Are you ready for it?

Yesterday evening I went to the IMAX Cinema at Glasgow Science Centre with my kids to see the filmed version of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

Full disclosure, I am a Swiftie.  I have not always been a Swiftie, but a combination of my kids' interest in her and her music and watching the documentary Miss Americana (on Netflix.com) took me from aware of her to having a new appreciation for her as an artist and business woman, not to mention a deepening respect for her as a person, and a love for her music.

So, how was it?  If you never ever see any other concert movie in your life, see this film.  It is incredible.  I think it was greatly helped by seeing it in IMAX, as the immersion effect of the format definitely helps to cross the chasm that unavoidably exists between seeing a concert on film and actually seeing it live.  Nonetheless I would absolutely encourage anyone who loves film, music and / or Taylor Swift to see this wherever you can.  To put this into context, when it becomes available, this will be the first UHD Bluray I am going to pay money for*.

Also, quick mention for the wonderful body and racial diversity in the on-stage talent, the dancers, back-up vocalists and musicians - there is no question this was intentional, and absolutely glorious.

I am not going to offer a blow-by-blow, that would amount to spoilers and no mistake, but suffice it to say that the show is PHENOMENAL.  I challenge even the most jaded, middle-aged, male, pseudy muso to not be transported by the production, the showmanship and the music.

More than that, I think that it's truly fantastic to see a talented, powerful, confident and passionate young woman spearheading a truly world class show to her specification and vision and making a buttload of money doing it, all the while projecting humility and wonder that her life has brought her to these heady heights and expressing authentic gratitude for her success and her fandom.

The live tour itself is projected to gross around $2.2Bn, and if it makes or supercedes that projection by the time it's done then Taylor Swift will have created and performed the highest grossing international music show tour of all time.  Not the highest grossing show by a woman, the highest grossing show. Of ALL TIME.

The movie grossed over $120Mn globally on its opening weekend, and it only opened in SIX territories worldwide (USA, Germany, Mexico, Australia, United Kingdom and The Philippines) and will open in many more on November 3rd.  The movie is not at the mercy of the Hollywood machine either, Swift's production company sidestepped the usual piece-of-the-pie bullshit involved in distributing and exhibiting a film across the US and internationally by cutting a paradigm-shattering deal with AMC to bypass the Hollywood distribution circus, and getting it out with a far greater portion of the take staying in Swift's pocket.  She also paid a reported $20Mn of her own money to retain full international rights to the movie herself, rather than sharing ongoing residuals with distributors.  This powerhouse of a woman is changing the face of the entertainment industry, all the while scoring huge respect for taking care of her people (confirmed stories about giving all of the HGV drivers on the first leg of the US tour $100k bonuses, not to mention the total bonuses stacking up to $55Mn for all members of the tour crew, on and off stage).

I was really proud to show this to my kids, to champion the idea that what Taylor is doing with this tour and the film is groundbreaking and impressive, and also to have them see me genuinely enjoying the art of a woman and offering her all the respect I offer any man that I might also venerate.  It's not a new thing, they know of my love for Lauren Mayberry (singer, songwriter and instrumentalist for CHVRCHES and a solo performer), Amanda Palmer (artist, singer, songwriter, pianist, ukelele-ist and one half of The Dresden Dolls as well as a solo performer), Laura Kidd (Penfriend, one half of Obey Robots and formerly She Makes War), not to mention a whole cadre of other female artists as well as all the angry men with guitars, synths and breaks that I love.  Being vocal and positive about the priceless contributions of women to the world of music, not to mention art in general, is a really important precedent to set, as it's the thin end of the wedge that I can hopefully build on showing them successful scientists, business people and other movers and shakers in politics and journalism and everything as they get a little older.  If I achieve nothing else as a father I really want them both to learn from me that women not only can do anything they want, but that despite the way they are still marginalised by society overall they knock all of this shit out of the park every single day.

I will be watching this amazing film again, and again and I will be cheering Taylor Swift on as she makes such incredible, record breaking strides while showering the World with timeless, inspiring music and I expect before too long film as a producer director, as she is a genuinely talented emerging film-maker as well.  Check out her short film that the wrote, produced and directed to support her ten minute version of All to Well, if you don't believe me...

Now go watch the movie, unless you scored tickets to the 2024 dates of course; if you did you might want the live experience to be a surprise!

(*I own one UHD Bluray, but it was a free gift with my Bluray player - it is The Martian and honestly it looks bloody great.)