Pet Shop Boys in Tel Aviv: A pop concert masterclass

British electronic pop duo Pet Shop Boys have long been known for their sumptuous stage show, and their performance Tuesday night in Tel Aviv proved that reputation is well deserved.

The Trade Fair Center was the perfect venue for this band, with some 6,000 fans turning out for what proved to be a surprisingly intimate performance, even with the glorious visual effects and polished delivery by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.

Tennant, minimal in his movements, still dominated the stage, first in trademark black, then in a tuxedo and later a crown and ermine robe. Lowe stayed mainly at his keyboards, appearing on the stage only for a quick shoe shuffle with the dancers, clad in a silver sequinned jacket that Joan Collins would die for.

The backdrop - wooden blocks acting as a screen for video footage and stage for performers - was reconstructed throughout the show, as the dancers and backing singers repeatedly twirled their way through set redesigns, making it almost as thrilling to watch as the rest of the show.

The musical performance was of the first-class quality that can be expected from this most prolific and enduring pair. The show opened with Heart and finished with West End Girls - two PSB staples that alone made the price of the ticket worthwhile. Sandwiched in between was a mix of classics and new material, performed with elegance and gusto. It was never boring.

The next big concert in Israel will be by Madonna. With tickets at almost twice the NIS 260 it cost to spend 90 fabulous minutes in the company of Tennant and Lowe, she has the hardest of acts to follow.

	Photo by: (Alon Ron)