Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and his opening act, Maggie Rogers, performed Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” in Vienna two weeks after she was forced to cancel her Eras Tour concerts there.
On Wednesday, August 21, Martin, 47, and Rogers, 30, covered the 2008 hit at Ernst Happel Stadium, where Swift, 34, had been scheduled to take the stage on August 8, 9 and 10 before she pulled the plug on those performances amid an alleged terror plot.
“If this is not good, please don’t put it on YouTube because I don’t want to get in trouble with Taylor,” said Martin, dedicating the song to Swift’s fans who were supposed to attend her Vienna shows. “And if you could sing with us, that would be wonderful.”
Taking Martin’s cue, the crowd sang along with the musicians during the acoustic set, in which Martin strummed the guitar and Rogers evoked Swift’s emotional vocal style. Rogers later posted the footage via Instagram, writing, “from vienna with love 💗💗💗,” and tagging Swift.
Earlier Wednesday, Swift spoke out for the first time since the cancellations.
“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a lengthy Instagram caption. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”
Swift continued, “I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together. I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.”
She then explained why she chose to stay mum after the news about the thwarted attack.
“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote. “In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that.”
Swift wrapped the European leg of her Eras Tour in London on Tuesday, August 20. She’s set to take a two-month break before resuming performances in Miami in October.
