While Ghost‘s ongoing world tour is being presented as a ‘phone-free experience’, that hasn’t stopped some enterprising fans from sneaking in devices to film. Per an initiative put in place by the multi-platinum occult rockers ringleader Tobias Forge, fans attending the concerts on that run in support of their chart-topping new album “Skeletá” are instructed to put their smartphones in Yondr pouches upon being granted admittance to the actual performance area of the show.
As Forge put it previously:
“I really wanna underline that the ban has nothing to do with, let’s say, copyright control. It’s not that we wanna sit on all the material and we don’t want anybody to monetize [Ghost videos]; it has nothing to do with that.”
“‘Rite Here Rite Now‘, the film, the essence of messaging in that film was exactly that, but also I, but us collectively, working, making that film… We filmed two shows in L.A. in front of audiences where they had to put their phones into pockets. You don’t give it away. You have your phone; you don’t have to worry about that. If you need to call, you can go out. If you need to take a photo, you can take a photo of yourself out in the lobby; that’s fine.
But what ended up happening was that we had such an engaged crowd that seemed joyous in a way that… I had to go back years and in time since I last saw a fully engaged crowd where everybody’s actually watching [the show]. They don’t have to watch me, but they’re watching the band.”
However, despite his best laid plans, last night’s (May 24th) set at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway saw at at least one fan flout the rules, with subsequent fan-filmed footage from the set of the below performance of the band’s platinum-certified hit single “Square Hammer” arriving online. That performance also closed out the concert.
Ghost themselves haven’t entirely clamped down on footage from their shows however, having taken to documenting the tour with regular episodes of a parody of MTV‘s ‘Headbangers Ball‘ tour features of old, albeit with a Ghost twist. That regular segment on their YouTube channel has been dubbed ‘Ghoulbangers Ball‘ and has been chronicling the ongoing run.
Last night’s set marked the end of the European/UK leg of the band’s ‘Skeletour‘, with the trek next set to pick up in North America in July. Forge will however be hitting the stage prior, having been booked to appear in his role as Papa V Perpetua at Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne‘s upcoming final live sendoff, ‘Back To The Beginning‘. That star-studded live celebration of all things Sabbath and Ozzy will be held July 05th at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK.
07/09 Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
07/11 Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
07/12 Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
07/13 Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
07/15 Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center
07/17 Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
07/18 Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
07/19 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
07/21 Boston, MA – TD Garden
07/22 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
07/24 Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
07/25 Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
07/26 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
07/28 Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
07/29 Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
07/30 St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
08/01 Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
08/02 Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
08/03 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
08/05 Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
08/07 Denver, CO – Ball Arena
08/09 Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
08/10 San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
08/11 Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
08/14 Austin, TX – Moody Center
08/15 Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
08/16 Houston, TX – Toyota Center
09/24 Mexico City, MEX – Palacio de los Deportes
