When it comes to music, my first move is always to the heavy section, it’s distorted guitar, huge breakdowns and massive unclean vocals that bring me joy. Parkway Drive, Bring Me The Horizon, Electric Callboy, are my go-tos.
Side note: If you haven't heard of Electric Callboy they're a German band that mixes high-energy dance with hardcore in a kaleidoscope of positivity, well worth a look if that floats your boat.
I love the intensity of the live crowd at metalcore concerts and have spent many a night beaming from ear to ear while running around a circle pit or getting squished in the wall of death.
Here’s me getting married while wearing a My Chemical Romance Black Parade inspired outfit.
So fair to say, Taylor Swift is quite the juxtaposition.
I’ve never been a hater, when music is such an important part of your life you come to appreciate all genres and I’m quite genuine when I say I listen to a bit of everything.
But it’s always something I’ve viewed from a distance and felt it wasn’t for me.
That was until this latest run of Taylor Swift Eras Trivia at The Sporting Globe and TGI Fridays with Grape Vine Events, hosting 3 nights in the last month for her adoring fans.
Are you ready for it?
I’m not one to be intimidated, but there’s a certain defiant edge to the Swifties and I knew coming into this run of events I wanted to do them justice by putting on a wonderful show.
The prep started with learning to play and sing the songs on the acoustic. I went with Love Story, Blank Space and You Belong With Me as the big finale piece.
My wife Bec, who claims she is not a Swiftie, would consistently yell out from across the house when I was messing up the timing and then sing it for me correctly so I could mimic. Sure you’re not a Swiftie, Bec 😉
It’s us, hi!
Over the course of the 3 nights hosting, I saw first hand how wholesome and connected the Swifties are. My whole ethos is to create spaces where people feel like legends and to bring people together and I don’t think anyone would argue that one Taylor Swift has done that at mass scale. I wasn’t around for Beatlemania, but I’d imagine it was somewhat like this.
There were a lot of mother-daughter combos who came to the Eras Trivia which is wonderful. What I loved is that the mothers would be playing it somewhat cool to start with, insisting their daughters were the big fans.
Then with each passing question they would be more furiously writing down the answers to things like ‘he will never know’ is the secret hidden message hidden in the lyric booklet for what song? and name the track that Taylor wrote at 13 years old, it was added to a digital re-issue of her debut album.
And with each passing sing-a-long, their voices grew into a crescendo of joy, revealing rich veins of the deepest fandom.
You belong with us.
There’s something special about a sense of belonging, we all need it and want to be accepted for who we truly are in the process.
I’m not one to shy away from putting myself out there. Every time I pull on the red tutu, paint my nails and belt out a Tay Tay banger there’s a risk I’ll be rejected, and that’s okay, I understand my thing isn’t for everyone, but it makes it that more special when you find the people it is for.
So when one of the young girls offered me a friendship bracelet my heart exploded as that gesture of kindness, acceptance and inclusion said you belong with us, and what more could you ever ask for.
Much love,
Jacob Swiftie and proud
