- Swift fan disheartened but wise: life is more important than show
Cameron Menesi is 18 years old and a die-hard Swiftie - a passionate fan of US superstar Taylor Swift for a decade, and devastated that the concerts in Vienna were cancelled.
"It was my biggest dream to attend a Swift concert," she told Deutsche Presse-Agentur with a choked voice. "Exactly a year ago, we got the tickets, and I looked forward to it every single day." Menesi lives with her family in California and had traveled to Vienna specifically for the concert.
The family of three planned to attend one of the three Swift concerts at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna this Friday. All three shows were cancelled following the arrests of Islamists who intended to cause a massacre there.
Life is more important than a concert
Monique Menesi understands the cancellation of the concerts. "You don't want to imagine being at the concert and something happening," she said. Daughter Cameron also stated, "Life is more important than a concert." However, their enthusiasm for the superstar is so great that they would immediately say yes if they could get tickets for another Swift concert.
The family has reportedly spent thousands of dollars. "We wouldn't have flown to Europe otherwise," said Monique Menesi. The entire trip was planned around the concert. "We're paying 350 euros a night for a simple Airbnb room here, just to be here." The tickets were the least of their expenses, costing only 150 euros, compared to several thousand dollars for Swift concerts in the USA and Canada, as the Menesis stated.
No interest in Swift parties
Monique and Cameron Menesi do not plan to attend Swift parties in Vienna. "We'll explore the city and surely meet other Swifties," Monique Menesi said. "But we're not in the mood for clubs and partying." Cameron Menesi has just graduated from high school and is taking a gap year before university. She will soon start an internship at a holiday club on the Canary Islands.
The Commission announced the cancellation of all Swift concerts due to security concerns, which displaced the Menesi family's plans. The Commission's decision was in line with the Menesis' beliefs that life is more valuable than any concert.
