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Christopher Sean Lowe
Christopher Sean Lowe was born on October 4th 1959 in Blackpool, Lancashire.
In 1976 - 1978 Chris played trombone in a seven piece dance band wittily named One Under The Eight, who played old-time popular favourites like "Hello Dolly", "La Bamba", and "Moon River".
In 1978 Chris went to Liverpool University to study architecture. During 1981 -1982 he spent a year gaining practical experience in a London architectural practice, designing a staircase in an industrial development in Milton Keynes. "It's not a remarkable staircase", he commented when he visited it in 1988, "It's just a functional staircase".
On August 19th 1981, Neil and Chris met by chance in an electronics shop on the Kings Road. Realizing they had a common interest in dance music, they began to write together. To begin with they called themselves West End; later they came up with the name Pet Shop Boys, a name derived from some friends who worked in a pet shop in Ealing. "We thought it sounded like an English rap group".

  • Chris's former flat
  • Chris's Day in Life
    • photos
    favourite...
    Favourite Drink:
    'Depends on the time of day, unfortunately. After a hard day's work, a gin and tonic. In the morning, a glass of Evian water. In a pub, a pint of lager. In a nightclub, a vodka and tonic. On an aeroplane, a glass of champagne before take-off, followed by an expensive glass of red wine. My absolute favourite is maybe lager.'

    Favourite Food:
    'Fish fingers.'

    Favourite color:
    'Blue.'

    Favourite Toy As A Kid:
    'It was like a Scalectrix but smaller and made by Hornby, and I could combine it with my brother's Hornby train set; we'd race the car and the train to the crossroads.'

    Favourite Item Of Clothing:
    'I just bought this black coat in Durham which came with a free Sony digital memory thing. I was thriled. I think it'll be appearing on a record. The coat's really good too.'

    Favourite Word:
    'Please.'

    Favourite Journey:
    'The favourite I've ever made was the first time I drove a car in America, driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles alon the Pacific Coast Highway: it's such a dramatic coastline and you pass all these famous hippie communities.'

    Favourite Animal:
    'Dog.'

    Favourite Smell:
    'There's a smell of a plant in Ibiza that I really love, but I don't know what it's called.'

    Favourite Book As A Teenager:
    'Actually I didn't really read books then. I was too busy doing my homework.'

    Turn-Ons:
    'Beauty - I get really excited by beauty. And I'm a bit of a hands man - hands are one of the first things I look at. And youtful exuberance.'

    Turn-Offs:
    'Stupidity. Particularly combined with arrogance. Thieves. And, the biggest turn-off of the lot, smoking.'

    Best And Worst Characteristics:
    'I haven't got any good characteristics. I used to have more bad ones but I've god rid of them because I've learned to be a better person as I've got older. I'm now less moody, more tolerant. I still pick my nose. Still whinge. And I spend too much time thinking about being unhappy. Because, unfortunately, I didn't realise until a few weeks ago that happines was an option.'

    First Single Bought:
    "I think it was Diana Ross and The Supremes, 'Baby Love'.'

    First Album Bought:
    'I didn't buy albums. I still don't buy albums. But it could have been a Wings album.'

    First Concert:
    'Glen Campbell at the Blackpool Opera House. It was really good; all those Jimmy Webb songs.'

    First Kiss:
    'I'm not a huge fan of kissing. Everythings else, but not kissing. I think kissing's far too intimate.'

    Most Impressive Scar:
    'On my right wrist. I had ten stitches when an iceskate went over it in Blackpool Ice Rink; we were doing the conga. You can't see for the hairy arms now.'

    Things Which Make You Cry:
    'The bit in The Sound Of Music when Christhopher Plummer starts to sing the theme song. For some reason I always well-up during that. And sometimes I cry over self-pity. I think that's the best kind of crying, actually. I put on my sad music tape that I've compiled - 'Climb Every Mountain', 'One Day I'll Fly Away', 'That's All I Want From You' by Nina Simone - and get in a bath with aromatic oils. I love to Wallow. You feel really good afterwards.'

    Ambition As A Child:
    'I had no ambition. I'm not an ambitious person.'

    taken from NIGHTLIFE tour programme