After six years, Ghost is finally back in Brazil. After overcoming a number of unforeseen events and delays, the band led by Tobias Forge performed the first of two shows in São Paulo this Wednesday, the 20th, for a loyal and passionate audience.
Coming from Mexico, where they performed with the Re-Imperatour last Monday, the 18th, Ghost had logistical problems that prevented the band Crypta as the opening act . The band's equipment was held up, causing delays and preventing the stage setup in time, which also delayed the opening of the doors for the entourage of fans eager to enter the Unimed Space. Around 7 pm, those in line could hear the band's soundcheck, scheduled to take the stage at 9 pm.
Once the time came, the delay was pure charm: at 8:57 PM, with the lights still on, a drawn-out piano began to play, triggering roars from the audience, who soon chanted “Ghost, Ghost, Ghost!” and “Papa, Papa Papa,” words too short to summarize the anticipation of those present. It was a little over 15 minutes of waiting to the sound of Gregorian chant in front of a restless audience, cell phones in hand, until the show truly began with the intro “Imperium,” performed while the curtains were still raised.
But soon all the arduous waiting of the fans, who endured a heat wave of record temperatures in the São Paulo capital and bought every available ticket for the two days of shows, was rewarded with the stage finally revealed to the sound of "Kaisaron".
With the first of several looks he would show that night, the stripped-down Papa Emeritus IV is a captivating figure from the first moment he appears on stage in the temple set up for the Ghost show. The fifth incarnation of the character created by frontman Tobias Forge knows how to control the crowd without words, even with the apparent expressionlessness of the mask he uses: between kisses to the audience and exasperated gestures to the Nameless Ghouls band, the singer takes the theatricality of rock to an irresistible place, with room for irony and seduction. The gestures asking for applause for the musicians were even more effective than the attempts at dialogue with the audience, seemingly incapable of responding with anything that demanded more than a "yeah" in return, even when the cult leader uttered a "okay".
Critics of Ghost's "pop" sound would be surprised by the band's live heaviness, especially on tracks like "Rats" and "Faith," which followed. While some albums have a muffled production that hides precious elements from the listener, the show is an opportunity to rediscover the songs in their ideal listening format and recognize the quality of the band's rock in its constant flirtation with heavier and darker genres.
You don't have to go far into the show to realize how one of Ghost's greatest strengths was fostering a strong sense of community between the band and the audience, whose age ranges varied, but with a predominance of young people and all the creative energy of fans willing to dress up in makeup and costumes to go to their favorite band's show, especially in the crowded front row. With a very welcome fine line between respecting the established dogmas of their career and fan service, each member of the band demonstrates an understanding of their place in this two-way street. Even after their initial anonymity, today the Nameless Ghouls have affectionate nicknames and are greeted with enthusiasm by the audience at every solo or highlight moment – and there are many.
After the opening song, the band's new album continued to be well-received by the audience throughout the performance, with "Spillways," "Watcher In The Sky," and "Call Me Little Sunshine" strategically placed in the setlist. During the latter, we saw Forge's only appearance in full regalia, a beautiful and opulent black cassock studded with stones. But nothing compares to the audience's fervor for the band's older hymns: "Cirice," "Ritual," "He Is," and "Year Zero" were some of the most intense moments of the night before the encore.
A decade after the lukewarm reception and even boos on stage at Rock In Rio , when impatient headbangers shouted for Metallica in the middle of Ghost's show, the band is now at another level of popularity, acceptance, and artistic robustness. While the album covers and highly produced music videos might give the impression of an almost boring exaggeration in the band's themes, the stage proves to be the most fertile ground for a theatrical rock band (as they call themselves) of this caliber, and shows how Tobias learned from the best in rock and heavy metal.
From the cathedral-like soundscapes of Iron Maiden , through the makeup and lighting effects of KISS , to the bizarre scenes of Alice Cooper, here represented by an appearance of the late Papa Nihil, directly from his glass coffin for a saxophone solo, Ghost delivered a show of communion between the sacred and profane in music, serving as a tacit critique of religious institutions and a place of worship for the misfits and sinners.
And for those who claim that Ghost's dark theater and danceable rock are nothing more than a passing fad, a fleeting trend fueled by their recent viral success on TikTok, the audience's connection with the band certainly says otherwise. The social media audience really showed up in droves at the show, which had the faces of teenagers eager for action at the barrier, and "Mary On a Cross" was well received, but it didn't overshadow the band's classics, who delivered a powerful performance that also moved the older, more traditional rock n' roll audience.
After “Respire The Spitalfields” and surpassing an hour and a half of show, Ghost returned for an encore, but not without a good dose of acting beforehand. “The band’s already gone, you can leave now,” insisted Papa before initiating a negotiation with the fans about how many more songs they would sing that night. “Two? Three? Then three more songs and you can leave? No, not four. Three. Okay…,” he said before a killer final sequence with “Kiss The Go-Goat,” “Dance Macabre,” and “Square Hammer.” Despite the audience's attempt to request “Twenties,” a track openly inspired by a Brazilian musician , there was no deal on that part.
After a breathtaking show, Ghost demonstrated the reason behind so many converts and delivered an unforgettable night that would make any detractor think twice about unfounded and simply childish criticism.
Our contributor Jéssica Marinho also went to the show and captured the evening. Check out our full photo gallery below (if you can't access it, click here ):
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