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Let me begin by saying I didn’t mean to go and see Taylor Swift for two nights in a row.
For night one, I was prepared. Months ago when the European dates were announced, I armed myself with an AXS account and a dream, opting for the first package I saw under a £300 price point in a panicked stupor and landing tickets for the first night at Wembley in the general standing area.
My friends and I discussed costumes. We talked about learning all 31 songs from her new album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, as quickly as possible to sing along. We shared worries about sequin rash, the importance of wearing comfy shoes and whether Loop headphones were really necessary (they were not).
As for night two? I found out about my tickets about a week before the show in a moment of pure luck and good fortune – and all thanks to my job. But how did the nights compare, and just what is all of the FUSS about? Here’s what happened during my Wembley double bill of the Eras Tour…
On night one, we arrived armed with our VIP lanyards at around 3.30 pm, 30 minutes before our special privileges of getting in early were revoked and we’d have to chance getting a coveted spot with the big crowd.
Getting there as early as we did really drains your adrenaline, as I went from layering up friendship bracelets onto the already slightly insane look I’d gone for (inspired by Fortnight from TTPD, complete with face tattoos) to sitting on the floor for over an hour – which was a sobering experience.
Fortunately, the weather was gorgeous and the vibes were good – if only I’d thought to bring along a pack of Monopoly Deal.
For night two, there was no such tomfoolery. My friend was a big fan of Griff, so we got there right on time for her amazing opening, landed a gorgeous spot with lots of petite people in front of us, and the whole thing felt smoother and less chaotic. Even my outfit took a more laidback approach, as I bought a tour T-shirt, shoved it over my dress and voila! I was ready for Taylor without a face tattoo in sight.
One of my favourite things from both evenings was seeing the incredible calibre of costumes from all of the fans. Every era was on full display, and I was particularly impressed by the Folkmore and Evermore style gowns, complete with cloaks, the spangly Midnights-inspired numbers, and a couple of very impressive one-leg snakey unitards, a la Reputation.
I also have to mention the feeling of warmth and friendship in the crowds. Everyone there (aside from a few bewildered mothers) had a love of Taylor and was there with their friends, sisters, dads, family, and it was honestly a concert experience like no other.
On night one, we all waved to a youngster in a nearby apartment who had hung out bunting and balloons and was waving frantically to us all.
On night two, a girl stopped me to offer me a friendship bracelet from her simply enormous bag of homemade treats – for no other reason than that she wanted to share some joy. It was beautiful!
So back to the show. By the time Paramore had warmed up the crowds, led by Hayley Williams, teeming with energy and exuberance, it was finally time.
On night one, watching the clock count down to her arrival, I was genuinely overwhelmed with the excitement of having no idea of what was about to happen. On night two, I was just as excited – because I did know, and I knew that it would be amazing.
How to even begin? The whole show is a total, thrilling spectacle. As Taylor’s fans will know, Taylor goes through each ‘era’ of her career throughout the show, with each section having a very different feel. She opens with Lover – full of pastels and sparkles and fun with an onstage office for ‘The Man’ and a gorgeous intimate rendition of Lover, before heading into Fearless with a country girl-inspired look for You Belong with Me and Love Story.
She then launches into perhaps her most catchy era – Red – with We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and the glorious ten-minute version of All Too Well, where I turned to say something to my friend (night two) to see that she had tears POURING from her face.
I was slightly disappointed to see that Speak Now only consisted of a beautiful version of Enchanted, (where is Better Than Revenge? Mine? Haunted? Oh well), before one of my favourite eras – Reputation – took over and dancing got very intense – in my section, both nights – to Delicate.
Folklore and Evermore followed with a sweet, folksy vibe when Taylor performed on the roof of a little wooden house, before bringing the energy all the way back up with her celebrated album 1989.
In a big change-up for the European leg, Taylor managed to squeeze in a healthy helping of The Tortured Poet’s Department, and I was obsessed with the staging for it, particularly Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me and The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived. She finished things up with the Midnights era, and honestly, it just reminded me how much I love that album.
I have to say, there is also something totally thrilling about seeing Taylor sing So High School all about her new boyfriend Travis Kelce, who was literally in the same crowd as me watching her perform.
Speaking of Travis, both nights were so jam-packed with celebrities. It turns out that the rich and famous love Taylor as much as the rest of us, and I was amazed to hear that all the time that I had been sinking my pints of wine in the crowd, Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte were in a box boogying along to Shake It Off.
As for night two, that VIP was crowded! Nicola Coughlan, Jonathan Van Ness, Tom Cruise, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Greta Gerwig were all among the attendees – but I especially loved that Hugh Grant was there with his family, particularly thanks to his later insinuation that he and Travis had done tequila shots together, and that his daughter was ‘half girl, half bracelet’.
To quote Taylor Swift herself, “It was rare, I was there,” and I’ll remember it all too well. Both times, that is.
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