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One family, three generations of Swifties
By Nick Galvin
Eight-year-old Matilda Sloan has grown up with Taylor Swift - literally.
She’s been listening to the superstar since she was just one, dressing up as her hero for Halloween and book week.
Then there’s her mum, Sharni, who describes herself as an “OG Swiftie” and attended her first Taylor Swift concert in 2009.
Matilda, 8, with her mother Sharni Sloan (left) and grandmother Gena Waters.Credit: Edwina Pickles
And now Matilda is going to her first Taylor concert with her mum and her mum, Gina, a recent convert to the Swift phenomenon, making them a rare three-generation fan group.
The family trio drove down from their Ballina home for the concert. Asked why she loved Swift so much, Matilda said she makes her feel “really special and engaged”.
“OG Swiftie” Sharni Sloan, left, with Taylor Swift in 2009.
Meanwhile, for mum Sharni, Swift is the full package.
“I just think she’s such a good role model,” she said. “She’s an amazing performer. She’s a good entertainer. I just love everything that she does. Everything she stands for. I’m going to be an absolute mess when she comes on stage.”
‘It’s like living in Barbieland’
By Abby Seaman
I mistook this group as a family, but it was in fact two separate families that had sparked up a friendship in the merch line.
“Everyone is so nice, it’s like living in Barbieland,” said Angela. Angela and daughter Winter have travelled from Brisbane to see tonight’s concert and are flying back early tomorrow morning.
The excitement is palpable as the fans are buying merch, trading bracelets and waiting for Swift.
From: Angela, her daughter Winter, Allanah, and her father Rick.Credit: Sydney Morning Herald
“I’ve driven cars over 200 km/h, and it doesn’t even live up to this,” said Rick about his excitement levels.
Allanah, his daughter, hand jewelled her dad’s shirt in two days. It features a 1989 inspired back and the front is a reference to the song Blank Space with a long list of ex lovers.
When asked about the impending storm the group roared with excitement:“Bring it on,” said Angela.
“Who cares… let it rain,” said Rick. Allanah and Winter are particularly excited about a rain show to see Swift’s natural hair, “get the curls out”.
Nothing can rain on their parade.
Flights to Sydney being cancelled and delayed
By Robert Moran
This severe weather forecast is proving bothersome to travellers, causing flight delays and cancellations across all airlines – not great if you’re trying to get to Sydney for any of Taylor’s four shows through to Monday, let alone tonight’s opener.
Qantas has said it will use an Airbus A380 from Melbourne to Sydney to “ensure customers get to Sydney as close to schedule as possible”. It carries 485 customers, equivalent to three of the usual Boeing 737 flights.
A Jetstar spokesperson also confirmed cancellations and delays and said the airline is “doing everything we can to get affected customers on their way as soon as possible”.
“We’ve added two flights to Sydney tomorrow morning from Melbourne and Brisbane which will be operated using our Airbus A321 aircraft.”
If your flights have been impacted, let me know at robert.moran@smh.com.au
‘I could start levitating’
By Abby Seaman
14-year-old Khali Law and Amelia Tacon started making friendship bracelets before they even secured their ticket to the show “just in case”.
In true Swiftie tradition the pair are giddy to trade with anyone (including me) even asking for the receivers favourite song or era to match them with their perfect friendship bracelet.
Swifties Khali Law (left) and Amelia Tacon at Accor.Credit: Abby Seaman
They also spent time perfecting their outfits down to the last detail, painting the soles of their shoes red to replicate the Louboutin boots Swift sports on stage. Tacon also hand sequined her dress which she says, “took forever” and they agree they spent “so much money” on their outfits and on merchandise but “money comes back, Taylor doesn’t”, said Tacon.
The duo squeal talking about attending tonight’s show and tomorrows.
“We already started bawling. As soon as we got off the train and saw the stadium, we fell to the ground,” said Law. “I’m so excited I could start levitating... I’ve been dreaming of this day ever since the Reputation tour and my mum said I was too young to go,” said Tacon.
SES issues a weather warning
By Robert Moran
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has issued a warning urging people to “take care when travelling to major events this evening” and reminding us of “the risks of high winds, damaging hail and heavy rain”.
No mention of Taylor by name, but we see what they’re putting down.
“The weather expected may make things like travelling hazardous, with high-end heavy rain and flash flooding a possibility,” said NSW SES Chief Superintendent Dallas Burnes.
“We are working very closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to monitor the situation and will provide further warnings and updates to the community as required.”
Something to quell our weather anxiety
By Robert Moran
So according to the weather thing on my phone (which, to be honest, often lies), by 8pm tonight we’re looking at a 48 per cent chance of rain and storms and hail and locusts, which is not ideal but I don’t think shaking my fist at the sky will help us, so let’s face it head-on.
Taylor Swift braved the elements during her Eras show in Foxborough, Massachusetts last year.Credit: Getty
It might be okay. Swift completists know that Taylor is old hat at wild weather.
The last time she performed in Sydney, during her Reputation tour in November 2018, she brought the same forecast with her: due to electrical storms, her show at ANZ Stadium was delayed by 50 minutes and rain poured through two-thirds of it. But the show went on, as our critic Michael Bailey noted at the time: “The country-turned-pop superstar seemed ecstatic to be there even as she got as drenched as the rest of us.”
Videos and images from the night show Taylor looking as drenched as a sewer rat (not that rat), but everyone still having the time of their lives. That’s encouraging, right?
Daughters leading the way
By Nick Galvin
Lily Kellaway, who has been listening to Taylor Swift for about 18 months is very clear about what the superstar means to her.
“She just makes me feel happy and safe, she said. “She makes me feel like I have a place to belong in the world, I guess.”
Aaron with daughter Lily Kellaway from Wollongong.Credit: Edwina Pickles
This is her first time seeing her hero and she said when Swift steps on stage she would “most likely cry”.
Lily travelled up from Wollongong with schoolteacher dad Aaron, who has learned a lot about Swift from his daughter - including some of the lyrics.
“I know some of the lyrics but I get in trouble for having them in the wrong order. Right song, wrong order or wrong verse,” he says.
With five hours still to go we asked Lily how excited she was on a scale of one to 10. The answer? “Thirteen.”
Had enough of the beads? How to draw Taylor Swift
By Kate Lahey
There is no denying the creativity of Australian Swifties, from the friendship bracelets to what Swift herself described in Melbourne as an extraordinary dedication to concert costume design.
So, for your next project, perhaps a watercolour painting is in order? Our illustrator John Shakespeare shows you how:
Let’s hear it for the Red Frogs
By Nick Galvin
It’s now just under 36 degrees at Olympic Park. The volunteers from Red Frog are out in force and doing a great job keeping people hydrated and sun safe during their long day in the sun.
Volunteer Aimee Halliday tells us a bit about what they’re doing today.
The demand for merch is only growing
By Abby Seaman
Even though merchandise stands opened on Wednesday to long lines, they don’t look to be dwindling anytime soon.
Tell the Swiftie in your life to prep for long and hot queues around the perimeter of Accor Stadium today. Multiple tents (I counted seven) are filled with Swifties, some already dressed in cowboy boots, hats and glitter ready for tonight, trying to get their hands on Eras Tour merch.
Success at the merch tent for these fans. Credit: Edwina Pickles
There are even more merch stands ready to go inside of the stadium for tonight’s ticket holders.
Venue staff, Red Frogs and medics are patrolling the festival-like set-up and handing out water and sunscreen, and spraying water onto the to all the red-faced Swifties trying to get their hands on an official tour jumper.
This is how the lines looked on Wednesday.Credit:
As Linda Morris reported this week, one Sydney academic estimates total merchandise sales for Swift will top $66 million in Sydney alone with the artist to bank $22 million.
The average spend of a Taylor Swift fan is expected to be $1300 inclusive of tickets, travel, accommodation, and merchandise, according to Dr Nigel Bairstow, lecturer in marketing at the University of Technology Sydney. But some fans on Wednesday carried away bags of merchandise worth thousands of dollars.
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2024-02-23 04:14:39Z
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