TORONTO -- The Pet Shop Boys are like old friends you haven't seen in a long time. They come by only twice in 18 years and you forget how much fun they are to be around.

That was the sentiment Tuesday night at the Warehouse as the duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe performed their first Canadian concert in eight years.

The show, in support of the duo's latest album 'Nightlife', was just like a get together with friends - singing, laughing, clapping and generally whooping it up.

The stage is set

Never to be outdone stylistically, this time around the Boys enlisted the aid of British architect Zaha Hadid to construct a modernist, multi-level set. Throughout the evening, vocalist Tennant and the five backup singers, marched up and down the levels, stripping away panels at one point, half way through the second set.

Musically, the night didn't stray as far from the hits as the duo had alluded to in interviews. All the big hits were accounted for - 'West End Girls', 'Always On My Mind', 'Go West' - and enthusiastically greeted by the audience which sung along.

During 'Always On My Mind' Tennant bravely yelled "You now" to the audience and held out the microphone during the chorus. Not to be out-rocked by himself (the audience singalong IS a very rock'n'roll thing), while the audience was singing along, Tennant was slapping his leg and bobbing his head in time to the music.

Ironic or rock'n'roll?

Incidentally, one of the best received songs of the night with regards to audience singalong was 'Can You Forgive Her?' Never that big a hit in North America, the audience drowned out the band during the chorus.

Never being boring

For the show, the duo dusted off the older material giving it a much needed updating. While the songs didn't stray too far from their original form, some tracks took on a life of their own.

'Being Boring', a song that was overlooked in 1991, was rightly placed back into the set list, this time as a minimalist ambient mix, which segued into hard edged techno blasts during the breaks.

'It's Alright', the first of three encores, is the closest the band has come to a full on jam session. While Lowe admitted quite enthusiastically in an earlier interview that the song had been given a reworking, it was quite impressive to see what lengths the duo actually went to in updating it.

The show overall was a rousing success. Save for the odd ballad or obscure album track, the audience was into the music from the get go.

The night eventually ended after two two hours with a second encore. While people were filing out of the venue, the boys came back out to perform 'Footsteps'. The song looked like it was put together rather quickly, almost like they didn't know what else to play. The light show at least showed that the song had been prepared.

Sounding off

The only downside to the evening was the sound. A hopelessly muddy sound mix mired an otherwise first-rate evening. The bass at times was so loud and distorted at times it even obscured the vocals.

As with previous tours, the Pet Shop Boys have always treated their fans to a live video of a tour. If there is justice in this world, this tour won't be an exception, but the live material won't be from this show.

Hopefully, fans won't have to wait another eight years to visit with the Pet Shop Boys.

Set List

For Your Own Good

West End Girls

Discoteca

Being Boring

Happiness Is An Option

Can You Forgive Her?

Only The Wind

What Have I Done To Deserve This?

New York City Boy

Left To My Own Devices

-- Intermission --

Young Offender

Vampire

You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk

Se A Vida E

I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore

Always On My Mind

Shameless

Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)

It's A Sin/I Will Survive

-- Encore --

It's Alright

Go West

-- Second Encore --

Footsteps

JAM! Rating: 4.5 out of 5