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Taylor Swift sends message she ‘won’t be stopped’ with London return – expert details ’emotional preparation’ techniques
Taylor has admitted to carrying QuikClot army-grade bandages in case of gunshots or stab wounds
DELIVERING a stellar performance in London will be second nature for Taylor Swift despite a recent terror threat against the Eras Tour, according to a performance coach.
He claimed the Shake It Off hitmaker would show "no fear" amid the concerts' "militia-like security" and broke down the types of "visualizations" she'll have used to get through the task.
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Swifties and non-Swifties alike were shocked last week when all three Eras Tour concerts at Vienna, Austria's Ernst Happel Stadium were canceled after police foiled an ISIS terror plot.
Some of the suspects were reportedly hired to work at the event and had knives, machetes, and the makings for dirty bombs they planned to use to cause destruction.
It's believed that a 19-year-old suspect planned to drive a car into the crowds outside the show.
Taylor, 34, has not publicly commented on the plot or cancelations, and she has not been photographed since the shows were scrapped and tickets refunded.
On Tuesday, she made her first public appearance as she was spotted leaving a wrap party in London, where she's performing her last five gigs of the European leg of her tour.
Performance coach and confidence expert Martin Perry said Taylor would have been "well prepared" to perform again in front of massive crowds.
“It is an act of courage to go ahead with these five shows," he told The U.S. Sun.
"She could have turned around and gone home, but she's saying, 'We won't be stopped.'
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"Similarly, Taylor's party was them doing things they usually do on tour — she is normalizing things for herself and her team.
"But this is not a straightforward operation, and much is at risk.
Taylor Swift fans to be protected by a ring of steel at the remaining Wembley dates
"While no fear is involved, that does not mean Taylor will not feel vulnerable."
After arriving in the UK, Taylor's dancers were reportedly on lockdown.
The Sun previously reported that “strict presidential level” security was established for Taylor and her entourage.
Metropolitan police presence has been ramped up around Wembley Stadium, and fans have been asked not to gather outside the event without tickets.
HER PEOPLE
According to Perry, Taylor will have separated herself from security matters to focus purely on her show.
"Much of the work has been done for the preparation with security detail, the police, and so forth," he said.
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"Taylor's responsibility now is to deliver, which is second nature for her.
"A separation occurs between you as a performer and you taking care of your people.
"So once the show is going ahead and made secure, her focus turns exclusively to the fans and her show.
"This becomes about how she creates an unbelievable experience for 80,000 people and to be with them."
Interestingly, in 2019, Taylor confessed that her biggest fear was an attack at one of her concerts.
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This came in the wake of the 2017 Ariana Grande concert bombing in Manchester, UK.
Taylor mentioned the shooting at the Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas that same year.
“My biggest fear,” she wrote in Elle in 2019.
“After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months.
"There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe.
Taylor has overcome bullying at school, eating disorders, her mother's cancer, Kanye West, online abuse and stalkers.
Martin Perry
“My fear of violence has continued into my personal life,” Taylor added.
She revealed that she even carried QuikClot army-grade bandages in case of gunshots or stab wounds.
OVERCOME
The expert claimed Taylor's first lesson in "resilience" derived from her past.
"Taylor is an extremely resilient woman," suggested Perry.
"If you look at her career, life, and what she has been through and had to overcome.
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"From bullying at school, eating disorders, her mother's cancer, Kanye West, online abuse and stalkers.
"The terror threat was a different order, but she is equipped to handle this despite it being very unnerving."
TRUE TO HERSELF
Perry detailed how he coaches athletes and performers, revealing that "visualization" is critical in stemming anxiety.
"We are emotionally preparing somebody as well as psychologically preparing them," he said.
"We create scenarios for performers in advance so they have a fallback position otherwise, they will freeze.
"There are reasons why somebody might have stage fright, forget words, or fear letting people down and disappointing them.
She has her internal resources to respond on time and knows how to stay authentic.
Martin Perry
"For Taylor, there is the physicality of how to deliver a three-and-a-half-hour show at that level.
"That is mental and physical preparation, which involves visualizing.
"This includes the areas where she might feel you need a boost of energy.
"There will be areas where you need to be mentally ready for those moments when you need to take yourself — and the audience — to a higher level.
"This is not achieved in five minutes.
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"Taylor would have thought well before tonight about the level of detail she would go into as an artist and been through visualizations.
"She has her internal resources to respond on time and knows how to stay authentic."
The Eras Tour kicked off at the beginning of March 2023 and has generated massive income for the star.
The militia-like security is unsustainable, and the costs for these shows are pretty high.
Martin Perry
It is estimated it could make the Cruel Summer singer $5.7 billion by year-end.
Forbes confirmed Taylor as the highest-grossing female touring artist of all time.
Worryingly, a report using Global Terrorism Database data gathered by the National Institute of Health showed 146 terrorist attacks happened worldwide between 1970 and 2019.
Several were at musical concerts and festivals.
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"This is the reality of living in the 21st century," Perry went on.
"We are going through this significant period of change, and in all disciplines and businesses, we have to learn to pivot.
"This means new ways of thinking, such as whether we will do 80,000 stadium shows like Taylor Swift does in five years.
"It is hard to imagine because of the nature of threats and the nature of extremism that we are living in.
"Maybe all of this will need to be reimagined, and the whole music industry has to reimagine its future.
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"The militia-like security now is unsustainable, and the costs for these shows are pretty high.
"Let us not be surprised if we do not see these stadium shows in the future."
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