DID you survive “The Great War”? That’s what Swifties – fans of American singer-songwriter-superstar Taylor Swift – were calling the fight to get tickets to her “Eras Tour”, and last week the tickets for the Edinburgh nights finally dropped.
It felt like literally everyone I know was trying to get their hands on these tickets and although it was the best day for many Swifties, for others it was a cruel summer as – other than rip-off VIP packages – affordable tickets practically sold out within about 15 minutes.
The sale worked slightly different to pretty much any event I’ve encountered, with Ticketmaster requiring fans to register about three weeks in advance to even be in with a chance of getting access to the general sale.
Those who registered were then entered into what was essentially a raffle, with some fans gaining access to tickets as soon as they were released last Monday, while others were put onto a “wait list” – meaning their chances of getting tickets were next to nil.
I did get access to the Edinburgh general sale, but despite ensuring that my WiFi connection and my bank balance were ready for it, I encountered a glitch on my first attempt and on all subsequent attempts I was unable to reach the front of the virtual queue until – other than the rip-off VIP packages – there was sweet nothing left.
Incidentally, Scotland actually had more shows per capita than almost any other country in the world, with the only exceptions being Ireland (though Scotland wins out when including the population of Northern Ireland in the Irish total) and Singapore, the only venue in all of south-east Asia.
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Logically, Scots should’ve had the best chances of anyone in the world to get tickets but a majority of the people I know were simply unable to do so.
It’s high praise indeed for Scotland that an artist as huge as Taylor Swift would choose to perform three nights here, more than any other comparably sized country. Artists know that when they come to Scotland they’re guaranteed a warm welcome and a fantastic crowd, and they attract tourists from all over the world – particularly those from countries without any tour dates of their own – to come to Edinburgh to see them perform.
It’s clear The Eras Tour resulted in a huge boost in tourism in the United States, with some reports suggesting it may have injected $4.6 billion into the economy. Long story short, whether you love her or not, it’s clear that Taylor Swift coming to Edinburgh can only be a good thing.
I was over the moon when I managed to get tickets for one of her shows in Vienna next August, but despite my excitement at the prospect of getting to see my favourite artist live in concert, the activist in me feels conflicted.
As someone who cares deeply about the devastating impact climate change is having on our planet – and particularly about the disproportionate role the ultra-rich have played in causing this, there’s something that feels slightly uncomfortable about handing my hard-earned cash to a millionaire whose private jet last year emitted over 8000 tonnes of carbon in the space of just over six months.
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That put its emissions higher than any other celebrity’s in the first half of 2022, with those emissions totalling more than 1000 times those of the average person.
I acknowledge that for a variety of security and logistical reasons it might not always be possible for someone like Swift to use public transport or fly commercially.
But it’s clear the private jet use of Swift and many other celebrities is still utterly egregious – with all of us having to take more personal responsibility to fight climate change in a world where even just being able to breathe clean air is feeling more and more like a luxury, the idea of celebrities taking short hops – occasionally as short as just 20 minutes – in their private jets is unforgiveable.
Public scrutiny of celebrities can be a delicate matter, and it’s fair to say Swift has faced more than her fair share of it over the years, but this has almost always been mean, misogynistic, unjustifiable scrutiny of her dating life, her body, her sexuality. The abusive treatment she has faced from the press and media is entirely unacceptable, but that doesn’t mean anyone should be immune from accountability when their actions are causing direct harm to our entire species.
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The phrase “there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism” feels relevant here. It’s important that we acknowledge that if we stopped listening to the music of, or otherwise engaging with the work of, anyone who had behaved problematically, there’d probably be little to no joy left in the world.
No-one is calling for a boycott of Swift and my conscience won’t be heavy with the fact I’ll be having a fantastic time at her concert next year. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still question the deep injustices that allow anyone to generate the enormous wealth that celebrities like Swift have, or the lack of accountability they face when they engage in climate destruction.
The effects of climate change are becoming far more acute, and with wildfires in Greece, floods in Canada and record temperatures across Europe, the need for those in positions of power and influence to use their platforms for good has never been more critical.
This is more than just reputations on the line, it’s our planet and our species. That’s not something you can just shake off.
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