Live Report: Taylor Swift and Paramore dazzle Dublin on night two of The Eras Tour

It’s night two of the global phenomenon that is The Eras Tour and Hot Press is here nice and early in the Aviva to catch pop punks Paramore.

Hayley Williams and her ever-evolving band, who seem to have been hit by the curse of the Spinal Tap drummers, are high energy from the get-go. The funky and infectious ‘Hard Times’ ensures the early birds are rewarded for their arrival and ‘Still Into You’ is a flawless burst of power pop that in an ideal world should’ve anointed the act as stadium headliners themselves.

The perils and pitfalls of the music industry hasn’t jaded the jovial Paramore singer however, and she’s unstoppable, working the massive stage and crowd for their short but sweet set. ‘Misery Business’ remains an evergreen slice of pop punk and relative newie ‘This Is Why’ is pleasingly prickly.

Shortly after, it’s our headliner’s turn to perform. It seems like even Mother Nature herself is a Swiftie as, after a slightly soggy day, the clouds begin to part and the sun comes out at exactly the moment Taylor steps out to greet us all.

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It’s this writer’s third time seeing the songsmith live and it’s been a thrill watching her steadily taking over planet pop. While musically she continues to evolve, one thing remains the same from the first time I watched Taylor in Belfast back in 2011 and that’s her command of an audience.

That is very much in evidence tonight and her show is an ambitious and entertaining feast of sound and vision.

The Mazzy Star-infused, ‘Lover’ is an early highlight and has Dublin crooning along to that gorgeous chorus, Fearless fave ‘You Belong With Me’ is also a treat and owes a debt to this evening’s support act, while ‘22’ sees Swift indulge her inner Bret Hart and hand out her hat to a lucky fan (the suitably pleased seven-year-old Mia Green from Dundalk).

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As many Irish fans know, the billionaire star has a rich history with Ireland and during the Folklore/Evermore part of her set she tells us that the Emerald Isle played a huge part in its creation. Ever the charmer, she confesses to us “Folklore belongs to you guys”, and says it was directly inspired by both our storytelling and scenery. The mutual love-in continues after ‘Champagne Problems’ as 50,000 fans give Taylor a thunderous, three minute long ovation which visibly moves her.

And what of the surprise songs, we hear you ask? Well Saturday night saw the live debut of The Tortured Poets Department track ‘The Albatross’ which soared, and the mash up of 1989 cut ‘This Love’ and Speak Now classic ‘Ours’ was a joy for this old school Swiftie.

Signing off with a fistful of tracks from Midnights while blanketing the Dublin skies with fireworks, the likes of ‘Lavender Haze’ and ‘Bejeweled’ ensure night two was another triumph for Taylor. What’s next for this record breaking artist is anyone’s guess, but you can bet your last friendship bracelet that Taylor’s era of cultural and commercial dominance will continue for a long time to come.

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