John Bull: (Should say that Pet Shop Boys Go West has been one of my favourite songs ever since just because of this performance. And i teared up even writing this stupid little thread about it at the memory of those convos. One of the life moments that shifted me away from a path to internet Edgelord-ness)

In 1994 the Pet Shop Boys were invited to perform 'Go West' at the Brit Awards. They agreed and brought with them 3 separate choirs of miners. Some of those miners had marched with the gay and lesbian members of LGSM in the 1980s. It is one of the great, near-lost music moments vimeo.com/293437684

Pet Shop Boys • Go West (Live At Brit Awards) • 1994vimeo.com Pet Shop Boys выступают вживую на Брит Эвордс 1994 с шахтерским хором.

Other members of the colliery choirs said that they didn't know who the Pet Shop Boys were when they performed, but after they had relatives and friends (and remember these guys were from small-town Wales and England) come out to them, and say seeing them on that stage meant the trusted them.

I know this, because in the early 2000s I wrote a piece for a magazine on it. Now sadly lost to time. I got to speak to some of those old miners who were legit in tears about how being on that stage meant friends told them they were gay. And how it changed their worldview. I cried writing it, too.

There used to be a better video on YouTube. It's gone now. I assume the actual footage exists in an archive somewhere, but it's probably been forgotten. It was a passing moment. But also one that I know changed a lot of lives, in a big way, in small towns. It really should be better known.

Anyway. This mini-thread brought to you because I saw @scalzi.com talking about how much he loved the Pet Shop Boys version of 'Go West' earlier. And it reminded me of a forgotten time when that version of the song turned out to really, really matter to a bunch of people who never expected it to.

(Should say that Pet Shop Boys Go West has been one of my favourite songs ever since just because of this performance. And i teared up even writing this stupid little thread about it at the memory of those convos. One of the life moments that shifted me away from a path to internet Edgelord-ness)

It's the song I kept playing during the successful run up to marriage equality becoming the law of the land. 🫡🥹

🥹🥹🥹🥹

Thank you for sharing this. It reminds me both of the film Pride (great film) and a recent Andi Oliver TV show in South Wales mining area, holding its first pride march. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Two - Andi Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts, Series 1, Merthyr Tydfilwww.bbc.co.uk Former Mr Gay Wales calls on Andi to help make Merthyr Tydfil Pride a roaring success.

I’m not crying, my eyes are wet. I’m also a USian who just learned about LSGM and leaving this link for others like me bc it made me not cry more. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesbian...

Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

LGSM, darnit. Can’t type bc my eyes are wet.

Omg you need to watch the film Pride. So beautiful but very sad in places.

Thanks for the rec!

This is just so fantastic! There have been so many retrospective pieces out with their new album and not one I’ve seen has mentioned this.

it was such a passing moment. doubt even they realised the impact. Probably wasn't planned. But I remember speaking to more than one old miner who discovered their grandson was gay because of that moment, and forged a new bond with them as a result.

But memory is fragile. TV memory even more so. And that was 30 years ago now. So I'm not surprised it's been lost to the winds of time, sadly.

May your sharing it contribute to exponentially more people (beyond the PSB faithful) knowing about it.

Absolutely the result you’d hope from something like this. I’m thrilled to know it happened.

So hard to explain to my partner why I'm crying after watching a music clip.

Oh I teared up too - thank you for this.

The Pet Shop Boys are good people with bloody good songs. Go West is one of the great lost Number Ones.

I saw this post in passing and bookmarked the video to watch later because I just need to be in the right mood for Pet Shop Boys sometimes ya know. Now I’m sobbing, that was so wonderful, thanks for continuing to document that little flash in time.

Thanks for sharing this remarkable story

My favourite Pet Shop Boys Song

This is such a beautiful story; thank you for sharing it with us. Tears here, too.

oh i'm crying now....

This is beautiful. Thank you.

Thanks. That’s an incredible piece of history that I had no idea about before now.

Thank you. That was beautiful! 💜

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