She had that red lip, classic thing that Brisbane likes. And we had that daydream look in our eye.
If you were wondering why Brisbane was full of cheerleaders, foxes, hunters, Alice In Wonderland-inspired queens, and fairy-light-draped bodies on Saturday, you might want to move out from under that rock. The Queen Of Pop was in town to style the Suncorp Stadium – and it ended in paradise.
The night began with a riptide of joy from Vance. Having supported Taylor Swift on her 1989 World Tour (now on its final leg), Vance Joy's soulful voice was tinged with excitement playing to a home crowd. There was minimal performance from the Melburnian singer-songwriter; his voice and lyrics were more than enough to hold eyes and sway bodies. A calming yet upbeat warm-up for the spectacle to come.
Photos from Taylor Swift and Vance Joy in Brisbane.
The sold-out stadium lit up like a twinkling Christmas tree under the clear night sky when Tay Tay arrived. Illuminating wrist bands on 50,000 wrists flashed in unison to the beat, creating a sea of colour; red for 'Trouble', green for 'Bad Blood' and pink for 'Love Story'.
Swifties were welcomed to New York (on stage at least) with a climax of light, dance and powerful voice. Taylor sashayed, strutted and generally sassed for the following two hours. Sweet and seductive at the same time, she added just the right amount of sex appeal for an audience of varying ages, genders and walks of life. Behind her cherry-coloured kisser, those pearly whites were always beaming, and she knew exactly which camera to flash them at.
Performing hits from '1989', 'Red', 'Fearless' and 'Speak Now', she added a Tay Tay-twist to each. 'Trouble' featured her rocking the electric guitar, 'Love Story' saw her elevated in the sky playing the keyboard, and she graced a grand piano for 'Wildest Dreams'. An emotional avalanche came when she performed 'Mine' on acoustic guitar with no backing music. A piece she dedicated to Australian fan Rachel, who lost her life in a car accident.
From the high notes, whispers and drawn-out breaths, her voice was polished perfection. Adding some country-twang to older songs, there were tones of rock with a dash of attitude for 'Bad Blood' and 'Trouble'. She also experimented onstage with a recorded echo of her saying "Brisbane" which played back through the live chorus of 'Blank Space'.
Intervals were filled with the people that matter most to the 25-year-old. Giving a glimpse into her life offstage, Cara Delvine, Selena Gomez, Lena Dunham and others solidified Taylor's genuine, charming and down-to-earth personality. Her kitties, Meredith Grey and Olivia, also made the cut. #squadgoals
Joyfully chatting between hits, she said she has “really, really warm cozy, fond memories of Brisbane”; because it was the first Australian city she played seven years ago. The crowd hung on her every word. Unlike some performers, her words were as honest as her performance. She was real.
'Slick' doesn't begin to describe the execution. With a posse of pole dancing, gravity defying, roller-shoed gentlemen by her side, the routines held their own next to the blonde brilliance. As did the digital film clips that played out behind her.
From a leather catsuit to a glittering unitard under a ball gown, her stylist deserves kudos for adding personality to each track. A neon pink two-piece which glowed among a sea of twirling LED umbrellas was a highlight for 'How You Get The Girl', as was the purple flapper two-piece she shimmied in for the final number.
Speaking of the final number, after the audience were led out of the woods by four backing vocalists, the sea of lights bopped, swayed and got down to a sick beat. The one-derful-woman show was capped off with a rainbow of '80s pop gloss, an elevated, twisting catwalk allowing fans to see every angle of the superstar and a burst of pyrotechnics. Even Wally Lewis shook it off in the grandstand.All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you. Hopefully we CAN get back together, soon.
