How Pet Shop Boys' Chris Lowe bigged up Blackpool at huge Manchester gig

Keyboard wizard Chris Lowe, who is one half of the synth pop duo with singer and lyricist Neil Tenant, is a proud Blackpudian whose mum still lives in the resort.

When Neil introduced him as being from Blackpool, in the latest leg of their world tour, there were cheers and a few jokey booes from the audience.

And that spurred Chris to cheekily alter the lyrics of the only song he normally sings, Paninaro.

Instead of singing one of the lines of lyrics, ‘New York’ four times, Chris changed it to ‘Blackpool’.

Fans from the town who were in the audience were delighted.

One Pet Shop Boys fan, a 48 year old who did not wish to be named, was at the concert and says he knows Chris’ family well.

He said: “Chris was so quick, when they started playing the song, he changed it and the fans from Blackpool in the audience loved it, they went mad.

“Chris likes to stay in the background but he made the most of the song this time.

“He is a lovely lad, he comes to see his mum whenever he can.

“Chris has always been proud to come from Blackpool and is always loyal to the town, and I think people appreciate that.”

Chris, 64, is a forner Arnold School pupil who played trombone while he was there.

He first met former music journalist Neil Tennant, 69, in a record shop in London and after forming a music partnership in 1981, they enjoyed a global hit with West End Girls in 1985, and have never looked back.

They are currently two years into their worldwide tour, Dreamworld, featuring a greatest hits collection, a spectacular stage show with stunning visual backdrops.