Pet Shop Boys to Roskilde Festival

The British duo is added to the programme together with M. Ward and Mikael Simpson & Sølvstorm.

This Friday is all about men. Three prominent male voices should make it a happy weekend for festival-goers with a hankering for solid songwriting and rich lyrics.

PET SHOP BOYS (UK) is one of music history’s most durable duos – 50 million albums have been sold by lead singer Neil Tennant and sound wizard Chris Lowe. Few others can create as accessible – but at the same time serious – pop music from the baffling big-city life and the hardships of love. Their continued relevance has been sealed at this year’s Brit Awards by the honorary award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In addition, they have just released their eleventh album – Yes – full of bone dry lyrics and catchy tunes. Roskilde Festival is very special to the duo as this is where they played their first festival concert back in 1997.

M. WARD (US) is an American singer-songwriter who in songwriting and inspiration draws heavily on patinated music genres such as country, blues and folk. His warm and slightly drawling vocals give new life to old song traditions in a wrapping that appeals to fans brought up on indie and alternative music.

MIKAEL SIMPSON & SØLVSTORM (DK) manage to turn songs about isolation and melancholy into an out-tuned and festive concert experience. After touring with Trentemøller, the versatile pop musician is now ready to regain the spotlight himself – with a new critically acclaimed album and the backing band Sølvstorm to support him.