Author: Dinah Kolka

I always struggle to review my favourite bands and films and tend to stray away from them, as I simply have little to say – they are excellent, but there’s not much more going on. But I shall oblige this time, at least insofar as to share with you some of the tidbits from the gig as we were not allowed to use our phones so this is all the memory I will ever have from seeing it.

Having seen ‘Rite Here, Right Now’ last year, I knew that Ghost had quite a propensity for theatrics. The film was actually key to Ghost lore with hints that Tobias does not wish to abandon Ghost – and this was revealed at the gig in Manchester, where we learnt that he retired the Papa Emeritus IV persona and replaced it with Papa V Perpetua (the name speaks for itself).

When the massive black curtain that looked almost like a spider web fell, we were met with a cascade of infernal lights, reminiscent of that great scene in The Lord of the Rings when The Army of the Kings decided to join the cause and follow Aragorn to get redeemed and finally lay to rest. Starting strong with their new songs ‘Peacefield’ (which made its live debut) and ‘Lachryma’, both were met with cheers from the audience who immediately sang along (which is pretty impressive, considering that these songs are VERY new).

I have to also compliment Hydro on their acoustics—not exactly being a big-gig frequenter, I was surprised to hear things so clearly. Maybe I listen to garage bands too often (especially compared to Wargasm at SWG3, which essentially made my ear bleed; it was so loud that I was staring enviously at my friend’s earplugs).

I wanted to also make a note of the stage presence, which is obviously one of their biggest quirks. Papa Emeritus IV (Tobias Forge) was dressed in his usual glitzy jacket with a dark mask covering his face, which he swapped for his usual quasi-evil-pope outfit for Year Zero which culminated in fireworks. Yes, fireworks. The other members of the band – the Nameless Ghouls looked great with full black nun-like head coverings, and masks covering their entire faces, making them look like golems (or ghouls), with embellished skeleton outfits with bat wings.

They played good old favourites such as From the Pinnacle to the Pit and Majesty (which wasn’t heard live in a really long time!), but they also played their newer song, The Future Is a Foreign Land, which was the audience’s favourite.

I was delighted to hear my own favourites, such as Cirice and Darkness at the Heart of My Love, which was soon followed by Ritual. This one was a showstopper – they ensured it was an unforgettable experience. The projected stained-glass windows were revealed, showing infernal images with lights mimicking hellfire – pulsating red, orange, and yellow. At this point, they whipped out a real fire, pulsating rhythmically to the song. They used the fire again for Rats, which was really cool. Those who have seen Rammstein live would be disappointed, but Ghost is its own brand of fun.

But the real treat was the encore, which featured Mary on a Cross, Dance Macabre, and Square Hammer.

Where one could get easily offended at Ghost’s stage presence (as many Americans have done in the past), I find their behaviour pleasantly gimmicky. They don’t treat themselves seriously and that is perhaps what’s the most endearing about them. They are there to have fun, which is clear from their interactions between themselves and the audience. Ghost loves doing what they do, and this adds flavour to their gigs.

My problem, however, continues – I can’t do much more than sing them praise. The fire, fireworks, confetti cannons, and well-chosen projections with cleverly interwoven lyrics when they needed the audience to sing along made for one of my favourite gigs of all time. It was money well spent, and despite being somewhat amused at the sea of goths that poured in from a local rock bar, it was a great night.

Featured Photo Credit: Official Ghost Instagram