‘Just wanna be-/Wanna bewitch you in the moonlight’

*turns down volume, notices people are listening, blushes*

Oh, sorry don’t mind me singing, I’m just still super buzzed from last night :blush: I got to witness the one-off ritual that Ghost hosted in my hometown London last night and god, it was a great show! This is my first full gig review. I have done gig reviews in the past (Read here) and reviewed Ghost’s EPs too as part of the #GhostHype series (Read here). This is part 2 of 3 of the series (when the rest of my order comes I’ll do a merch review in the final part). I’ll take you through both acts and all the details that happened on the night, most pics and videos are taken from other people as I don’t use my phone during gigs cuz I’m old school. ENJOY IT!

Let’s rewind to June when the announcement of this date came about. I knew I had to go as the Royal Albert Hall is one of my fave venues I have ever been too and most of you know how much I LOVE Ghost. I was at the venue last year when I saw British comedian Russell Howard and thought how great it would be to see one of my fave bands in the same place. After a tackle with getting tickets, I managed to secure two for my mum and I, all I had to do now was wait eagerly for September.

Before the show, it was cool to see the fans who had made the effort to dress up as the different incarnations of Papa. I could sense everyone’s excitement for the 2 and a half spectacle we were about to witness. The doors opened around 7.15 and all the ghouls and ghulehs started to pile in to the venue. We found our seats and they were in a great place as we could see everything that was about to unfold before our eyes. The set was really cool, with chequered floor, a medieval style riser and a stained glass-equse backdrop.

The slight scent of incense seeped through the atmosphere, though it wasn’t as strong as it was the last time I saw them. The waiting period did not feel that long as before we knew it the lights dimmed, each ghoul/ghoulette graced the stage during the intro song ‘Ashes’ and it transitioned into ‘Rats’. Our Lord and Saviour, Cardinal Copia, then rushed out onto stage and started the Sunday sermon off with a bang.

Ghost Ashes/Rats Royal Albert Hall

They played 11 songs during the first act and it contained a mix of fan favourites like ‘Cirice’ and ‘Ritual’ alongside deep cuts from their albums (‘Absolution’, ‘Per Aspera ad Inferi’, ‘Stand by Him’). During this act, Cardi C changed his outfits 3 times, alternating between his black and white casual suit and his black cardinal robes where during ‘Con Clavi Con Dio’ he brought out his censer to bless the ritual. This song packs a punch live, and when paired with ‘Per Aspera ad Inferi’, they almost summon the devil with the heavy bassline and drumbeats. The highlight of this act was ‘Miasma’, an instrumental song from their latest offering ‘Prequelle’. This song is so epic in a live setting as it really brings the 70s prog/80s synth fantasy to life and really showcases the abilities and camaraderie of the current ghouls. The latter section of this song is a saxophone solo where Papa Nihil graces the stage with his sax and rocks the hell out of everyone. I couldn’t stop laughing, even though I was anticipating this to happen.

Ghost Miasma Royal Albert Hall

The band then stripped down the performance and played an acoustic rendition of one of my fave songs by the band ‘Jigolo Har Megiddo’ where Cardi C wore his white suit. Before they played the song, he told the crowd to give him a bigger roar for the change in outfit. They also played one more song from Prequelle in this act, ‘Pro Memoria’, which was nice to hear as it provided a contrast to the heaviness that came before. Hearing ‘Deus in Absentia’ was great too as it reminded me of the day that Papa Nihil was announced to the world. The act then finished, and the announcer spoke ‘Be Prepared for the Second Coming’

Ghost - Jigolo Har Megiddo Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Act 2 was awoken by the alien synth in ‘Spirit’ and we were back in Ghost’s domain. This act was significantly stronger as I felt that the band had fully grown into the venue’s capacity at this point as it has been their biggest London show to date. The 4-song saga (‘From the Pinnacle to the Pit’, ‘Faith’, ‘Year Zero’, ‘Spöksonat/He Is’) was one of two highlights during this act as it filled me with a lot of adrenaline. Cardi C donned the stage with his red cardinal robes, being his final outfit change of the night. ‘He Is’ was magical as some fans used their flashlights on their phone to illuminate the hall and it felt so spiritual.

Ghost 'He Is' Royal Albert Hall London 9th Sept 2018

The band performed a deep cut from their first album Opus Eponymous, ‘Prime Mover’, and this was great as we don’t hear this song often. The crowd were worked into a frenzy when the canons fired confetti and Papa Dollars into the crowd during ‘Mummy Dust’, with a few fans being lucky enough to catch those precious bills. The keytar solo is always a great part of this song and I was glad that it was *actually* performed live this time (no shade to the previous chair ghoul). The final part of the set was on its way with fan fave and cover of the Roky Erickson song ‘If You Have Ghosts’. I felt inspired by Cardi C’s words during this song where he said something along the lines ‘If you’re ever feeling down, remember 2 things. One: If you have the spirit, you can do anything, and Two: things always change’. Being at a time where I’ve finished my education (for now) and going out into the world to find my place, these words resonated with me and reminded me why I follow this band as they bring me such positivity.

Ghost - If you have ghost + band intro + speech (Royal Albert Hall)

The band then rocked their way into ‘Dance Macabre’, which was easily the song of the night for me. I actually forgot about this song as I hadn’t listened to Ghost since I purchased the tickets and was amazed at the energy this song brings in a live setting. At one point, I had a mini time travel to the 80s in my head and thought ‘damn, this is exactly like a hard rock band in a stadium’. I had major Def Leppard vibes when this song played, and it made me very much excited to see them in December. Hearing ‘Square Hammer’ live straight after this song also had this same effect as it is such an anthem. I was also reminded of the day this was released and I listened to this song on repeat for a week. The band performed their usual encore ‘Monstrance Clock’ and everyone sung along to the hook ‘Come Together/Together as One/Come Together/For Lucifer’s Son’. This final hymn concluded the night and united all Ghost fans in the house. A perfect end to a near-perfect concert.

Ghost 'Dance Macabre/Square Hammer' Royal Albert Hall London 9th Sept 2018

Ghost 'Monstrance Clock' Royal Albert Hall London 9th Sept 2018

Overall, this was a solid gig. The band themselves were superb and had so much energy as they paced through their long set. The only downside of the gig, I felt, was the crowd themselves. You would think that seeing your fave band in a venue like that would spark your fire, but I felt that most people were just chilling as if they were watching it on TV at home (and even then, I always get up and have a little sing along hehe). Only when ‘Dance Macabre’ came on, did people actually begin to get up out of their seats and have a proper good time. It’s a shame it took that long for people to get pumped. Luckily on my side, people were standing up from the start, so I felt their energy. Shout-out to the two drunk guys a few rows ahead of me! Aside from that it was a really cool experience. It was a bit odd to have an intermission in the midst of the gig as I was not used to this. Though it wasn’t that weird, as it felt like Ghost were supporting Ghost, and who better to have support them amirite :wink: ?

I hope you enjoyed the breakdown of the ritual and felt some connection to the night, even if you couldn’t attend yourself. I wish the Ghost fans on this app a great time in the States and in Europe if you have bagged yourself tix to the ‘A Pale Tour Named Death’ dates. I’ll hopefully be posting more blogs soon, whenever I feel motivated hehe. Until then, I’ll catch ya cats later. Hail Satan, ARRRRRRCCCCCCHAngeloooooooooo.