Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Oct 2010) - hype, anticipation &c

yeah, sparks fly is not only about sex but about unrecommended and not all that serious-relationship-sounding sex, which was cool after all that autopilot SHE HATES SEX SHE NEVER HAS SEX SHE WANTS NOBODY EVER TO HAVE SEX "criticism".

even more interesting, perhaps, that it doesn't seem to have been written in response to the press around Fearless re: her clean and s3xless image in 2008-09-10 etc. -- there's a live recording of "Sparks Fly" going back to 2007 or so

Right well like Lex says, it's not like sex has ever been absent. She was in a pickup truck with a boy out in the middle of a field on her very first single. (She spends lots of time with boys in cars on those first two albums.) But yeah "Sparks Fly" is her frankest and most grown-up lust song. Plus, it rocks.

Ok, "stuck on backroads," not out in a field. Still. I don't think they're doing Bible study.

they're probably reading FAIRY TALES and talking about what she's going to COOK later

^^^ also very hot

Amazing show yesterday in Oslo!

gonna see her on the 30th in london, can't wait

This show was about being professional in the best possible way. The monologues are carefully written down and repeated every show, and she's good enough at acting that you're not totally sure if she actually IS in awe at the screams and shouts from the crowd going on forever, but! She's so in control and comfortable on that stage that whenever she feels like it and does let the fuck loose, rock out, her energy and charisma makes everyone go nuts, and she knows how to work the crowd with every little smile. Also flawless vocals.

Don't expect anything from the first album, though.

checked Setlist.fm and looks like she played more like a half to 2/3 length show? the one i saw last year was like 20 songs... would expect her to flesh out the setlist a bit more

maybe she's really been jamming out on stage and doing like 20 minute drum-solo versions of You Belong With Me

hah, she did that already w/ a 10-min version of "should've said no"

skip to 3:30 for drum solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQJ-IE64qcM

Taylor Swift should not have drum solos, no matter how hard it is to change into whatever new outfit she changed into.

agree-- was kinda bad way to end the show imo

I hope she learns to play better electric rhythm guitar than Madonna.

Show was 1 hr 30 min effective jamming.. a fine length in my opinion, but it wouldn't have hurt with a few extra songs.

T Swift Abbey Road concert on Radio 2 in 20 minutes (9pm UK) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zlbg5

Not sure what she will play, scheduled for an hour.

thanks for the tip, i'll tune in. still excited for next tuesday...

She's so good at talking.

Watch BBC's footage of the show here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00fwntw

Basically a condensed version of the tour setlist.

abcfsk (or anyone else who's seen her live on this tour), how long does she play for?

1hr 30 min as best I could time it, maybe a few minutes short of that. Setlist is short but she mixes up things a bit, some songs go on for longer, goes to another stage for the acoustic part etc.

cool, thanks (am checking whether i can make a second gig afterwards :/ )

Clearly different from location to location, but she did not start on time... by some margin. I think it might have been because the organizers were slow to get the crowds into the hall, though.

that's useful to know (in an oh-well-guess-i-can't-make-nicolas-jaar-then way) - i don't trust anything happening at the O2 to be on time, really

great night. she was on at 8.35 in mcr tonight, finished at 10.05. it's a pretty well-drilled set by now i think. high on polish and choreography, leavened by her clever acting of genuine astonishment at the adulation she receives.

hit the high notes in dear john (the backdrop was particularly nice on this one). the only bum note i could hear was the very last one of that song, but by then the screams had already restarted.

my daughter was overjoyed, she touched taylor flesh.

how had i not seen taylor swift rapping a nicki minaj song before!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSSwUzdk8rU

<3 <3

she should've done the line about selling coke though :(

She and Michelle Trachtenberg should start a Minaj tribute act:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEW73k0bgDw

i just rapped along to michelle trachtenburg rapping along to nicki minaj :D

fuckin lasted longer than she did too

selena gomez too!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MVlS5Uj8Xs

and she did the coke line! (but it was faded out :( )

It doesn't surprise me, but I'm sure a lot of people would be astonished to learn that Taylor is really into Nicki Minaj.

OMG HER SHOW TONIGHT

DROP
EVERYTHING
NOW

#taylorswiftsurprisedface and #taylorswiftjesuspose both made several appearances, plus adorable audience interaction that was somehow even more adorable for being so obviously practised. she has a ton of stage presence!

so much ~relating~ going on in that arena. hearing all those thousands of teenage girls (and myself and cis) sing along to every word was amazing - in particular the coda of "enchanted" sticks out - "please don't be in love with someone else, please don't have somebody waiting for you" - everyone singing it, everyone in that arena had been there, heartbreaking and incredible

LOVE HER

Did she play Back to December??

(that's probably a harder communal singalong..)

yes! solo piano for first verse. everyone still sang along!

hearing all those thousands of teenage girls (and myself) sing along to every word was amazing

lol, story of my t.swift concert ^

"you know, one of the ways you know you're in love is when you finish each other's sentences. i wonder if..." [SINGS FIRST FEW WORDS OF CHORUS]

:D

nice review dorian! http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/mar/31/taylor-swift-o2-review

in other news, i only just realised that in "back to december" she apparently sings "your tan skin" - had always thought it was "your tense skin". i like my version better

i first always heard that as "your textin'" but knew it wasnt

Have you guys going gaga over Taylor live seen many contemporary/mainstream country shows before? Because this all sounds pretty par for the course on that front, from the pacing to the acoustic stage to etc. I'll still probably get tix to take my daughter this summer, because 6 years old seems about the right age. ;)

I'll still probably get tix to take my daughter this summer, because 6 years old seems about the right age. ;)

mine was 7 at the time, and to be fair she was among the younger girls in the crowd (most probably in the 10-18 range) but i'd be lying if i said she didn't have the time of her life...

Have you guys going gaga over Taylor live seen many contemporary/mainstream country shows before?

ha, no, certainly not in the UK - there really can't be many mainstream country shows in venues that size over here. i mean, part of us going gaga over taylor is because of hearing those songs live.

I've seen a lot of the "big" country acts - Garth, Shania, Reba and plenty more - and they're more or less like, I dunno, Bon Jovi shows, but more wholesome and with different songs. That is, akin to pretty generic (if enjoyable!) '80s arena shows. Gaudy, silly, corny, safe but aiming to please. Dixie Chicks were much better than the norm, though, from the playing to the stage design.

Taylor and Dolly are probably the only ones big enough to play the O2 - no one else springs to mind though I heard whispers of Brad Paisley playing there (he'll never fill it). Everyone else mainstream country (not some alt rubbish) seems to play Shepherds Bush Empire (2000 capacity) or Hammersmith Apollo (5000) at a push. Taylor's first UK show was at Kings College Student Union I believe which is about 400 (also the first place arcade fire played in Europe fact fans). Me and the wife had been listening to the first lp when it came out so were pretty pissed off to miss it.

at the O2 she was all "when i cam here first and played in Shepherd's Bush..." -- totally erasing the King's College gig from history :( (i remember it! i was there! i will not be silenced!)

*came here first

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKwWq4mnaiw

'I can do country as well'

Liked it. Screw the Mean naysayers.