Taylor Swift - Sunday 9th June - Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Brief review:  A family trip to what I think is my first ever gig in Scotland. We couldn't get tickets for any of the Wembley shows, so not wishing to miss the global superstar that is Miss Swift we decided to make a weekend away of it (as did pretty much everyone else staying in the Scottish Capital from what we saw!). 

Now, my other family members are more Swifties than me these days and my song knowledge runs a bit dry after the excellent "Red" album meaning I don't really know 2/3 of her output. But that doesn't stop this being an amazing show. And show is the word - so much thought has been given to making everyone in the vast arenas on the tour feeling involved. That said, we felt very lucky to have the front pitch tickets and be relatively close to the action.

A fantastic experience!

Venue and View:  Pitch standing - Front half, left hand side.

Setlist
Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince
Cruel Summer
The Man
You Need to Calm Down
Lover
+
Fearless
You Belong With Me
Love Story
+

22
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well
Speak Now
+
Enchanted
+
...Ready for It?
Delicate
Don't Blame Me
Look What You Made Me Do
+
Cardigan
Betty
Champagne Problems
August
Illicit Affairs
My Tears Ricochet
Marjorie
Willow
+
Style
Blank Space
Shake It Off
Wildest Dreams
Bad Blood
+

But Daddy I Love Him / So High School
Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?
Down Bad
Fortnight
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
+
Dorothea
Haunted
+
Lavender Haze
Anti‐Hero
Midnight Rain
Vigilante Shit
Bejeweled
Mastermind
Karma

Taylor Swift - Tuesday 14th August - Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

We took a family trip to see Ms Swift in Tampa as - by co-incidence - we were due in town at the same time as her (which caused great excitement a few months back when the tour dates were announced). Whilst I'm not too fussed about her current album - heavily featured here - there is no denying the quality of her performance and the theatrics involved. Even though it's not really my style of music, support from Camila Cabello was good too - with Camila choosing to wear the American Football shirt of the home team (Tampa Buccaneers) which was a nice touch.

We had a decent, uninterrupted view - albeit from towards the back. Only downside was the parking cost - $40 for "standard" parking! And I turned down the option of a $14 beer!

Also, it appears Tampa is a hotbed of Manchester United fans with my shirt for the evening attracting lots of positive comments.

Setlists

Taylor Swift
...Ready for It?
I Did Something Bad
Gorgeous
Style / Love Story / You Belong With Me
+
Look What You Made Me Do 
End Game 
King of My Heart
+
Delicate
Shake It Off (with Charli XCX and Camila Cabello)
Dancing With Our Hands Tied (Acoustic)
Invisible (Acoustic)
+
Blank Space
Dress
Bad Blood / Should've Said No
+
Don't Blame Me
Long Live / New Year's Day
+
Getaway Car
Call It What You Want
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together / This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things


Camila Cabello
Never Be the Same
She Loves Control
Inside Out 
Bad Things 
Can't Help Falling in Love
Consequences
In the Dark
Into It / Kiss
Havana


Charli XCX
Boom Clap
I Love It 
Break the Rules
Unlock It
Boys
5 in the Morning
Fancy 

Taylor Swift - Wednesday 26th August - Staples Center, Los Angeles

Taylor Swift & Selena Gomez

Another family presale grab - The last night of Taylor Swift's 5 sell out nights at the impressive Staples Center in LA. I've only been here for sporting events previous, so it was good to hear such clear sound quality even from our position at the back in the gods. Free wristbands were also attached to each seat which provided a controlled light show during the show - very clever.

Support came from Vance Joy (pleasant enough) and Haim who's version of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" was spot on (and very heavy!)

Taylor is promoting her "1989" global mega-album. I've got to say, I don't think it's her best work, but it mainly worked well in a live environment (I think it helped that she's been on "repeat" on the car stereo since we booked). One thing she has instigated during the tour is a run of special guests each night. I think it fair to say being the last night in LA we got the best of the bunch.

Smelly Cat!

First up was Taylor's friend Selena Gomez, duetting on her recent hit, "Good For You". Later, Taylor introduced "a friend who normally only plays coffee houses - Phoebe Buffay!", which led to Lisa Kudrow duetting on the Friend's "classic" - "Smelly Cat" complete with mass audience participation!

Last up was probably a great coup as special guest - Justin Timberlake. The shrieking from the audience was deafening! The show overall was impressive. Musically I preferred the older stuff - "Mean", "Love Story" and the heavier version of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together". A predictable sing-a-long of "Shake It Off" bought a fab evening to a conclusion. I think Taylor is a great role model for her young fans and I think she'll be enjoying pop mega-stardom for a while yet.

Kids verdict - "Awesome!", "11 out of 10".

Setlist
Welcome to New York
New Romantics
Blank Space
I Knew You Were Trouble @Info[Remix]
I Wish You Would
How You Get the Girl
I Know Places
Good for You (with Selena Gomez)
Mean [Acoustic]
Clean
Love Story [1989 Remix]
Smelly Cat (with Lisa Kudrow)
Style
Mirrors (with Justin Timberlake)
Bad Blood @Info[Remix]
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together [Rock Version]
Wildest Dreams @Info[contains an element of "Enchanted"]
Out of the Woods
Shake It Off

Taylor Swift - Tuesday 11th February - O2 Arena, London

Back to the O2 for the last night of Taylor's tour - this time with Mrs B in tow who has been enjoying the "Red" album in the car. Last minute seats meant we had a restricted view, slightly behind the stage, but as with last week there was so much going on this didn't matter too much.

A fractionally older audience on average tonight and a slight setlist change with "Long Live" replacing "Fearless". Easy money on the special guest as Ellie Goulding appeared for "Burn" (as she had done on a number of the US dates).

Again, another "straight through" set with no break for an encore. All done by 10:30 and a quick dash for the pre-booked River Boat. Booked as contingency to the days tube strike (which was cancelled), a nice sail down the Thames rounded off another fun evening.

Setlist
State of Grace
Holy Ground
Red
You Belong with Me
The Lucky One
Mean
22
Long Live
Sparks Fly
Burn (with Ellie Goulding)
I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well
Love Story
Treacherous
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Taylor Swift - Saturday 1st February - O2 Arena, London

It's been a couple of years since I've seen Miss Swift live and in that time she has morphed into one of pops global superstars. 5 sold out nights at the O2 (with a date in Berlin in between) mark the last shows of this leg of the "Red Tour", supporting her amazingly successful album of the same name.

We had deliberately secured tickets high up on pre-sale as we were taking a small person for her birthday treat. It turned out that they were slightly higher than anticipated, but as the show encompassed the whole arena , that didn't really matter too much. What was more of a concern that everybody stood up, meaning lots of carrying for dad (me!) and standing on seats. Still, the large screen helped and the sound was good quality.

Support was from boy band The Vamps. They were OK and their closing cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Cecilia" proved popular.

Taylor's show itself was on a grand scale. There is an argument that her songs work just as well as a band stage show with her on guitar, but this was truly a performance with dancers, circus acts, a 'B' stage, moving platforms, flying baskets etc. Vocals were generally pretty good and the (mainly female) audience ecstatic. Ed Sheeran was the first special guest of the week, singing Lego House. An exhausting show for the road crew ended with the recent hit - "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together". Taylor and her crowd certainly will.

Setlist
State of Grace
Holy Ground
Red
You Belong with Me
The Lucky One
Mean
22
Fearless
Sparks Fly
Lego House (with Ed Sheeran)
I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well
Love Story
Treacherous
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Taylor Swift - Monday 23rd November - Wembley Arena

OK, so we booked this on the strength of the "Fearless" album which is really good. Actually, so is the first one "Taylor Swift". And whilst aware that Taylor was a young up and coming artist, until the tickets were booked and we checked her website, we were not aware of her typical fanbase. Young teenage girls. Oh dear! 

This meant 3 things:- 1) The bar was empty and easily accessible! 2) In our whole block of seats (200+) we were the oldest there. 3) In our whole block of seats we were 2 of only 5 blokes. 

Putting aside the above, the show was good - full of catchy pop songs. The screaming between songs got a bit much and during one costume change gap I headed to the bar. On my return, I passed Ms Swift herself on the way to a "B Stage" at the back of the Arena with a security guard and we nodded acknowledgement. I bet she was thinking that I was a bit old to be there! 

She seems a young lady who could go far.

Setlist You Belong With Me Our Song Tell Me Why Teardrops On My Guitar Fearless Forever & Always Hey Stephen Fifteen Tim McGraw White Horse Love Story The Way I Loved You You're Not Sorry Picture To Burn Should've Said No