Pet Shop Boys at dead of night, Chris Lowe

Christopher Sean Lowe

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Chris Lowe

Chris Lowe was born on October 4, 1959, in Blackpool. He briefly played the keyboards in a school heavy metal group Stallion, then he became trombonist in the school orchestra and in a local seven-piece jazz band One Under Eight (who played old-time popular favourites like Hello Dolly, La Bamba and Moon River). In 1978 he moved to Liverpool and studied architecture at Liverpool University. He spent a year gaining practical experience (1981-1982) in London at Michael Aukett Associates. His main job was designing a staircase in an industrial development in Milton Keynes.

the staircase designed by Chris

Chris Lowe

Chris answers (from the Nightlife Tour programme)

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 colour:
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 thrilled. 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 along 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 - hand are one of the first things I look at. And youthful 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 got 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 spent too much time thinking about being unhappy. Because, unfortunately, I didn't realise until a few weeks ago that happiness 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:
Glenn 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. Everything 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 it for the hairy arms now.

Things which make you cry:
The bit in The Sound Of Music when Christopher 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.