Taylor Swift delights fans at opening night of UK tour
By Nick Levine
Taylor Swift finally brought her Red Tour to the UK last night (February 1) with the first of five sold out shows at London’s O2 Arena.
The album that gives the tour its name, Red, was released back in October 2012 and Taylor has already taken this fantastic, Brylcreem-slick pop show across North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Though the setlist remained much the same as on previous Red Tour stop-offs, the singer did bring out a few surprises for her British fans: Ed Sheeran joined her onstage for a duet rendition of his hit single Lego House, and she performed several songs in a sequinned Union Jack T-shirt that Geri Halliwell would no doubt approve of (and probably want to dress her daughter Bluebell in).
The Red album leans heavily on the country side of country-pop and Taylor’s show reflects this with plenty of pure popstar spectacle: costume and set changes, a troupe of backing dancers, bursts of confetti and even the sight of flying drummer boys soaring over The O2 Arena stage.
Though perhaps not a natural show-woman in the way that someone like Beyoncé is, in recent years Taylor has developed into an accomplished (if, at times, slightly mechanical) stage performer whose greatest strength is her ability to connect with her fans – many of whom are pre-teen and teenage girls – on an emotional level. The slow-burning break-up ballad All Too Well, which she performed stripped down at her piano, was as much a highlight as the night’s sing-along renditions of uptempo hits 22, I Knew You Were Trouble and closing number We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.
For older fans, it’s the traces of sourness in Taylor’s songs that make her really interesting. “Who is Taylor Swift anyway? Eww!” goes the snarky retort from the “cool kids” in her song 22, which proves that even one of the biggest popstars on the planet can have a bit of a chip on her shoulder.
Taylor’s setlist in full:
State of Grace
Holy Ground
Red
You Belong with Me
The Lucky One
Mean
22
Fearless
Begin Again
Sparks Fly
Lego House (duet with Ed Sheeran)
I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well
Treacherous
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Taylor Swift performs at The O2 Arena again on February 2, 4, 10 and 11.