It never would have occurred to me that that Sleaford Mods would be an ideal match for one of the most iconic synth-pop singles of the nineteen-eighties, but here we are. That’s clearly my shortcoming of imagination. The opening lyrics to Pet Shop Boys’ 1984 smash hit have perhaps never sounded more natural than when delivered in Jason Williamson’s distinctive disaffected snarl: “Sometimes you’re better off dead/ There’s a gun in your hand it’s pointing at your head.” The cover is a thrill from start to finish, not so much toughening up what Pet Shop Boys created three decades back as revealing the tempered steel that was present in the song from the start. “West End Girls” deserves to top the charts all over again.

A new charity single featuring Sleaford Mods covering “West End Girls” on one side and Pet Shop Boys remixing a Sleaford Mods track on the flip is scheduled for a physical release next month.