Ghost Skeletour Recap:

After finishing their Re-Impera tour in October 2023, Ghost are back with their latest live offering in the form of Skeletour, supporting their upcoming release, 'Skeletá'.

Those who know me well know I am a massive Ghost fan, and while I try not to use this platform to 'fangirl' at any given moment via a more journalistic approach, I couldn't resist doing this recap after going to all four of the UK shows. Having seen this band 19 times now, I can honestly say Ghost are at their best. If anyone is sitting on the fence on whether or not to check them out, this is THE era, and believe me, I didn't think the last one could be topped.

The tour and the whole new saga kicked off in Manchester on the 15th of April. I have never gone into a Ghost show so blind. Usually, there has been a show in the States with videos of the new stage and costumes. The setlist was somewhat known, so this was very exciting territory for me, especially as this was going to be new band leader Papa V Perpetua's first show.

Heading into the arena, the Yondr pouch organisation was as quick and straightforward as it was when I attended the LA recording for Rite Here Rite Now, so I already knew a little bit of what to expect with that, and I can after that show I fully backed Tobias Forge on his decision to carry that on this tour. My only gripe is the waiting between going in and the show starting. Since there was no support act this tour, we had to make our own entertainment, some brought crosswords, and others 'sacrificed' their newly bought plushies.

The anticipation in the room as we spotted the black torn-up curtain in front of the stage could be felt so strongly in the room, but soon enough the familiar sound of Klara stjärnor and Miserere Mei, Deus (traditionally played 15 minutes before the start) filled the room before the lights went down...

SPOILERS AHEAD:

I will try to keep this recap somewhat shorter than my brain is telling me to spill. As a huge fan, I could go on for hours about every little detail. As is tradition with Ghost, they always open up with the album opener for that era, meaning we heard 'Peacefield' off the upcoming record before any studio version. As of yesterday, the studio version has been released, and I must say I prefer it live as it is a lot more synth-heavy.

The first thing you will notice post curtain drop is a humongous light rig in the shape of a 'Grucifix', pure 80's style (think Iron Maiden/Motorheads set up). This alone makes the Impera tour look low-budget, and I didn't think that would be possible. After 'Lachryma', we were shocked to have a huge Meliora throwback with 'Spirit', 'From the Pinnacle to the Pit' (swapped for 'Faith' in London and Birmingham) and the return of 'Majesty' - complete with a Defying Gravity-esque long robbed papa behind the drums and trippy visuals on the screens.

The backdrop up until this moment mimicked that of the curtain from the beginning of the show, black and torn fabric, I was under the impression that this was the look of the whole show, oh how wrong I was. As the 'Cirice' intro was done, the fabric dropped to reveal the classic Ghost church backpiece, complete with 3D arches and stained glass windows.

A big change for this tour as most will have noticed is Tobias is donning Papa via a 'Half Mask' + face paint situation compared to the previous characters. This was due to Forge's claustrophobia finally reaching a breaking point, which he revealed in the Q&A at HMV that if he had to continue using full masks, he would have had to close the door on Ghost. Having said that, I believe this has paid off to his advantage, as this is the clearest and best Forge has sounded.

The set between is a fantastic mix for old and new fans, with at least one song from every album. Another teaser for Skeletá came in the form of the song 'Umbra', with Papa V emerging from a trap door, cowbell in hand for one of the Nameless Ghouls. A song about the primal instinct of human physical contact, I can see this being a fan favourite.

Without going into great detail, there was some stunt trickery in order to see an incredibly quick change as 'Year Zero' began, with Papa donning a brand new cassock, more pyro and an even bigger hat than two years ago! It was during this song I really noticed a difference in the drums compared to the last eras, a more hollow and metallic sound that's very reminiscent of Forge's 80's influences.

Just as you think all the stage changes were done, the pillars collapse in a way that would give Roger Waters' 'The Wall' a run for its money and the stage is now an apocalyptic nightmare for 'Rats' onwards, with one giant screen showing relevant motifs for songs such as 'Mummy Dust'. Finishing before the encore was 'Monstrance Clock', which gave many long-time fans a sense of comfort, as this was used as an ending song for most of Ghost's career.

Finally, the encore was a triple treat of all the 'big hits', namely 'Mary On A Cross', 'Dance Macabre' and 'Square Hammer', a truly hyped up way to end, leaving the crowd to dance out of the hall.

As I said, I really didn't think Ghost would top their last era. This show has made me so excited for the future of the band and how I will never doubt that they can take it to the next level. Minus a few teething problems at the Glasgow show with the pillars collapsing onstage, the show is becoming tighter and tighter, and I expect by the big show at MSG in New York, it will be one for the history books!

One major take away from these shows is the sense of community with this band, the way people dress up, talk to one another (more so now with the phone ban) and just share their joy is something you don't see very often. And for those worried about missing out on the action during Skeletour, keep an eye out on GTV!