What. A. Night.
Last night Ghost returned to Sydney shores for the 3rd time in their esteemed career to deliver their first headline performance, a show that was a testament to not only their fantastic catalogue but also their hugely devoted and incredibly diverse fan base in Australia.
The night kicked off with Australian legends ‘Southeast Desert Metal’, described as ‘the most isolated heavy metal band in the world’, who hail from a tiny Central Australian town 80km from Alice Springs. The band put on a fantastic performance, their unique blend of aboriginal culture and heavy metal capturing the full attention of the ¬10,000+ people in attendance. Of special note was the band’s on-stage dancer, who helped emphasize the story-telling aspect of the band, and whose constant movement echoed the mesmerizing effect of the band’s music which relied on strong vocals by frontman and guitarist Chris Wallace alongside a rock-solid drum and bass backline. I could’ve sworn I heard a didgeridoo at multiple points throughout the set, but the crowd’s enthusiasm for our local rockers meant I was unable to get any closer to confirm.
Following a brief interlude the lights dimmed, the arena seemed to somehow get even fuller than it was before, and the crowd quietened in preparation for the beginning of frontman Papa Emeritus’ holy metal sermon. From the moment Papa, supported as always by his team of Nameless Ghouls, stepped onto stage the energy within the whole crowd was electric. Ghost’s wholly unique blend of occult rock, showmanship and stagecraft did not let up for a single moment as they played hits from the entirety of their extensive catalogue, artfully weaving heavier tracks such as ‘Mummy Dust’ and ‘Rats’ alongside pop-rock anthems such as ‘Kiss the Go-Goat’ and ‘Spillways’. The use of pyrotechnics and other dynamic on-stage effects was amazingly done, punctuating the bombastic music and performance style of the band. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a Ghost show without the amazing interludes Papa took to address his congregation between songs, which were all done with the perfect blend of dry wit, earnestness, and tongue-in-cheek humor for which he is known and gave the show an intimate feel despite the huge number of people in attendance. The Nameless Ghouls were a standout as always, their on-stage antics and wordless banter providing an ongoing source of entertainment to the crowd alongside their note-perfect performances. Closing the night out with the Ghost classic ‘Square Hammer’, Papa took his leave and the crowd eagerly settled in to wait for the next time the occult rock sensation returns to Australian shores.
Reflecting on the night as I waited in the arena lobby, I was again taken aback by the sheer diversity of Ghost’s fanbase – there were death metal fanatics rocking Cattle Decapitation t-shirts filing out alongside teenagers who wouldn’t have been out of place at a Taylor Swift concert, older rockers with Iron Maiden singlets waiting in the merch line besides men in suits who had come to the show directly work, and it was fantastic and an absolute testament to how Ghost and their music is for absolutely everyone. An amazing show by an amazing band.
Review by Cal McGlinchey
Destroy All Lines By Arrangement With K2 Agency Presents
GHOST AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2023
TUESDAY 3 OCTOBER – QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY VENUE UPGRADE
WEDNESDAY 4 OCTOBER – JOHN CAIN ARENA, MELBOURNE VENUE UPGRADE
SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER – BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, BRISBANE VENUE UPGRADE
Tickets from destroyalllines.com
