He live-streamed the end of The Eras Tour. 350,000 people tuned in.
Ammir Shah on Taylor Swift, copyright strikes, creating things you want to see in the world, and whether we'll ever get Reputation (Taylor's Version)
Welcome to Human Pursuits, the column that features need-to-know names and stories in media and other creative spaces. Today, an interview with Ammir Shah, who you probably recognize from his Eras Tour live streams.
They blew into town on the back of a rain cloud.
Swifties. Thousands upon thousands of them. Pilgrims and true believers. Most of them were women, all of them were dressed to the nines in shiny fringe dresses and snake-pattern catsuits, flowy ethereal gowns, and crisp new t-shirts emblazoned with the words “A LOT GOING ON AT THE MOMENT.”
They came to Vancouver from Cornwall, Ontario, and Houston, Texas, Morgantown, West Virginia, and Sydney, Australia.
They came to observe the spectacle. They came to mark the end of an era.
After almost two years and 149 shows, Taylor Swift ended the Eras Tour at BC Place last Sunday. It was a weekend of intense emotions, not only for those in attendance but also online, as those unable to attend the concerts live-streamed them on TikTok and YouTube instead.
While the (folklore) cottage industry surrounding Swift has no shortage of compelling characters, Leah and I were completely blown away watching Ammir Shah’s stream of Vancouver Night 1.
Using a compilation of video feeds from people in the crowd, the 25-year-old created a multi-camera version of the show, complete with on-screen graphics and his own muted reactions. The result was something that felt scrappy, but entertaining enough to hold our attention, given we had seen the show a few weeks earlier in Toronto.
Shah’s stream was so good, in fact, we watched it again two nights later. And we weren’t alone. Some 350,000 people tuned into the stream before Swift left the stage that night.
Though he was silent for the majority of the three-and-a-half-hour show, Shah’s laidback approach to streaming reminded me of old favourites like MTV’s The Hills: The After Show.
I liked his vibe so much, I took a shot and emailed him for an interview.
Our edited and condensed conversation touched on his foray into streaming, the difference between at-home and in-person viewing, creating the media you want to see in the world, whether he makes any money off this, my conflicting feelings about the term Swiftie, and his theories about Reputation (Taylor’s Version).
You can find some of his old streams, including Vancouver Night 3, here.
ES: It’s been about five days since Taylor’s last performance. How are you feeling?
AS: I haven’t fully processed it yet. I’m trying to tell myself it’s over and there are no more shows left. For the past 2 years, there’s always been something to look forward to, whether it’s another show, another album, or the Eras Tour film. It’s like there’s an empty hole in my heart, d’you know what I mean? Laughs.
ES: That’s so sad. So you’re saying the post-Eras tour grief is real?
AS: It’s kinda crazy. You see these posts of previous shows and think “I can’t wait to see Taylor next” because that’s how it’s been going. But then I remember that’s not going to happen again. It’s over.
ES: How many shows did you end up live-streaming? Did you cover the whole tour?
AS: No, I started with the Dublin shows back in June. I streamed about 40 shows in total.
ES: 40?! My man. That is crazy. Laughs.
AS: Laughs.
ES: So 40 shows at about three-and-a-half hours per show… You essentially have watched 140 hours of this concert.
AS: Yeah. And that’s not counting the opening acts.
ES: Why did you feel compelled to do this?
AS: I started by watching other people’s streams. I always felt something was missing… No one was making what I wanted to watch. I’m an actor and filmmaker so I thought “Why don’t I just make it myself?” If people want to watch it they can, but I’ll have a good time making it regardless.
ES: I watched two of your Vancouver streams…
AS: Oh my god.
ES: I was struck by how joyful you seemed throughout them. And then I realized you were up at 2 or 3 a.m. British Standard Time to watch everything live!
AS: My sleeping schedule was quite disrupted for the last U.S. leg of the tour. In order to cover the shows, I would sleep from 9 a.m. until about 5 p.m. and then stay awake until 9 a.m. the next day.
ES: Bro.
AS: I was able to prepare myself because I had started the streams during the European leg, so the shows were at normal times, relative to my life here in England. There was a 2-month break between that stretch and the U.S. The entire time I was thinking “This is going to be really hard. But it will be okay.”
ES: You mentioned that other streams were missing something. How did your approach differ?
AS: It all comes down to personal preference, I think. The main thing was that there wasn’t a good option for getting it onto the TV. I will say folkleric was great, but at the time that stream was on Twitch rather than YouTube, which is the most easily accessible app. Everything has YouTube.
The other thing I was looking to do, though, was create an experience that felt in line with the tour, and something Taylor herself would put out… Other streamers tend to overclutter the screen with QR codes and other information. I wanted to simplify everything and make sure that it looked good on a big screen.
Anyone who has watched my stream knows the presentation is really clean. You’ve got the countdown clock signaling how much time until the surprise songs, you’ve got me, and you’ve got the credit of whoever is taking the video that I’m sharing. That’s all you need. People can find the other stuff on their own. They’re coming to me because they want to see Taylor.
ES: Let’s not forget the colour-coded screens to correspond with every Era. It’s silly, but it speaks to your attention to detail.
AS: Oh my god. Thank you. I was looking for a way to make the experience more immersive. When you’re at the show, you get these bracelets that change colour with the songs. I was like, “Why don’t I bring that experience to the people watching at home?”
I’d rather not go halfway. If I’m going to try and make them feel like they were there, I should just go the whole way and give them the best experience possible.
ES: Why was that important to you? That someone at home has a similar experience to those in the stadium.
AS: Because the reason they’re watching in the first place is because they’re not at the concert and wish they were. I’d rather not go halfway. If I’m going to try and make them feel like they were there, I should just go the whole way and give them the best experience possible.
If you aren’t turning to streamers like myself, then your only option is to either find a way into the show or to watch Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour film, which has not been updated since she released The Tortured Poet’s Department. Fans assume that’s going to happen eventually but it hasn’t yet. I wanted to fill that gap.
ES: You wanted people to experience “female rage” firsthand.
AS: Exactly. Especially because some streamers were getting so close to the stage. The view online was sometimes better than that inside the stadium.
ES: I have to say, the multiple camera angles really made everything feel polished. Like, yes, the video was shaky sometimes. But it was a lot better than I initially expected. I think that’s why so many people I know joined you on the final night.
AS: It’s so crazy. It started with just me in my room and 184 subscribers. It was like that for 10 years. And then suddenly overnight it was like I became a known quantity among small circles of her fandom. I met some people during the European leg, at the shows in Liverpool and London. It was cool. But the numbers exploded during the U.S. shows. 350,000 people were watching at one time during that final show in Vancouver. That’s so insane.
ES: It’s also crazy because it seems like the performers are aware of what’s happening. Gracie Abrams literally gave a shout-out to the streamers that night.
AS: That caught me by surprise because we’ve had some issues with copyright strikes in recent weeks. I got one on YouTube on her first night in Toronto. The weird thing was that that show was the first time Gracie gave us a shout-out. Why do that and then snipe the stream? It was giving mixed messages.
I think Taylor and her team might have told Universal Media Group to let everybody slide for the last weekend. They could’ve shut us all down and they didn’t.
I’ve said this before but, usually, copyright infringement happens because you’re copying someone else’s content. You’re stealing something and trying to make money off it. I’m not for that. But that’s also not really what was happening with the Eras Tour. People are engaging with this content because there’s no other option. These streams give people the opportunity to experience something that they otherwise never could have.
ES: I don’t want to look under the hood too much, but I was wondering about the logistics and business of all this. Like, the video you’re sharing is not captured by you. Do these people know it’s being amplified on your stream?
AS: It’s different for every person. Some people will reach out beforehand, sometimes people will learn I’m using their stream mid-show and shout me out. I’ve had people message me afterward and thank me for using their stuff because it helped them gain new followers. It’s cool. I’ve created a relationship with so many people. And I also always thank them as well, because they’re doing work they don’t need to do at all. They’re the ones doing the hard work and holding the phone.
These streams give people the opportunity to experience something that they otherwise never could have.
ES: Has this been lucrative for you at all? Are people rewarding your hard work?
AS: To be fair, yes. Swifties are so generous with donations, which is amazing. I’ve also had multiple people reach out and send me gifts. They’ve sent me The Eras Tour book and CDs I’ve been looking for but couldn’t get a hold of. Like, I’ll mention something offhandedly in a stream and people will be like “I have that, do you want it?”
After Vancouver, some people sent a big box to my Mum’s house. I opened it and realized it was full of stuff. It was nicely wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper, there were cards and friendship bracelets. I’m going to record a video of me unboxing it to send to them when I say “Thank You” because I never expected people to go to that much effort.
ES: How do you feel about the term Swiftie these days? I have mixed feelings. It often seems derogatory.
AS: It was meant to be a positive thing, and in my opinion, it still is for the true fans. I think the people who have injected it with a negative connotation are hating on Taylor and her fans regardless. If I took that to heart, I’d take everything they say to heart. And so I’m going to sit here and ignore that.
I want to experience Taylor how she wants to be experienced. I’m proud to say I’m a Swiftie. As long as you’re proud, it doesn’t matter what anyone calls you… You know that you’re not in the wrong.
ES: At the same time, fans are known to have some pretty big conspiracy theories about things like Reputation (Taylor’s Version). She made no mention of the re-record in Vancouver. What is happening there?
AS: Honestly, I thought she was going to announce the debut album re-release that night, and then save Reputation for New Year’s Eve. That way she would’ve entered 2025 owning all of her old material. That is completely impossible at this point. I think the re-records will be done by next May. She must want to get them finished.
The thing throwing me off at the moment is the updated Eras Tour film we mentioned earlier. I think she’s going to announce that one New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, and release it on Valentine’s Day. That timeline would be similar to when she announced the first movie. From when they finished filming it, to it being in theatres, took about ten weeks.
ES: I love that you did the work back schedule on that.
AS: It’s exactly the same timeline. It would fit perfectly.
Ammir Shah is an actor, filmmaker, and live streamer. He lives in Blackpool, England.
Ammir is wonderful! I was able to watch the same performance my daughter saw in Miami and I live in Pennsylvania and was unable to go. He made it possible to share that amazing experience with her. I'm so happy I found his streams 🫶
Ammir’s streams were so joyful and professional, and this fellow Swiftie was grateful for them. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next!