Project Description
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GHOST
+ Southeast Desert Metal
@ Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane,
7th October 2023
(Live Review)
Review and photos by Matt Young (@mattyoungpics)
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Papa Emeritus IV & his Nameless Ghouls are back touring Australia for the first time in 4 years, bringing their brand of theatrical rock to arenas in Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane. We went & checked out the show in Brisbane.
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First up onstage tonight: Southeast Desert Metal. Hailing from the remote town of Santa Teresa, 80km from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, the band refer to themselves as “the most isolated metal band in the world.” In an impressive set, the boys pump out a blend of Metal, Stoner, Sludge Rock that has the crowd banging their head & raising a fist in the air. Keep an eye out for this band, they did a top job preparing all in attendance for the main course… GHOST.
To highlight just how popular GHOST are as a band in this country now, ponder this thought. Last time they were here was for the Download Festival in 2019 where they also did a sideshow gig in Brisbane @ The Tivoli Theatre. Fast Forward to 2023 & GHOST are doing their first Australian headline tour, playing in arenas thank you very much, such is the demand for this group. The band have bought their full stage production to put on the best show they can deliver. The rest of the world have had a chance to see GHOST play arenas, Australian fans now get that same opportunity.
Led by main man Tobias Forge (Papa Emeritus) GHOST have now released 5 studio albums, most recently Impera in 2022, & won numerous Grammy Awards for their work. But fans of the band know it’s their live show where they really shine. Their costumes, face paint, stage production & showmanship are a hallmark of the band from Sweden.
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As the beginning of the song Imperium began to play through the PA the crowd knew it was time. Time for GHOST to hit the stage. As the curtain dropped the band tore into opening song Kaisarion followed by the one-two punch of fan favourite Rats then From The Pinnacle To The Pit. Papa Emeritus commands the stage, his Nameless Ghouls following suit. The production is impressive with a massive stage complete with stained glass windows & arches giving it a Gothic look. Spotlights follow Papa Emeritus around the stage as he theatrically interacts with the fans.
The seven Ghouls all play their part in the pantomime perfectly. With a combination of virtuosity & energy they only add to Papa Emeritus` theatrics. The banter between them is great. The Nameless Ghouls outfits this time around are different than last time the band were here. Gone are the silver devil horned masks, replaced by dare I call them, black gas masks. Whatever the correct description is, they look great. Cardinal Copia is gone, replaced by Papa Emeritus IV. His new look is just as good as all the previous incarnations of Papa Emeritus.
Over the next hour & forty-five minutes, GHOST put on a masterclass of choreographed, theatrical rock music. The crowd are treated to tracks like Spillways, Absolution, Ritual, Year Zero, Miasma, Mary On A Cross & Respite On The Spitalfields to name a few. After a short break late in the set, the band come back onstage to perform an encore, ending with the one-two punch of Dance Macabre followed by Square Hammer to finish up proceedings. This was one gig the hardcore fans will remember for a while. Five Star performance GHOST. Bravo!
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Check out Matt Young’s (@mattyoungpics) full gallery of this event HERE
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Follow GHOST
Website – Instagram – Facebook
Twitter – Youtube
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Press Release 3rd October 2023 (below) HERE
GHOST
Australian headline tour
starts tonight!
With special guests
Southeast Desert Metal
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