WHEN you've gone down a storm at Glastonbury, filled arenas around the world and even proved a hit in the West End, a student bar may seem an odd choice.

But last night, the Pet Shop Boys performed at Teesside University as part of a mini tour of student unions.

Led by South Shields-born Neil Tennant, who owns an 18th Century manor house at Wolsingham, in Weardale, County Durham, they took to the stage in front of an audience ranging from students to 50 somethings - testament to their wide appeal - and opened with Disco Protection.

This was swiftly followed by one of their most poignant and popular hits, Being Boring, which raised a huge cheer.

Tennant told the crowd he was glad to be in Middlesbrough "which is almost like being on home ground" before launching into the first new song of the night, I Get Along.

While they may have made their names with a distinctive brand of electro pop, the new-style venues have also seen something of a change in musical direction.

With their new album out in April, the Pet Shop Boys have taken on a harder edge, featuring electric guitars and more of a "rock" feel.

The band have defied changing fashions to produce some of the most memorable songs of the past 17 years.

Since West End Girls catapulted them into the limelight, the Pet Shop Boys have managed to maintain an enviable reputation for being both cool and successful.

Profiled by the South Bank Show, and having collaborated with luminaries from film maker Derek Jarman to Turner Prize winner Wolfgang Tilmans, they now occupy a hallowed place in pop.

Never afraid to admit to their own shortcomings - Tennant is notoriously honest about his own singing ability - they have also been keen to experiment, even if it has not always been successful.

Their 1987 film, It Couldn't Happen Here, was panned by the critics, and their venture into a West End musical last year with Closer to Heaven drew the inevitable comment that it was actually closer to hell.

But this has not deterred them from moving in new directions, and providing a beacon of intelligence in today's pop world.

And if that extends to testing their pulling power among students who were pre-school age when the song West End Girls was filling the dance floors, then you have to credit them for their sheer daring.