Edinburgh: The Eras Tour
EDINBURGH
The Eras Tour
June 08, 2024
Early the following day, Akash and I got on a train heading to Edinburgh. Having already been there a few years back, this trip was meant for one reason and one reason only – and that reason became very evident the second we stepped out of the train station.
You see, the queen of pop herself, Taylor friggin’ Swift, would be playing The Eras Tour in Edinburgh – and it wasn’t just us who’d be going. The entire city was gearing up for what was surely going to be a monumental event. There were posters everywhere, Swifties wearing all sorts of Taylor-themed ensembles, and, most impressively of all, the trams had all gone full Taylor Swift.
Gearing Up
With Akash having got his hands on a couple of VIP tickets, we headed to Murrayfield Ice Arena for an early check-in.
Here, we were given some exclusive merchandise, including a lanyard, posters, stickers and a magnet. I might’ve been a full-grown adult male, but I felt like a 13-year-old girl as I received the goodies. I guess that point marked my complete transition into a Swiftie – not the fact that, by then, I had memorised all her songs, including the 31 songs she had just released in one go with The Tortured Poets Department.
Then we got into a long line that eventually led us into the stadium, along with thousands of other Swifties. We’d be spending a couple of hours just waiting, but having secured good spots, we’d be damned if we were going to move and lose them. In fact, I suggested a strict hydration regimen to make sure we wouldn’t miss out on anything: we’d drink one gulp of water in between different eras and no more.
The Legendary Paramore
Before the queen herself, we’d have a special opening act – none other than friggin’ Paramore, one of my favourite bands ever.
Seeing them perform live had always been another dream of mine, but having tried my best not to spoil the concert, I genuinely had no idea they’d be opening for Tay Tay. In fact, I screamed so loudly when they came up on stage that everyone else just stared at me. They played some of their most famous hits, including Hard Times, Still Into You, Misery Business and The Only Exception. I was already in seventh heaven – seemingly the only one in the crowd who knew all the words to their songs. Seeing Hayley perform live in front of me was surreal. Another dream come true.
I kept hoping they’d play Last Hope (my favourite song) as one of their rotating songs, but they played Told You So instead. To be fair, I think it was for the best. Otherwise, I would’ve been too dazed and mystified to enjoy the main part of the show.
It’s Been a Long Time Coming
After their act and what felt like a couple of years, the lights turned off and Gaga’s Applause came on. Needless to say, we all knew what it meant. Then a clock showed up on stage, counting her down. It was finally time.
With the crowd neurotically roaring and squealing in joy, we counted down the last ten seconds. Then quiet fell around the stadium. A mash-up of some of her hits had all of us holding our breath, our skin covered in goosebumps. Then her dancers came out on stage with their huge petal-like tails, forming a flower bud in the centre – out of which blossomed the legend herself: Taylor Swift. It really had been a long time coming.
With tears in our eyes and a feeling of complete disbelief, her performance of Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince was practically a blur. Then, after her typical “Oh hi”, she proceeded to belt out Cruel Summer – inciting all of us to start singing like possessed maniacs. I guess that’s when it really hit me that I was there, in front of this living legend, in the flesh.
I don’t usually idolise people, but come on, this one woman managed to revolutionise the world of pop music for a reason. It might be an unpopular opinion to some, but as someone who listens to all kinds of music, I think she is undeniably a formidable artist. Though her voice is excellent, it’s her lyrical prowess that does it for me – and anyone who doesn’t agree probably just hasn’t familiarised themselves with her music. In fact, she has so many songs across so many genres that you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t like at least one song of hers, if not for lack of trying.
And seeing her right in front of me? I did idolise her. She was like a goddess incarnate – tall, beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed, with the perfect voice. She had it all.
Three Hours of Sheer Joy
The concert featured ten different acts, all representing different eras of her musical career:
- Act 1: Lover
- Act 2: Fearless
- Act 3: Red
- Act 4: Speak Now
- Act 5: reputation
- Act 6: folklore and evermore
- Act 7: 1989
- Act 8: The Tortured Poets Department
- Act 9: Surprise songs
- Act 10: Midnights
Each act featured different set styles, costumes and choreography, with all of them leaving us wanting for nothing. Throughout, there were little fan-service moments and Easter eggs that only the keenest Swifties could appreciate, along with fan traditions that had accumulated over the course of the tour – like her chanting “Edinburgh” during Blank Space, us turning on our phone lights during Marjorie, and us yelling “Take us to church” during Don’t Blame Me.
It was three hours of uninterrupted, sheer joy and exhilaration, where all of us celebrated our love for Taylor and her music in unison. While I had always enjoyed her major hits, I had become a fan during Midnights – an album I will forever cherish as it accompanied me through my gap year, especially in the wilderness of Patagonia, as weird as that might sound.
Throughout, her stamina and professionalism were stellar, to say the least. As much as I loved all of it, I did have a few favourite moments. Like the entirety of All Too Well, one of my favourite songs of hers. Her entrance on stage during ...Ready for It?, which caused actual seismic activity. My Tears Ricochet, when she was just a couple of metres away from us. And her renditions of The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived and Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?, my two favourite songs from her latest record.
For the acoustic surprise-song section, we got a mash-up of The Bolter and Getaway Car, followed by another mash-up of Crazier (I had never heard it before!) and All of the Girls You Loved Before (love it!).
At the end of the show, it felt like I was suspended in a dream. I could hardly believe I had lived through that. As thousands of Swifties were set loose in Edinburgh after the concert, I felt such pure joy and ecstasy that I had no idea if I’d ever come out of it. Perhaps that was the peak of human experience, huh? Thank you, Taylor.