Ghost: Live at the Majestic Theater in Detroit, Michigan 10/02/15

For a band that isn’t mainstream by any means, Ghost has a huge following in the United States which is easily discovered if you try to buy tickets to one of their shows the day after they go on sale.  Ghost sold out the historical Majestic Theater in Detroit in a mere few hours.  Perhaps the “Back to the Future” tour, which is supporting the band’s latest album entitled “Meliora” that was released on August 21st, had surprised the faithful clergy who failed to secure a ticket in time.  There were several people pleading for tickets in the chilling wind outside of the century old theater.  Two hours before the doors opened, the line to witness the ritual was hundreds deep – wrapping around the building and down the next block.  Much to my surprise (and disappointment), there weren’t very many people in costume – although my nine year old son was in a full hooded robe complete with Papa Emeritus II face paint and a 12″ black liberty spike mohawk.  Needless to say, a lot of people took pictures with him.

The crowd outside was extremely impatient and rightfully so as the doors opened over thirty minutes later than expected.  Normally that wouldn’t be a huge problem, however, it felt more like November in Detroit than October 2nd as temperatures were in the 40’s with an unwelcoming northeasterly wind that cut right through all of the black clothes outside.  Once inside, it was a mad dash to the front row – which is the best place to witness a Ghost ritual. We were lucky enough to get in a perfect position stage left.  It helped that I had a nine year old with a huge mohawk dressed like the singer of the band.  People never want to block a kid’s view at a rock concert.

The opening band, Purson, hailed from London, England.  The crowd clearly did not know what to expect from Purson, but they quickly started to groove to the psychedelic sounds coming off of the huge Majestic stage.  As the sold out crowd began packing the floor, Purson belted out a pretty interesting set of songs that took us back to the classic rock sound of the early 70’s.  The crowd applauded after every song – something that’s actually pretty rare for opening bands.  Purson completed their set and then spent time interacting with their new fans at the merch booth.

Anticipation for the headliners filled the large room.  Thirty minutes after Purson strummed their final note there was still a line outside.  It was apparent that the venue had oversold the show and were trying to get everyone inside before the Swedish invaders took their places on the stage.  The mass of bodies were tightly packed when the intro music started and Ghost finally appeared through a mist of heavy smoke.

If you’ve never witnessed a Ghost ritual or have never seen pictures of the band you are missing out.  Five of the group’s six members wear silver masks with horns and matching stage garb that reflect their own individual elements (fire, water, wind, earth and ether). They are simply referred to as “Nameless Ghouls”. Papa Emeritus III, Ghost’s lead vocalist, appears wearing a skull mask and is dressed as a “demonic anti-Pope” complete with a robe and mitre with several upside down crosses. The lyrics are dark and labeled as Satanic, however, the energy of the show is so spectacular that most people probably don’t even know what Papa is saying as they become entranced by what is going on in front of them.

Ghost delivered a 19 song set complete with an encore.  Each song featured Papa Emeritus III walking around the stage in his multiple costumes making eye contact with the fans and making deliberate motions with his hands.  The frontman paid close attention to the crowd in front of him and interacted with several people throughout the show.  He spoke to the sold out theater between many of the songs – even discussing Detroit Rock City and the importance of the City to the music world.  Although there are a lot of critics who believe that Ghost is simply an evil band spewing Satanic nonsense, I was impressed when Papa Emeritus III noticed that there were two kids in the crowd on Friday.  He made sure to visit each of them (one of which was my son).  Papa, although scary in appearance and through his lyrics, was genuine when he said “hello” both children, each on opposite sides of the stage.  He told my son that he “looked good” in his costume and to “have fun”.  He asked the crowd to cheer for the children and they did.  That kind of stage presence and crowd interaction sets Ghost apart from many other bands who fail to interact with their fanbase.

As advertised, the theatrical aspect of the show was top notch.  The ritual included the acoustic song “Jigalo Har Megiddo” which featured giant glowing candelabras and three Nameless Ghouls sitting down strumming their guitars while Papa Emeritus III’s eerie lyrics echoed through the hallowed theater.  Before the song “Body and Blood” two nuns appeared on stage.  They were carrying a basket and a chalice.  As Papa Emeritus III spoke to the crowd, the nuns appeared in the photography pit and systematically issued what supposedly represented “body” and “blood” to everyone in the front row.  The “body” was merely a round piece of Styrofoam.  I’m not sure what was in the chalice and I wasn’t going to find out.

Anyone who has worn a mask on Halloween knows how hot they get. The Nameless Ghouls were very energetic throughout the performance – running around the stage at a fast pace despite wearing costumes and masks.  It was very impressive.  Their constant energy complimented the heavy guitar riffs, rhythmic drum beats and spooky keyboards that were front and center in nearly every song.

As the show came to a close at the stroke of midnight the crowd wanted more.  Ghost had already given Detroit all they had.  A 19 song set that covered nearly two hours complete with outstanding crowd interaction, billowing smoke, nuns, costumes, kids and most importantly killer music.  This was one of the best shows of 2015 in my opinion.  You have until November 1st to see Ghost and I highly recommend that you do!

Here is a list of the upcoming ritual dates:

October 5 – Liberty Hall – Lawrence, KS
October 6 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
October 8 – The Civic Auditorium – New Orleans, LA
October 9 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
October 10 – Beacham Theatre – Orlando, FL
October 11 – The Ritz – Tampa, FL
October 13 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
October 14 – Aztec Theater – San Antonio, TX
October 16 – Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
October 17 – Sumitt Music Hall – Denver, CO
October 19 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID
October 20 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA
October 21 – Roseland Theatre – Portland, OR
October 23 – Warfield – San Francisco, CA
October 24 – Beach Goth Party – Santa Ana, CA
October 26 – The Mayan Theater – Los Angeles, CA
October 27 – Knitting Factory – Reno, NV
October 28 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
October 30 – Northside Park Theater – San Diego, CA
October 31 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
November 1 – Monster Mash Music Fest- Phoenix, AZ

Complete Set list for The Majestic Theater on October 2, 2015:

Intro:

Miserere mei, Deus (Gregorio Allegri song) (Choir of New College Oxford and Edward Higginbottom)

Masked Ball (Jocelyn Pook song)

1. Spirit
2. From the Pinnacle to the Pit
3. Ritual
4. Con Clavi Con Dio
5. Per Aspera ad Inferi
6. Majesty
7. Stand by Him
8. Prime Mover
9. Body and Blood
10. Devil Church
11. Cirice
12. Year Zero
    Spöksonat
13. He Is
14. Absolution
15. Mummy Dust
16. Jigolo Har Megiddo (Acoustic)
17. Ghuleh/Zombie Queen
18. If You Have Ghosts (Roky Erickson cover)

    Encore:

19. Monstrance Clock
    The Host of Seraphim (Dead Can Dance song)