Calling Pinoy Swifties, if parties, events, and gatherings all about Taylor Swift is what you’re looking for, Club Red PH has got you covered.
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When it comes to showing support to their faves, there’s nothing like the level of love fans show for pop stars. From making stan accounts, to 24/7 streaming, stans go hard for their fave pop acts. One notable example is Taylor Swift whose legions of Swifties are ride or die with the global superstar. In fact, a group of Filipino Swifties came together in order to fill in the void that was missing in the Manila party scene, Taylor Swift-themed events. The end result was Club Red PH, the newest organization in town that hosts and organizes events, listening parties, and more for Swifties, by Swifties.
SWIFTIES UNITE
“Club Red PH is an organization of Swifties where we organize events in Metro Manila like watch parties, drinking parties, and listening parties for Swifties in Manila,” describes Jella Catucod, the group’s graphic designer and social media manager. Named after Taylor’s seminal 2012 album, the organization was started because of the fact that she hasn’t performed in the country in over a decade despite the fervor to do so. “We haven’t had any Taylor Swift experience for a while. So, we decided that we didn’t want to wait for someone to organize it. We wanted to organize it for ourselves.”
The group traces its origins to late 2021 when someone on a local Taylor Swift Facebook group put out an interest check if fans wanted to attend a screening of the All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) short film. When the demand for the event was clear, the members of Club Red PH, which currently numbers at ten, formed organically to organize the event. The end result was a screening of the short film last December 2021 at Cinema 76. When the event proved successful, Club Red PH decided to continue hosting and holding Swift specific events.
To determine which parties or events they should have, the group do interest checks with their followers. The event can be anything they ask, whether it be All Too Well screenings like what Taylor holds in the US or drinking parties like those viral TikTok videos of Swifties singing her songs at the bar. Clearly, Pinoy Swifties were ready to party. ”We did an event last July, and it sold out in less than 24 hours.”
SAFE SPACE FOR TS LOVE
If these Taylor Swift themed parties seem like a dream come true for most Swifties, that’s probably because it is. As Jella shares, once you step inside a Club Red PH event, be prepared to be immersed in all things fun and Taylor Swift. “Lots of drinking and lots of Taylor Swift tunes. We only play Taylor Swift songs the whole night from like 8 PM to 4 AM.”
The best thing about these parties and events is that even if you may not know anyone, the common love for Taylor Swift is what binds you all. Everyone is a stan in a room. “It’s a fun dynamic since we’re all Swifties. So, even if you barely know each other, like we’re all immediately friends. Like for our first event last July, there were a lot of people who went solo. But at the end of the night, we were all friends.”
Aside from dancing and singing your heart out to Taylor’s song, these parties serve as a great avenue to make friends with people that already share something in common with you.”[The fans] are really looking forward to our next parties in the future because you make good friends with Swifties. Like, it’s an avenue to meet Swifties that you thought you would never meet before.”
While some may try to judge people for showing off their love for their faves, that isn’t the case with Club Red PH events. Judgement leaves the door as fans unapologetically show their love for the superstar, whether you want to scream your lungs to Cruel Summer or get emotional to august. “It’s actually cathartic to be surrounded by your fellow Swifties singing her songs without any judgment from your peers because all of you there love Taylor Swift,” says Jella. “So, it’s a fun way to connect with Swifties and release your inner Swifty. Just be yourself and have fun.”
FOR SWIFTIES, BY SWIFTIES
If Jella had her way, she would love it if Taylor Swift herself showed up to one of their events, and TBH, that’s not exactly out of the realm of possibility. But for now, the next steps for Club Red PH is to find a bigger venue to accommodate more people. “We really want to make it happen to have a big venue that could accommodate everyone. We’ve sold out our latest event in just 40 minutes. There’s really a demand to have a bigger venue to accommodate everyone that wants to attend the parties.”
Currently on the docket for Club Red PH is a Reputation-themed drinking party this September 24 and a night two in October 8, both of which are already sold out. The group is also planning a virtual listening party for Midnights‘ release via their Discord channel that anyone can attend. And, if you don’t have any Halloween plans yet, the group is hoping to hold an in-person Midnights listening party at the end of October.
If these parties and events sound like something that you want to be at, you can check out Club Red PH’s Facebook and Instagram pages where they post all the important info you need. You can also join their official Discord server if you want to be part of the community. At the end of the day, all these fan-driven events Club Red PH holds is done because of a shared love for Taylor Swift, something Jella hopes the musician gets to appreciate. “There are so many Filipino Swifties in Manila and in the Philippines that wants her to come back. We are all desperate to see and hear her live. And we hope that our little events or actions are making her happy.”
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