Fire, satanic imagery, dead popes playing saxophone, and talk of getting your taint tickled: these are just a few of the many unforgettable moments from a Ghost show. The white-hot metal band has garnered an immense popularity boost these last few years. Due in part to their 2022 album IMPERA and their inexplicable TikTok fame with “Mary On a Cross.” Ghost is only getting bigger and grandiose playing arenas across the world. 2023 has seen the band sell out shows across the U.S., headline major global metal festivals, and headline shows in Latin America and Australia. Their music is some of the most creative in the metal scene today, but Ghost stands out above most due to their one-of-a-kind live experience. It’s an experience I have spent way too much money on and traveled too many miles to witness.
I do not exaggerate when I say this: the Ghost live shows are truly like no other.
Let’s wind the clocks back to early 2019. Despite my efforts to get into their music, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy Ghost. Their dark imagery gave off an incredibly heavy vibe, yet their music sounded like “Scooby-Doo rock,” a term I picked up from online haters (and one I still use as a term of endearment for the band). It wasn’t metal, or at least what I thought metal should be. So I ignored it. That was, of course, until I was forced to face them.
May 18, 2019. I traveled to Seatgeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL to see System of a Down at the now-defunct metal festival Chicago Open Air (rip). Also on the lineup were Beartooth, Meshuggah, and Ghost. So I had no choice but to deal with Ghost. And I wasn’t the only one there who shared this negative sentiment.
Whatever. Ghost only had an hour to play. How bad could it be?
With a backdrop resembling a satanic cathedral and a killer stage setup, they slowly reeled me in. The chilling ambiance of their pre-tape music playing as the band walked out in killer chrome masks was a sight to behold. Then they kicked into their first song “Rats.” The shot of adrenaline and euphoria from that opening song had me hooked! A pivotal moment that would change my relationship not just with metal but with live music in general.
The industry landscape constantly evolving, standing out harder as the years go by. Many artists are able to pack venues for the reputation of their live shows. Rammstein is a good example. Fans want to go to the show to see pillars of fire shoot in the air. Iron Maiden fans want to see Bruce Dickinson fight Eddie. Sometimes the spectacle of a show is all people care to see, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Some bands have mastered this, while others have relied too much on spectacle to the detriment of their music. Iron Maiden is the perfect example of a live act who has mastered theatrics. While everyone gets hyped up to see Dickinson shoot Eddie with a rifle, the fans are still screaming the lyrics to “The Trooper.” But they’ve had over 40 years of experience.
Ghost has found a way to stick out in such a saturated music market by making their live show one you absolutely cannot miss.
If the success of these arena tours, it’s obvious metal is seeing a resurgence. Be it selling out smaller venues or going viral with TikTok. Metalcore-inspired bands like Bad Omens and Spiritbox have been sold out tours in the last two years. The music, while extremely worthy of headbanging along, can be a little repetitive. In a live setting, it has fallen to the curse that has ruined many dubstep concerts. Even bands who rely on the live show gimmick can fail to live up to their full potential. Ice Nine Kills, whose shtick is making horror-themed metalcore bangers, spends so much time focusing on the horror theatrics of their show that the music seems like an afterthought.
However, like the metal legends Iron Maiden, Ghost has found a way to master both music and theatrics.
There’s an argument to be had on whether or not Ghost is a metal band (they definitely are IMHO), but what is there to defend? They’re packing arenas worldwide and have the craziest fans going all out at their shows. That in itself proves the haters wrong. Their unique approach to metal already makes them stand out among their peers. Not to mention, that approach is even more impressive because of the lack of backing tracks. The performers consist of frontman Tobias Forge, currently known as Papa Emeritus IV, and about seven nameless ghouls, masked performers who occupy guitar, bass, drums, and keys. Papa goes through several wardrobe changes and it hands down the biggest clown to have ever fronted a metal band. His exaggerated accent and aloof personality make him such an endearing character to witness. It helps that he can sing beautifully.
On that beautiful May afternoon in 2019, I bore witness to a zombie pope tearing up a sick saxophone solo. I was asked by Papa if I wanted my taint tickled. I was taken over by their amazing music. Their shows have only gotten bigger and better. Then the magnificent wardrobe changes, fire, confetti, and themed Ghost dollar bills. The theatrics are outstanding! Beyond that, almost every nameless ghoul has their time to shine. Despite not having any identity, their dedication to the music makes the nameless ghoul persona so much more thrilling. Every song is its own unique, unforgettable experience, from the towering flames shot up during “Year Zero” to Papa’s steampunk outfit and flashing lights of “Watcher In the Sky,”. And of course, the zombie pope known as Papa Nihil was a saxophone master during “Miasma.”
One of the best elements of the Ghost concert experience is the fandom.
Among battle vests and dope metal t-shirts, quite a few fans will show up in full Papa Emeritus cosplay, showing the true dedication that Ghost fans have. At the rail, you’ll find those who waited hours to hold their place. On top of the amazing music and theatrics, the communal Ghost fandom makes it all so much more memorable. Even now with their TikTok fame, Ghost shows will still bring out the craziest and most dedicated fans to spend a lot of money on their expensive concerts (trust me, it’s worth every penny).
As I admitted earlier, Ghost was not always a band I understood. It all just came off softer than what one would assume metal to be. I don’t mean that to invalidate their creativity. In fact, it makes them more unique in the metal scene. If you need convincing as I did, go see Ghost live and in person.
Right now the band is white hot and putting on the best shows of their career. Nobody in the live music industry is doing it like Ghost.
By the time Ghost finished their set at Chicago Open Air, I was fully converted. It’s not an exaggeration to say that I was geeking out hard. As were many of the System of a Down fans too! We were all talking about how they were so much better than we thought they were gonna be. They were so goofy and unserious as if they were in on the joke.
They still are the “Scooby-Doo rock” band that I thought they were when I first listened. But what changed was my realization that metal music doesn’t have to be just heavy riffs and guttural vocals. Metal could be angelic vocals and doo-wop-inspired jams sung by a flamboyant corpse. Whether you enjoy the band or not, one thing is going to remain definitive: Ghost absolutely kicks ass live!
All photos by Oscar De Leon