Ghost 's upcoming tour, called Skeletour , to promote their new album Skeletá, will feature a ban on cell phone use during the shows. According to the band , the tour will be "phone-free".
In partnership with Yondr , a company that focuses on "tech-free spaces," fans will have to place their phones in a "bag." The devices will only be unlocked at the end of the performances – the only exception allowed for use will be in permitted areas.
Speaking to Planet Rock , Ghost's vocalist and leader, Tobias Forge, explained (via Blabbermouth ):
“I really want to emphasize that the ban has nothing to do with copyright control. It’s not about us wanting to withhold all the material and prevent other people from monetizing [the band’s videos]. It has nothing to do with that.”
Still in the conversation, Forge used the concert film Rite Here Rite Now (2024) as an example. The show was recorded in September 2023, during two shows held in Los Angeles. At the time, Ghost's performance also had a restriction on cell phones.
“We filmed two shows in Los Angeles in front of an audience that had to seal their cell phones. You don't hand over your phone. It stays with you, so you don't have to worry about it. If you need to make a call, you can leave. If you want to take a picture, you can take it in the lobby. That's allowed. When we adopted this strategy, we had such an engaged audience that they soon seemed happy in a way that… I had to go back in time to remember the last time I saw an audience completely involved, where everyone was really watching the show.”
Ghost's frontman reminisced about what it was like to attend concerts without cell phones.
He concluded his reasoning by recalling what it was like to attend concerts in the past, when technological devices were not common.
“I don’t want to turn this into an age issue, as if I were telling 14-year-olds that everything was better before. But I swear that the experience of the shows and the creation of memories, the creation of magic, was also much more powerful. I may not even have seen a picture of some of the best shows I’ve ever been to, because they live here [in my head]. They live inside me.”
“That’s the memory I have. Obviously, for the older, more aware part of our audience, maybe that sounds a little nostalgic. But I truly believe that the younger segment of our audience will leave the shows, just like they did in Los Angeles, saying, ‘That wasn’t just a great show; it was an overwhelming experience.’ Because I truly believe you’ll feel that.”
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