour is always fun and sometimes unexpected. It was very interesting to see what kind of set lists these two prolific bands came up with. We all have our favorites and could only keep our fingers crossed.
Opening for the Pet Shop Boys and New Order was internationally acclaimed DJ Paul Oakenfold. Unfortunately, I could only hear the proceedings slightly because media was not allowed in until most of the Pet Shop Boys’ set was over! Since I’m a huge Pet Shop Boys fan, I was NOT happy! I did listen from the outside and Neil Tennant sounded fabulous! In this day and age, it’s nice to hear that some old school acts can still bring the vocals (assuming we’re not hearing a backing track). As usual keyboardist Chris Lowe stayed well in the background. I don’t know if they did any cool set design work like they did with the bed a few of tours since, again, I only saw a few songs but they did put on a great show for the audience from what I heard. Pet Shop Boys closed with my favorite song “Being Boring”, from their “Behaviour” album.
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When I saw that many fans were leaving after Pet Shop Boys finished their set, I wondered for a bit if perhaps they should have been the headliner. My fears were assuaged as soon as the first notes of “Regret” played through the dark. With most of their original lineup playing together, it was definitely like we were back in the 80s. Again, New Order’s set was one big dance party but some of the fans seemed to only know their biggest hits…a bit disappointing considering their storied career. The party did get into full swing as they closed out the set with “Bizarre Love Triangle”, “True Faith”, “Blue Monday” and “Temptation”. I had originally thought that “Blue Monday” would have made for an amazing encore but I saw the band had it right when fans started rushing forward so they could record the actual encore, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, on their cell phones. Interestingly, New Order’s set was only fourteen songs while the Pet Shop Boys played nineteen! Either way, it was a very satisfying trip down memory lane, even if I was only able to get in halfway through the show.
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