Ghost channels the Underworld at the Fillmore

Ghost channels the Underworld at the Fillmore

I am not quite sure Ghost has reached the status of Satan, but on Saturday night Ghost made a stop at The Fillmore in Charlotte on their Popestar Tour. By the enthusiasm and size of the crowd, Satan may be getting a run for his money. The house was packed.

The age of the crowd ranged from 4 years old to 60. There seemed to be a lot of young children who were Ghost fans, or there were a lot of Ghost fans who couldn’t find a babysitter on Saturday night. It was also a chance for fans to dress up in their favorite black outfit, some even accessorized using their favorite baphomet horns.

Ghost is unusual and even more interesting due to the fact that you don’t really even know who the band members are. Why? The band members were all wearing metallic horned masks that cover their faces and are known as Nameless Ghouls. Their frontman, Papa Emeritus III, also disguises his face using skull face paint and is dressed in robes and headgear with an eerie, dark Catholic theme. The stage featured anti-religious images of stained glass with souls burning in fire, horned goats, pentagrams, and a Madonna who I doubt was meant to be virginal.

Being up close and personal, I was able to get a look at their eyes through their masks. The bass player, who is thought to be Megan Thomas from the Led Zep Tribute Band, Lez Zeppelin, had striking blue/grey eyes. I can’t confirm nor deny her true identity, but I got distracted for a second catching an ever so slight glance behind her mask.

After Ghost performs a few songs, you forget the theatrics of the masks and make up.  Their style is very hard to characterize. Are they black metal, doom metal, death metal, or hard rock? I don’t really know, as they have a distinctive melodic pop flavor with hard rock licks. I overheard one guy compare them to The Beatles, referring to the unusual, creative nature of their songs. The music really took over and the crowd bounced, threw their heads back and forth, and punched their devil’s horns into the air with the band all night. My theory is, why bother trying to put a name on something you can just feel?  Just go with the music, wherever it may take you.

They performed a 2 hour, 15 song set that kicked off with “Square Hammer” moved to “Cirice” and ended with their closing favorite, “Monstrance Clock.”  They were able to mix in some naughty nuns giving communion during the set. Of course Papa reminded everyone to keep their hands off the nuns, but you could feel free to touch anyone else around you.

This week they have made their way through the Carolinas with stops in Charlotte and Raleigh at the Ritz. They have a few more dates left in Toronto and Montreal, and will finish up at the King’s Theater in Brooklyn.  Get out there to see them if you can, because it may be a little time before they come back your way. I spoke to one of the guys on the road with the band, and he let me know they will be taking a 2 month break as they wrap up this tour. It will be very interesting to see what they have planned during their off time. Hopefully they will get back on the road and maybe we will see some more new music from the band soon. I cannot wait to see these guys again. They are definitely a band to not miss when they come to your town.  After you see Ghost, make sure you say 10 Hail Marys and 6 Our Fathers for your sins.

Check out the rest of the gallery here!