TAYLOR SWIFT // SCOTTISH GAS MURRAYFIELD STADIUM , EDINBURGH
Taylor Swift’s ‘eras tour’ finally lands in the Uk for three-sold out shows at edinburgh’s scottish gas murrayfield stadium in front of 200,000 swifties
★★★★★ (5/5)
TAYLOR SWIFT BRINGS ‘THE ERAS TOUR’ TO EDINBURGH’S SCOTTISH GAS MURRAYFIELD STADIUM FOR THREE SOLD-OUT SHOWS IN FRONT OF 200,000 PEOPLE
PICTURE CREDIT: PA IMAGES
Taylor Swift - Is she really the queen of everything or is she actually a robot?
Taylor Swift fever has swept the planet as her huge Eras tour has finally made its way into Europe. The superstar has been on road so much it’s hard to comprehend how she has had time to release new music and maintain a social life. Speculation has many wondering if she is even human with her high calibre performances.
With record breaking attendance for Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, around 220,000 people would visit as part over the three day spectacle and anticipation for the event was huge. Many had picked there outfit months in advance and every tour city has become frenzy of Swift related branding to go with the hype.
So what was the big deal?
Well, if you are asking that question then it is quite likely that you have been living under a rock. Taylor Swift has built her career through hard work and talent that she has cherished and nurtured from a young age. Living in Nashville from the age of 14, Swift’s ears were tuned to country music and it was around this time that she got a publishing deal with Sony/ATV and became their youngest artist ever signed. She would go on to be noticed by Scott Borchetta who had her as one of the first signings of his label Big Machine Records.
In 2006, Swift released her self-titled debut album and, over the years, has continued to evolve her music style, experimenting with different genres and themes. She has maintained her relevance in the music industry by consistently producing hit songs and albums, engaging with her fans, and adapting to change in the musical landscape. Her songs are relatable and personal and have endeared her to her fans, many of who have grown up listening to her.
Through her dedication, talent, and savvy career choices, Swift has become one of the most successful and influential artists in the music industry so it’s no wonder that her latest tour has created such a ruckus. With Paramore supporting for this leg of tour, many held their breath as they the weekend approached.
The setup for entrance to the stadium was very impressive. It involved fans looping round the arena as they were led into specific queues for their sections; and it was a smooth process with rather minimal waiting times for the scale of the concert. Once inside, the space filled up fast with a mixture of people; many international fans had come along to the Scottish shows, as well as plenty of dads and boyfriends who were ready to sing every word beside the Swiftie who had convinced them to go.
Paramore took to the stage promptly and started there set with the ironically upbeat bop ‘Hard Times.’ The pop rock band from Tennessee has got a large fan base in the UK and their slot on the bill was a brilliant choice to keep fans happy. Singer Hayley Williams had florescent, exaggerated tear makeup and a bright utility suit on. She bounced about stage as if abstract art come to life. Fittingly enough, the band’s second number was a Talking Heads cover of ‘Burning Down the House,’ a track they had released during World Record Store Day. The two groups have been exploring their parallels with Talking Heads vocalist David Byrne having recorded a Paramore cover in recognition of Paramore covering Talking Heads.
PARAMORE OPENING UP FOR TAYLOR SWIFT AT ‘THE ERAS TOUR’ IN EDINBURGH AT MURRAYFIELD STADIUM
PHOTOCREDIT: Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
There was a slight lull in the set as the group seemed to run through ‘Forgiveness’ and ‘Told You So,’ however, coming out with the energy they had would always mean that any slower moments run a risk of turning stale. The energy was brought up by a tender display between Williams and boyfriend/guitarist Taylor York as they played to each other at the top of the walkway for ‘The Only Exception.’ The childhood friends have been rumoured dating since 2018.
Drummer Zac Farro, along with Williams and York, showed the glorious timeline of Paramore’s journey in their final three songs ‘Misery Business,’ ‘Ain’t It Fun’ and ‘This Is Why.’ The group’s performance was a flash bang of their colourful history and they are clearly on top of their game. After jokingly quoting the Jack Black’s Movie School of rock earlier in the set, Williams poked fun at Scottish weather before leaving the stage. The crowd had enjoyed themselves in Paramore’s water fight kind of energy.
It was short 30 minute break before it was time for Taylor and this passed by sharply - provided you were stuck in the long queue at the merchandise tent. A version of the tour is available to watch on Disney+, although, nothing compares to seeing the plume of fantastic fabric trail that cover the stage as the opening starts. The crowd screams and thousands of phones thrown up with lens pointed at the stage where Taylor Swift was risen up on a large platform and launched into her album Lover and quickly she is on to the iconic ‘Cruel Summer.’
TAYLOR SWIFT BRINGS ‘THE ERAS TOUR’ TO EDINBURGH’S SCOTTISH GAS MURRAYFIELD STADIUM FOR THREE SOLD-OUT SHOWS IN FRONT OF 200,000 PEOPLE
PICTURE CREDIT: PA IMAGES
Choosing to display her glowing strength, Swift did not opt to be humble or meek as she initially stood before the giant crowd; she decided to express her triumph and humour with a comic call out of “Oh, Hi!” and then telling everyone how she feel “so powerful.” Looking at her career and this tour, it is easy to see why she feels this way. She has earned this time to shine with glory and a little dramatic flair.
Everywhere, the stadium dances with a unified rhythm. The over 3 hour performance travels up and down the stage and has such a transformation between eras that the crowd are constantly moving to keep up and this releases some of the jam packing that usual happens at these megastar gigs. Cycling through each of her albums is like going through an old photo album. Fearless is certainly a work that resonated with many of the crowd and there was a lot of outfits inspired by ‘You Belong with Me’ music video.
The Red album features a lot favourite tracks but the biggest disappointment of the night came during the extended version of ‘All Too Well’ where the song was repeated broken up by Swift needing to call to security to help out a member of the audience. Swift was completely professional and requested help for the fan multiple times without missing a single word of the song. Though it did not stop the performance, the song had built to such an emotional moment when Swift was required to divide her attention in order to see to her fan’s safety. Similar situations occurred throughout the night.
Entering the Reputation era saw the snake theme slide out. Swift has encountered many venomous people in her time, however, the snake motif is her power over those spoke ill of her. Fans were given light up wrist bands on entering the stadium and although they literally worked well, the impact was underwhelming in the daylight.
A house plucked from a forest sprung up on stage for song from Folklore and Evermore. Swift paid close attention to these album that she made during Covid times and created a natural euphoria though these hearty, earthy tracks. The contrast of 1989 shows a more glamourous, high production side to Swift’s music.
Photocredit: Kevin Mazur/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
The latest album The Tortured Poets Department was included in the show following its release a few months ago. Taylor is dressed and posed like a doll on a display stand as she travels up and down the stage on a moving platform. The work is filled with beautiful, emotive tracks like ‘Fortnight’ and ‘The Smallest Man in the Universe.’ Swifties sung along with all the guts that they had for all the previous eras. The night was finished with Taylor Swift’s mike drop album Midnight; complete with fireworks and flourish. Swift he kept her focus all night but ends smiling so genuinely as she takes in the crowd’s adoration – though she does not seem to have broken a sweat.
Taylor Swift may not be a robot but what she certainly is, is a grafter and a worthy role model. With a workout routine involves singing the whole show while running on a treadmill and going on to make an incredible donation to the Edinburgh food banks when leaving the city; she is rarity in the world of superstardom. She has a heart and so much talent and she has earned her place as one of the most powerful and influential people on the planet right now. The Eras tour was absolutely worth it.
‘The Eras Tour’ continues in UK this month with shows in Liverpool, Cardiff and London before heading back to main-land Europe and returning to UK for more shows in London during August before heading back to North America for couple shows which will end ‘The Eras Tour’ as it stands. First show in Liverpool will mark 100th concert of ‘The Eras Tour’ so fans are guessing something special will happen to mark the milestone, whether more new music, more tour dates for 2025, re-release of ‘Reputation’ under ‘Taylor’s Version’ or surprise guests appearing on stage, we just have to wait and see.
Photocredit: Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management