As a music critic I thought I’d seen it all when it came to Scottish concerts having witnessed some of the greatest acts on the planet. The Clash at the legendary Glasgow Apollo and busking in a pub, Oasis at Irvine Beach and on the shores of Loch Lomond, Bob Dylan countless times, Madonna, Prince, Springsteen, U2 and Michael Jackson. But has there ever been a hype to match Taylor Swift’s arrival in Edinburgh to perform three consecutive nightly shows at the capital’s Scottish Gas Murrayfield stadium. The public transport system, despite extra trains and trams, has been packed to the gunnels because the city is rammed with fans of all ages dressed pink, gold, glitter and sequins – and the buzz is incredible. It’s like the Fringe festival on steroids. Or to put it another way, it’s Par-Tay time But did Taylor Swift match the fever pitch excitement and expectation of the Swifties and the curious? And how did she measure up the best of the rest? John Dingwall writes: Taylor Swift spoke of her love for her Scottish fans as she told them how honoured she was to perform to a record-breaking crowd in Scotland last night. Just three songs in she stopped the show and told the crowd: “What a delight and an honour and a privilege to say these words to you. Welcome to the Eras tour, Edinburgh.” She then referred to Friday’s Daily Record article in which we revealed her shows has broken Scotland’s all time record for live music tickets when she added: “I haven’t been in Scotland for almost a decade now. “The last time I was here was 10 years ago and I was wondering, what’s it going to be like when I go back to visit them, what are they gonna be like as a crowd? And you know what you kinda answered me before I even got on stage because I had someone pull me aside and say ‘Hey – and we’ve checked this 20 times to make sure that it’s accurate – tonight’s concert is the most highly attended stadium show in Scottish history.” The crowd erupted as Taylor added: “Thank you Edinburgh, that’s absolutely the wildest way to welcome a lass to your city.” Temperatures may have plummeted for June but the sun had come out for Swifties and Taylor delivered a sizzling show to open the UK and Ireland leg of her world tour, which has grossed £1 billion. Even before Swift was wheeled onstage, yes wheeled hidden in a catering trolley, fans on their way to the festival had taken part in singalongs on buses, trains and trams and down Princes Street, let alone when their icon opened the first of her three Edinburgh shows inside the stadium. At just 34 she’s already a superstar and seems to have an entire career ahead of her having eclipsed the popularity of some of the biggest acts on the planet. The crowd were euphoric as Taylor stepped onstage in a sequinned bodysuit and gold boots following a recording of Dusty Springfield’s You Don’t Own Me, a recurring theme, to open her first Scottish show since 2015. Back then she had packed Glasgow’s Hydro with 12,500 fans. This time it is almost 20 times as many. The screams were deafening even before she opened with Miss America & The Heartbreak Prince followed by Cruel Summer. And Swift wasted no time making her feelings known. She said: “Now look what you’ve done. You’ve gone and made me feel amazing.” Pointing her way around the crowd only sent the decibel level through the roof. “That just went straight to my head,” she said. “You’ve got me feeling really really powerful, like the man. “You’re making me feel like somebody who’s about to play to a sold out show in front of nearly 73,000 people in Edinburgh.” Then she sang The Man to the delight of the crowd. You Need To Calm Down, Lover, Fearless and You Belong With Me all followed. It was the perfect start to three and a half hours of pure entertainment for all ages. Wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the words This Is Not Taylor’s Version and a black hat and matching hot pants, 22 was another early favourite during which she gave her hat to a young fan in the crowd. She said: “This tour is the most fun I’ve ever had in my entire life. I think the reason why might be that my one regret in terms of the tours we’ve done is that we really should have come to play in Scotland more. We should have come on every tour. “You’ve made us feel so welcome. You’ve been so just beautifully generous to us even before we got here. The way you’ve shown love and passion. You guys are the best. “I don’t have enough words to say thank you for that in Scotland. Your singing, your performance is on another level. “I can’t stop looking at the crowd. I’m captivated.” The impressive set list had been organised into 10 sections representing each of her musical eras including Lover, Fearless, Red, Speak Now, Reputation, Folklore/Evermore, 1989, The Tortured Poets Department. Each celebrated a journey through time for the fans and marked the evolution of the world’s hottest pop act. Not to mention several of her boyfriend breakups. Between Taylor’s musical catalogue, the visual treat and the packed stadium full of die-hard fans this was a spectacle not to be missed. Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletterhere.
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