It is with a heavy heart that the Agents here at Pets Files HQ find themselves updating this webpage. We have many fond memories of Dainton who, on seeing the Agents would often shake his head in disbelief and mutter "I don't f****n' believe it! How did you get in here...!? " followed by his raucous laugh.

Our Agents first met Dainton around 17 years ago and over our many years of following PSB got to speak to him on a number of occasions. Dainton was chuffed to bits when we gave him his own webpage here at The Pets Files and would email us from 'Bear HQ' (as he called it!) to ask when we were going to put more photos of 'The Bear' up here!

We will remember his 'Bear' banter, good humour, kindness and 'firm but fair' attitude to Petheads. We only saw Dainton recently (at PSB after show party after Hammersmith Apollo show) and can scarcely believe he is no longer with us.

Our thoughts go out to all who knew him, in particular his family and Neil and Chris.

Rest in peace, 'Bear'. x

Below is the webpage as it originally appeared.

Fond memories of 'The Bear' .....

"I don't f***in' believe it! Har, har, har, haaaaar!"

Yep, it's a page dedicated entirely to the boys personal assistant and bodyguard - Mr. Dainton Connell, aka "The Bear"!

1. Running Errands
When Chris feels a mite peckish, it is the Bear's duty to fetch him a greasy burger or Sbarro pizza. Likewise, if Neil requests a platter of cucumber sandwiches (with the crusts cut off, naturally) to be washed down with a cup of Earl Grey tea, then D. must also find a way of fulfilling these requirements.

2. Attending Parties & Premières
It is the Bear's job to ensure that all runs smoothly when he escorts the 'boys' to top events such as the Stepping Out premiere (pictured). So whilst Janet Street-Porter is worrying where her skirt has got to, Dainton wisely keeps two paces behind and carefully checks that he has brought the correct tickets with him, thus avoiding a "yer name's not dahn, yer not comin' in" type scenario.

3. The Boy's Bodyguard
Is it a total eclipse of the sun? No! It's The Bear! PSB do actually get mobbed y'know and in such situations it is D's ever-portly frame that serves to prevent over-enthusiastic fans from grappling and crushing Neil and Chris. "Firm but fair" is D's crowd management technique.
      "Sort it out, D!"said a certain member of the PSB crew in Russia, prodding D in the belly but let's face it, have you ever seen a skinny, skinny bodyguard? Nope, thought not.

A total eclipse

4. Protecting Neil from stage invaders at concerts
It is the Bear's job to ensure that Neil is not distracted whilst performing. However, we're sure he would be the first to admit that at times he has been slightly lackadasical about this particular role. Many fans have managed to clamber onto the stage and hug Neil before D "escorts" them back into the crowd. Chris Lowe once jibed "get off, you're bloody useless, you are!" to D when he was taking his applause at the Savoy (this was after D failed to stop a fan from leaping onto the stage). D will really have his work cut out if Neil decides to stage dive at future concerts.

5. Warm Up Act
It is now a well-established PSB tradition that before Neil and Chris take to the stage, D does a warm-up routine consisting of a football song or two (gets the crowd going), a rendition of some of his Arsenal tales and a few chipmonk impressions thrown in for good measure. Actually, this is COMPLETELY untrue (but maybe could be considered for future live dates?). Despite this jesting, the Bear has been known to take to the stage at PSB concerts. In Mannheim on the last night of the Nightlife tour, he donned a blue curly wig and joined the rest of the PSB crew for the Go West finale. He also took to the stage before the encore in St. Petersburg, Russia (pictured), encouraging fans to ROCK DA HOUSE!

6. Backstage Mingling
It is the Bear's duty to ensure that no waifs and strays have made their way backstage after the concert and to puzzle out how some people managed to obtain passes. Ahem. He must also check that there is a plentiful supply of alcohol (including a wine that is approved by Neil's mother who was once heard by our agents backstage enquiring "Ooooh, what is this d-read-ful wine?!"). Despite all the pressure and stress that a backstage rendez-vous and meet n'greet can cause, D still manages to put on a big, biiiiig grin and look like he's enjoying himself. For that, "my friends", is the way of the Bear.

7. Meeting Fans
Nearly every PSB fan who meets the Boys will also ask to have their photo taken with The Bear. Whatever country he is in, D always makes an attempt to speak the native language. He is also keen to dish out advice to fans. When the PSB performed Liberation on Top of the Pops, he gave the following words of advice to Agent "Pinkski" and her Pethead friends;
    "Now remember, ya gotta be serious, sombre y'know. Ya gotta have that      Pet Shop Boys' attitude!"
Wise words indeed.

8. Being a star in his own right
At the Savoy rehearsals D excitedly told one of our agents that he had a part in the new show. And indeed he did. Grinning n' grooving in front of the stage with his headphones on. Prior appearances which have led to D being lauded a 'star' include the So Hard video, Jealousy video and a snippet of him falling off of his chair in excitement as the camera panned over the audience at a Prince Naseem fight. We also must not forget his vocal contribution to the Pet's 1993 Very LP on the track "One and One make Five". The Bear is quite clearly then, as demonstrated here and declared by Neil at Heaven in 1991, "a star in his own right". Hollywood must surely beckon?