Ghost Live Report

I think it's safe to say that Ghost are pretty fucking huge these days. The Forum is rammed to the rafters on a Sunday ready to bear witness to delirious melodic odes to the horned one. I guess it's fitting that the gig falls on a Sunday as well hehe.

I had a seat upstairs for this one but I got to the venue rather late and there was barely even a seat left in the house as I walked in and tried to find a spot. Eventually I managed to find a spot with a decent view. There was a support band called Zombi, but it seems Ghost don't really do support bands. Last time at the Palladium there was a weird instrumental band and guess what - Zombi were a weird instrumental band. Yeah whatever quite boring really. Might be ok if you like incidental music to an 80s horror soundtrack. Not my thing.

The start of a Ghost gig is funny. It's like you're about to part in a mass seance/ritual to raise the dead/devil! It really has that weird vibe but then again once the music starts it's all dispelled as the gloom is lifted by somewhat happyish sounding odes. So it's kind of funny how goofy some parts of the show are and how sinister others. Well actually I wouldn't say any part of the show is actually sinister. It's like raising the devil with a smirk on your face and singing hymns like in a normal church!

The band sounds very good. The new Papa is a righteous fellow, with his dramatic gesticulations and grand like projections. Helps that his vocals are super smooth and spot on. Of course I like the tracks from Meliora best which everyone knows by now. The absolute fave being the mesmeric He Is which everybody likes to sing along to. It's so funny to hear grown men and women singing a song in praise of Satan. By the way a Ghost crowd is very diverse. Not everyone there is a hardcore, dyed in the wool metaller that's for sure. Of course this leads to accusations of Ghost having a hipster following but who cares when they can win fans over with actual tunes.

The band is good, though of course faceless, so you can't connect with them as characters but Papa always keeps the crowd entertained with some Swedish Satan banter etc. Musically I felt some of the wonder that I felt from the Palladium performance was missing tonight. the crowd still laps it all up with a devil horned spoon but maybe the novelty and magic of the last time wasn't quite there. Anyway it was still fucking great and no doubt I'll be there again come another tour and album but I wouldn't go again for another Meliora/Popestar based tour.

Miserere Mei, Deus
(Gregorio Allegri song)
Masked Ball
(Jocelyn Pook song)
Square Hammer
From the Pinnacle to the Pit
Secular Haze
Con Clavi Con Dio
Per Aspera ad Inferi
Body and Blood
Devil Church
Cirice
Year Zero
Spöksonat
He Is
Absolution
Mummy Dust
Ghuleh/Zombie Queen
Ritual

Encore:
Monstrance Clock