Pet Shop Boys live at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham

Let’s ignore the heading and play guess the gig. Okay, me first. Who’s playing when there’s a pink limo outside the venue, out of which spills an endless stream of drunken guys dressed as women, men from The Village People or whatever Hallowe’en costume they felt appropriate? Who’s playing when women can run around the venue freely without fear of getting hit on? Who’s playing when there are clones of the duo doing backflips and pirouetting around the stage?
Yup, you’re right. It could only ever be the Pet Shop Boys. Because they know how to party gay-friendly stylee.
After their wondrous Garden Party headliner, the London duo are back with almost exactly the same set. Not that they didn’t have a big bag from which to choose their setlist, but it's full knowledge that no one’s here for the remixed version of their B-side. It’s a Saturday night, people are out in big groups, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are in front of us, we want to hear ‘Left To My Own Devices’.
That we do. It’s closely followed by ‘Suburbia’ and ‘Heart’. Throughout the set, Neil and Chris play their characters (intelligent strange guy and sulky strange guy), while the backing singer and dancers work on keeping all eyes at the front, instead of wandering around the new makeshift venue.
There’s a reason the London band have lasted 25 years, and it’s plain for all to see tonight.