2011

Jump to: Hamnplan 5 | Helsinki Metal Meeting/Finnish Metal Expo | House of Metal | Draconia Times Tour | Roadburn | Unnamed Blood Ceremony Tour | Hornstull Strand Etablissement | Maryland Deathfest IX | Decibel Magazine | The Studio @ Webster Hall | Muskelrock | Sweden Rock Festival | Download Festival | Nova Rocks | Metaltown | Hellfest | Graspop Metal Meeting | Roskilde Festival | FortaRock | Getaway Rock Festival | Hell's Pleasure Metalfest | Tuska | Storsjöyran | Metal Hammer | Szene Open Air | Wacken

Hamnplan 5

January 29, 2011

Performed at Hamnplan 5 in Visby, Sweden

Perhaps something devilish (or heavenly?) happened to the records of the first ritual of 2011 at Hamnplan, with only the setlist and one video surviving. What tribulations or triumphs occurred there exist only now in the memories of those who attended.

Not much information is available about this ritual. If you have more to add, please contact the webmistress at mintyandee[at]gmail[dot]com, thank you!

Helsinki Metal Meeting/Finnish Metal Expo

February 19, 2011

Performed at Kaapelitehdas in Helsinki, Finland

One of the last guests confirmed in the line up, Ghost brought their ministry to the Helsinki Metal Meeting^[1]. Attendees of the festival were blessed with the live debut of Satan Prayer and Stand by Him.^[2]

“Onstage, the Satanic Pope/priest stands amongst ski-masked musicos in black hooded Inquisition robes. The stage is filled with smoke, including the main figures church relic. As a black mass, the visuals are an important part of the whole show, comprised of a virtual straight play-through of their Opus Eponymous. Not sure how long it will last in the digital age, but the mystique is something odd for most these days.” -Mark Gromen^[3]

• [1]Metal Shock Finland, Helsinki Metal Meeting in February 2011 - Program Ready
• [2]Setlist.fm
• Brave Words, Helsinki Metal Meeting - Bundle in the Tundra by Mark Gromen

Brave Words, Helsinki Metal Meeting - Kvelertak, Ghost Complete Line-Up

Brave Words, Helsinki Metal Meeting - Ice Cold Steel! by Mark Gromen

All Metal Fest, Finnish Metal Expo 2011 Festival Review by Amelie Lund (via archive.org)

Eurynome Photos, Ghost Finnish Metal Expo, Helsinki 19.2.2011 by Tina Solda

House of Metal

March 4, 2011

Performed at Umeå Folkets Hus in Umeå, Sweden

Announced in November of 2010^[1], Ghost returned to Sweden for their 3rd ritual in the country. It was met with much anticipation as their powers of persuasion were only growing with every ritual performed and record sale made.

‘Very very very unexpected booking but oh oh oh so damn welcome one. The band is one of the most hyped bands right now and I usually flinch when this happens, but I've been hooking and sinking into GHOST, even so hard that I spent my "last week's money" this month on the limited (300 copies) Die-Hard vinyl version of the debut "Opus Eponymous". As a fan of early MERCYFUL FATE and other miscellaneous 80's Heavy Metal, I can only say, THANK YOU HOUSE OF METAL!!!” -TK Blashyrkh(via Microsoft Translator)^[2]

The room where Ghost performed was packed[3] with old and new converts to the ministry:

“WHAT A FUCKING GIG!!

A fantastic gig by Ghost I think, I have seen them once before then with Watain at the club but this was horse lengths better! I photographed in ecstasy and I took about 200-300 pictures, many of which I'm incredibly happy with!”-Demonia (via Microsoft Translator)^[4]

“It feels too short, the short playlist makes it go very fast. When they played the last song they left the stage, what happened? I'm dazed, I didn't think I'd like this. They will play on bigger stages in the future, I'm convinced of that! I'm really happy and so are a lot of people. On the bus on the way home, I wax lyrical about it to my partner. I have a hard time falling asleep and I'm just lying there thinking about Ghost's concert. Everything else I saw is secondary!!”-Mats Söderholm (via Microsoft Translator)^[5]

“I can start by proclaiming that I own, not just one, but three different vinyl editions of Ghost's debut album "Opus Eponymous" and this if anything should speak for itself as to whether I bought the hype or not. From the first moment I had a very hard time defending myself against the band's wonderful mix of 70s interspersed with classic 80s metal. [...] So did Ghost live up to my expectations this evening? The answer has to be yes, even if there were a couple of question marks. The opening track "Con Clavi Con Dio" felt like a bit of a minor disaster to my ears, and this mostly due to the far too diligent use of "backtracks". Even though my favorite track on the band's debut is "Elizabeth", surprisingly it was still their hit "Ritual" that went down best with me.” -Tommy Konu (via Google Translate)^[6]

• [1]folkbladet.nu, Several bands ready for Houst of Metal (subscription required>
• [2]VK Bloggen, House of Metal 2001 - Del#1 by TK Blashyrkh
• [3]FestivalPhoto.net, House of metal 2011 Umeå by Mats Söderholm
• [4]Demonia, House of Metal, Del 2
• [5]FestivalPhoto.net, Ghost by Mats Söderholm
• [6]folkbladet.nu, Good with question marks by Tommy Konu (subscription required)

House of Metal, 2011 Gallery

FestivalPhoto.net, House OF Metal 2011 - Ghost

Draconia Times Tour

March 29, 2011 - Performed at Tivoli in Utrect, Netherlands

March 31, 2011 - Performed at Zeche in Bochum, Germany

May 1, 2011 - Performed at HMV Forum in London, England

On February 11th, Paradise Lost announced Ghost would perform their ritual as the opener on their Draconian Times tour.^[1] Although there were 7 tour dates planned, Ghost was unable to play the first three in Greece.^[2] Ghost would go on to cancel an additional ritual in Paris:

“Fellow Parisians, iIt is with great disappointment in our (still) pulsating hearts that we need to inform you that we will not make an appearance in Paris on March 30th.

"As all of you probably already know, Elysee Montmartre burned down and the show was moved to Le Bataclan (on April 3rd). As much as we wish that we could make it to the this event instead, we are unfortunately unable to do so.

"We wish to come to Paris within short and hope that we'll soon be able to announce a new concert. But til then - enjoy Paradise Lost on April 3rd. Thank you very very much for your support.

"Zut alors!" -Ghost via Metal Underground

Opening for Paradise Lost gave Ghost the chance to reach an all new audience to spread their unholy gospel to. A test, to see if Ghost could find the “people (research suggests these are most likely to be adolescents) who have a void in their life, perhaps caused by some form of emotional trauma or upset, that can be filled by the music and philosophies of Ghost”^[4]

There was doubt.

“With nothing to say to the crowd between songs, it was actual a performance that relied far more on the music than stage presentation. Fortunately Ghost’s Opus Eponymous is full of quality material and the faithful representations tonight were enjoyable, though somewhat on the quiet side, as was the whole evening.

To be honest there’s surprisingly not a great deal more to say, it was an enjoyable opening set, peaking with Ritual.However, with all the hype I was expecting a more” -The Rocker’s Digest^[5]

“If you’re listening to a band’s music you’re in one way or the other picture their appearance and I admit I was quite surprised to see some guys in black cowls and masks entering the stage that looked so totally different from what I’ve expected. That one was unusual but the demonic pope following them with sublime, slow movements was the peak. Add to it dark lights and lyrics about god’s opponent himself and you get the complete package of an unreal scenery. I’ve got to say though the music itself wasn’t that bad, especially the vocals were flawless and had something urgent to them, but the eerie and sometimes even disquieting outshined everything else which might have been on purpose. Anyway, it couldn’t hinder anyone from giving a warm applause to the band on several occasions. Well, it’s pretty cool to watch but regardless of the musical skills it’s nothing I could see myself buying and I sincerely doubt that the satanic theme will hold up for enough stories forever.” -Sebastian Huhn^[6]

But even then, Ghost’s new flock made themselves known:

“A group of Ghost fans were down the front singing & jumping along however they failed to grab the rest of the crowd’s attention as the songs all seemed to blend into each other.”-Sheila^[7]

• [1]Metal Underground, Ghost To Support Paradise Lost on "Draconian Times" Tour Dates posted by xFiruath
• [2]Blabbermouth, Paradise Lost To Be Supported by Ghost On 'Draconian Times' Tour
• [3]Metal Underground, Ghost Comments On Canceled Paris Tour Date posted by xFiruath
• [4]Archived Ghost MySpace page via archive.org
• [5]The Rocker's Digest, Paradise Lost/Ghost
• [6]Reflections of Darkness, Live Review:Paradise Lost - Bochem 2011 by Sebastian Huhn
• [7]Planet Mosh, Paradise Lost-HMV Forum-01/04/2011 (GIG) by Sheila

Black-Cat-Net, Paradise Lost - Zeche Bochum 31.03.2011 Support: Ghost

Roadburn

April 14, 2011

Performed at MIDI Theatre in Tilburg, Netherlands

The 2011 gathering at Roadburn was curated by drone metal band Sunn O)))^[1] and Ghost was announced as a guest on October 9th, 2010^[2], 9 days before Opus Eponymous dropped, proving Satan has connections everywhere. (Or at the very least, there was MySpace in hell and Ghost was in the devil’s top 5*)

The ritual took place on Thursday of the festival in the Midi theatre, the smaller of the two venues hosting Roadburn (the other being 013).^[3] The ritual began with Masked Ball playing over the speakers which folded right into the live performance. During the first song, Con Clavie Con Dio, the guitars cut out. Ever the professional, Papa’s crystalline vocals carry through the end of the song until the nameless ghouls are able to pick up with him again at the intro to Elizabeth.^[4]

“The voice parts were also supported by a solid dose of reverbs and effects, which came to light especially at the end of "Con Clavi Con Dio", when suddenly the guitars fell silent and only the vocalist could be heard. I don't know if this effect was intentional, but I don't think it was, because both oarsmen immediately rushed to their amplifiers.”-Szymon Kubicki (via Microsoft Translator)^[4]

Not even technical glitches could stop the powerful message of Ghost, and the music reached the hearts of many in the audience that day.

“Roadburn - for the last two years - has spilled over into the Midi theatre a street away. It was here, appropriately nestled beside the spectacular two-spired church in Tilburg's main square, where I discovered my new favourite band. Ghost's psyche-pop take on the high-camp satanism of early Mercyful Fate, adorned with huge hook-laden choruses, performed by a group of cowl-laden masked monks and sung by a dead pope with skullface makeup, was utterly irresistible. And remarkably, they passed what I indelicately call the "piss test". Despite the call of nature requiring ever more urgent attention as the set went on, I steadfastly refused to miss a second, something me and my kidney specialist will no doubt have a good chat about in the future. "The last time I did that," I told friends afterwards, "was when Wino and Spirit Caravan did a bunch of Obsessed covers about seven or eight years ago. I think everyone was wondering why I was dancing so strangely by the end." But, here, only hours into the fest, the piss test had a new champion.” -Jamie Thomson^[5]

“Ghost won act of the day. It might of been the cheesy costumes (dark cloaks and big hoods on all of the band except the singer, who looks like the priest on their CD cover) it may have be the over the top theatrical acting, the face paint and incense but it was damn good! Ghost fulfilled playing pretty much their full album work of material including my favourites 'Satan Prayer' and 'Ritual' which had everyone [singing] along to the chorus.” -Gemma Shaw^[6]

“Rich in irony and with a sequence of excellent songs, the concert was one of the most enjoyable of the festival.” -Dale P.^[3]

“I’d call them the GWAR of Sweden. I guess it’s more arty though if you dress like a priest instead of fuck one with your cuttlefish.” -Doktor Ross Sewage^[7]

“Ghost’s Stand By Him was and is engraved in my ears and every time I woke up in the middle of the night to take a piss, I was accompanied by the sweet tunes of Stand By Him. I didn’t keep any notes, but I think Ghost played close to the whole album. Their visual presentation was on spot, and they didn’t fell out of character. Although funny in a way, it did fit perfectly with what Job called their ‘scooby-doo rock’ (in a positive, affirming way). Brilliant performance! This is the sort of show that leaves you longing for more…”-Sandrijn van den Oever^[8]

“Ghost were simply sublime – effortlessly theatrical, musically rock-solid and just a little bit camp, basically everything you could want from a band such as this. The five mysterious musicians in the band were attired in leather-trimmed inquisitorial robes with blacked-out faces, and the equally mysterious front-ghoul was bedecked in sparkling bishop’s robes and mitre adorned with the Ghost logo, containing as it does an inverted cross, his by now traditional skull-face mask and swinging an incense-emitting thurible to and fro. It was quite a sight to behold.

Swapping grand theatrical gestures for traditional intros and between-songs talk, the front-ghoul was an entrancing presence, swaying and sashaying around the stage, interacting with the frontline of the band and generally filling the room with sheer PRESENCE. Musically, we were treated to near-flawless renditions of the entire ‘Opus Eponymous’ album, with ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Ritual’ and the closing guitar harmonies of ‘Genesis’ being personal highlights, although mass headbanging ensued when ‘Prime Mover’ kicked in too.”-Paul Robertson^[9]

*MySpace is a social media site popular on the old web, originally (and currently) aimed at helping bands find their fans and advertise their work. It became a popular site amongst early social media adopters back in the days where Tom was everybody’s friend and we all learned html to personalize our profile pages. One of the features showed the people on your friends list and you could set your ‘top 5’, a seat of honor for your most favored friends**

**If you did not need this joke explained to you, let me tell you the wonders of morning stretches and high fiber cereal are not to be underestimated at your age***

***If you did find this explanation helpful in understanding the joke, please wear earplugs to rituals. Your hearing is precious and you are writing a check now that will be cashed in 30 years when you least expect it and the overdraft fees are killer. Don’t say no one ever warned you, because I just did.

• [1]Lurker, Sunn O))) to Curate Roadburn 2011
• [2]FestivalTicker, Blood Ceremony and Ghost to Play Roadburn Festival 2011
• [3]Taxi Driver, Goncerto Godflesh - Atomic Bitchwax - Pentagram - Today Is The Day - Blood Ceremony - Ghost del 14/04/2011 by Dale P.
• [4]Magazyn Gitarzysta, Roadburn Festival - 14-17.04.2001 - Tilburg (Holandia) by Szymon Kubicki
• [5]The Quietus, Avant-Gard Epiphanies in Tilburg: Roadburn 2011 Reviewed by Jamie Thomson
• [6]Room Thirteen, Roadburn 2011 by Gemma Shaw
• [7]Doktor Sewage, Dude-icra by Doktor Ross Sewage
• [8]Doommantia, Roadburn 2011 Review by Sandrijn van den Oever
• [9]The Sleeping Shaman, Roadburn Festival 2011 - Day 1 by Paul Robertson

Blabbermouth, Sunn O))) to curate Next Year's Roadburn Festival

Brave Words, Roadburn Festival 2011 - Official Artwork Unveiled

Metalshots, Ghost 2011-04-14 Roadburn Tilburg

Achrom Moments, Photobook Roadburn 2011 by Paul Verhagen

Festival Info, Foto Ghost Op Roadburn 2011 by Erik Luyten

BrooklyVegan, Roadburn 2011 day 1 in pics (Godflesh, Alcest, Pentagram, Soilent Green, Ghost, Wovenhand, Wardruna & more) by BrooklynVegan Staff

Magazyn Gitarzysta, Roadburn Festival -14-17.04.2011 - Tilburg (Holandia)

A Ghoul Archivest, Roadburn 2011 Entry

Unnamed Blood Ceremony Tour

April 16, 2011 - Performed at the Underground in Cologne, Germany

April 18, 2011 - Performed at Markthalle in Hamburg, Germany

April 19, 2011 - Performed at White Trash Fast Food in Berlin, Germany

After Roadburn, Ghost opened for Blood Ceremony for three European tour dates.

It seems that at one point, a much more extensive tour was planned, but parts were cancelled due to a conflict on Ghost's end.

“We are extremely sorry to announce that we have been forced to cancel Blood Ceremony in Birmingham and the rest of the band’s scheduled UK dates.This is due to a conflict in schedule with Ghost who had been due to tour as a package with Blood Ceremony. We have tried everything we possibly could to keep the shows on but unfortunately it has not been possible owing to the complex logistics involved. Blood Ceremony will be returning to the UK in the Summer of 2011” -Statement from Elastic Artists^[1][2]

A second referance to a cancelled date from April in Oslo, Norway exists in an Eternal Terror article covering Ghost's apperance at the 2011 Hell's Pleasure:

"Ghost will be seen here instead of the canceled Oslo concert in April this year."-Olve Kolden (via Google Translate)^[3]

Not much information remains on the internet about these rituals outside of the setlists on setlist.fm, a few photos, a reddit post, and an entry for the Cologne date on soundlive. If you have further information about any of these ritual you would like to share, please contact the webmistress at mintyandee[at]gmail[dot]com, thank you!

• [1]Supersonic Festival, Blood Cermony + Ghost Cancelled
• [2]Capsule, Blood Cermony + Ghost - Cancelled
• [3]Eternal Terror, Hells Pleasure 2011 by Olve Kolden

Soundlive, Ghost & Blood Ceremony behex Cologne

Reddit, Ghostbc post by u/roomiccube

WR Photography, Blood Ceremony/Ghost - White Trash 2011

Hornstull Strand Etablissement

May 13, 2011

Performed at Hornstall Strand Etablissement in Stockholm, Sweden

Interview: Alltom Stockholm, Ett manifest - för Satan by Christoffer Röstlund Jonsson (via archive.org)

At last, it was time for Ghost to start headlining their own rituals. And what better day than a Friday the 13th?^[1]

“Hin Håle* himself must have had a finger or two in the game when Ghost shed blood, gritted his teeth and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. And who are these people in the band then?

We can't give you the answer to that. We simply don't know who is hiding behind the masks. No clue. The music press has been led blindfolded out into the deepest forest to their first press conference, only to leave as major question marks. On their debut album "Opus Eponymous" (Oct 2010), which is the most satanic debut Sweden has tasted, Ghost takes its smoked-down heritage from the seventies Black Sabbath doom and effortlessly fertilizes it with the grain of Witchfinder General, Mercyful Fate and Blue Öyster Cult. It is a dark manifesto in nine chapters that converts us all in a hurry and we bow deeply.

After a number of gigs, the cult around Ghost has come to conjure up tens of thousands of fans and we are just as dedicated as you might think. Comments after the show range from "Hell!" to "Satan!" and then with an emphasis on the primal desire for more, more, more, that is mustered.

Come, walk with us!” -Strand Event Press Release (via Microsoft Translator)^[1]

The night of the first headline ritual, the club is packed. Excited screams puncture the chant of Masked Ball playing over the speakers as Ghost takes the stage. As they play through the setlist, the crowd sings along, having learned every word.

Papa Emeritus exits the stage as the nameless ghouls play through Genesis and returns towards the end to highlight each ghoul for applause from the audience, and then the venue goes dark.

Already familiar with the setlist, voices in the crowd call out for ‘Ritual’, but Ghost had other plans that night.

The sounds of a baby crying are heard coming over the speakers. Confused, there are jokes about infants at a metal club and more calls for the song ‘Ritual’. The darkness continues.

Slowly, the lights fade on the stage and Ghost introduces the world to their first cover song: a devilish rendition of the Beatles Here Comes the Sun. Twisted from a hopeful song about warmth and happiness into a grim portent of the coming of the Antichrist. Here comes the Son.

But Ghost doesn’t leave the audience wanting, at last granting the calls for “Ritual” as their last psalm of the night, complete with unholy communion served by Papa himself.^[2]

*Hin Håle is a Noah word** for Satan

**A Noah word is a word that’s used as a substitution when it is believed using the name of something/someone would catch unwanted attention***

***It could be argued that ‘unalive’ is a Noah word for ‘kill’ because no one wants the algorithms attention. Almost like humans imagined a situation for so long we decided to go out and make it real. I think that’s called hubris. Truly the fate of man is that of lice.

• [1]Strand, Ghost + In Solitude. Nytt datum 13e maj! (via archive.org)
• [2]Youtube, [First Headlinging Show] Ghost - Live at Hornstull Strand, Stockholm, Sweden [2011-05-13] posted by A Ghoul Archivist

A Ghoul Archivist, HOrnstull Strand, Stockholm, Sweden entry

Reddit, r/GhostBC posted by u/spokboll

Metalzye, Gost, In Solitud och Stench på Hornstulls Strand! by Chief Rebel Angel

Rock Foto, Ghost från Debaser Hornstulls Strand by Jonath Mathew

Alltom Stockholm, Gost och In Solitude och Stench (via archive.org)

Maryland Deathfest IX

May 29, 2011

Performed at Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland USA

On March 8th, it was announced that Ghost would be making their US debut at Maryland Deathfest due to a cancellation.^[1]

“Due to circumstances beyond the control of the band, GOATSNAKE has [canceled] their appearance at MDF IX.

As a result of the cancellation, GHOST will be making their US debut at MDF IX, but please note that they will be playing on SUNDAY, and not on Friday.” -Maryland Deathfest News (via archive.org)^[1]

Ghost would be the last festival guest to perform that weekend, closing out Deathfest in their devilish fashion^[2] During the ritual, the backing track would start running ahead of the rest of the ministry and was quickly cut. An unfortunate incident that allowed Papa Emeritus’s vocals to shine.^[3]

The crowd was filled with the faithful, who let their devotion show:

“I thought the crowd for Ghost would be a bit more laid back due to their type of music as well as it being the end of the fest and people just being tired but I was wrong. The crowd was really psyched to witness the band’s first US concert and they became really rough, while at the same time singing along to every word. [...] I ended up hanging a bit farther back by this guy in an elaborate Cthulhu costume. That’s right, hanging out with Cthuhlu was safer for all my cameras than getting fairly close to Ghost performing live, wtf?” -Metal Chris^[2]

But not all were charmed by their satanic wiles:

“I was hoping the set would be more impressive but with the audience singing along so loud it was drowning out not only the singer, Papa Emeritus, but the rest of the band as well. The set was short too, lasting only around 40 minutes. They have released just one album and I was hoping they’d play maybe some covers or something to fill out the set list some but they didn’t (though they did play a Beatles cover two nights later in New York). For a band with so much hype I was hoping for a better show, but it was just OK.” -Metal Chris^[2]

“Later that night, the true close to MDF was led by Ghost, whose set was tight and fun visually, but did not impress me as much as the hype suggests”-BBG^[4]

• [1]Maryland Deathfest, News (via archive.org)
• [2]DC Heavy Metal.com, Maryland Deathfest Recap by Metal Chris
• [3]Youtube, Ghost-Live at Deathfest IX posted by A Ghoul Archivis
• [4]Brooklyn Vegan, Maryland Deathfest 2011 - Day 4 pics & recap by BBG

Return of the Pit, Sonar (Baltimore, MD) Maryland Death Festival IX by Pepelis

Decibel, Are Those Pitchers Moving? by Shawn Macomber

Musical Urbanism, my guest blog on Social Shutter Re: Maryland Deathfest 2011 by Leonard Nevarez

Underground Play, MARYLAND DEATH FEST IX: May 26th thru 29th, 2011 – Metal Bands Listed and Info! by metalodyssey

Rafabasa.com, Avulsed at Maryland Death Fest by Tana

Dreams of Concioiusness, Maryland Death Fest sunday 5-29-11 by adriansol

The Agit Reader, Maryland Death Fest IX Report by Gary Spencer

Exclaim!, Maryland Deathfest featuring Neurosis, Ghost, Kylesa, Skinless by Laura Wiebe

Decibel Magazine

Issue #80

June, 2011

Original Decibel Listing (sold out, no digital copy available)

PDF Scan | Text

The Studio @ Webster Hall

June 1, 2011

Performed at The Studio @ Webster Hall in New York, New York USA

The time slot at Maryland Deathfest allowed Ghost to book a second ritual on U.S. soil, this time as headliners^[1]. The Studio at Webster Hall was packed with eager supplicants thirsting for their first taste of Ghost.

“[...]I don’t think the word “just” ever enters in Ghost’s vocabulary. They succeed not just at putting on a concert, but at creating an experience. I would imagine that only people who still have anything negative to say about them haven’t had that experience, for Ghost are ideally suited to convert naysayers.” -AR^[2]

“They played the entirety of their debut album, Opus Eponymous, with a taut precision, but the most uplifting part was a sludgy, beaming, krauty cover of the Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun,” which needs to be appended to the American version of the album as soon as humanly possible.” -Christopher Weingarten^[3]

• [1]Brookly Vegan, Ghost playing NYC after Maryland DeathFest by BBG
• [2]Metal Sucks, Show Reveiw: Ghost ath the Studio at Webster Hall by AR
• [3]The Villange Voice, Live: Ghost Keep People Guessing At The Studio At Webster Hall by Christopher Weingarten

Revolver, Ghost: See Previously Unreleased Photos of First NYC Show in 2011 by Revolver Staff

Brooklyn Vegan, Ghost consecrated the Studio w/ Sabbath Assembly & Natur (pics), touring w/ Enslaved & Alcest (dates) by Brookly Vegan Staff

Ghost @ The Studio at Webster Hall by hadexrox

The Goddamn Hadex, Ghost at the Webster Hall (05/01/2011) posted by hadex

Muskelrock

June 4, 2011

Performed at Tyrolen in Alvesta, Sweden

Renamed from the “Heroes of Swedish Metal” (Svenska Metallens Hjältar) after booking Thor^[1], Ghost held a ritual at the 2011 meeting of Musklerock.

“All [festival goers] were egged on by the ominous red smoke that had seeped through the curtain for nearly half an hour. The tension that has built up before the gig explodes with Ghost's entrance in a common field roar. A masked man in papal robes takes the mic in which he begins the mass with a singularly haughty and breathless voice…” -Mia Marjorie (via Microsoft Translate)^[2]

Their rising success was attracting criticism:

“However, in the course of the show, not only among the numerous musicians of the other bands, there are more and more critical voices that the ghosts help themselves a bit too often with equally profane as well as completely earthly support from the can, especially when it comes to the backing vocals.” -Andreas Himmelstein (via Microsoft Translate)^[2]

But a satanic message, sung evil and true will find its audience:

“Another band that has really broken through this year is the mythical and secret Ghost. Again, the indoor stage was completely filled. Magical gig really and nothing was left to chance. A fun detail was that they did a Beatles cover in the form of Here Comes The Sun.” -BlackRose (via Microsoft Translate)^[3]

“I'm standing so close that I can touch them. A decimeter behind me, the crowd roars hysterically and a step in front of me, incense swings as if before a mass. The air is thick and the atmosphere is almost tangibly satanic. The band really enchants with their energy. As a photographer, I find myself in a void between chaos and ritual, the experience is incredibly intimate and I feel every second of the spectacle. [...] Ghost offers not only the best stage performance at Muskelrock but by far the best stage performance I've seen in a very long time. The fascination is total and I (as a die-hard fan) scream along to every song. However, I'm not the only fan. Hard rockers fall over the riot fence and the crowd in the audience is almost as total as when AntiChrist played on Thursday. "Ghost, I love you!" a man's voice can be heard roaring from a distance, and despite the ghostly and nightmarish nature of the act, there is still love.” -Mia Marjorie (via Micorsoft Translate)^[2]

• Rock Hard, Graveyard, Ghost Moskelrock 2011 by Andreas Hihmmelstein
• Festival Photo, Ghost @ MuskelRock, Tyrolen by Mia Marjorie
• That's Entertainment, Muskelrock, Tyrolen, 3-4/6 2011 by BlackRose

Räka Produktion, MUSKELROCK 2011!!! by Räka Produktion

Festival Photo, Muskel Rock 2011 - Ghost

Sweden Rock Festival

June 10, 2011

Performed at Norje Havsbad in Norje, Sweden

Ghost took over the Zeppelin stage at midnight on the 3rd day of the Sweden Rock Festival.^[1] Their live ritual winning over the hearts that could not be swayed by the album alone:

“GHOST was a really fucking cool show. The sound could have been better as you could not hear the guitar or keyboard very well and we were right in the center just two meters in front of the soundboard. I really enjoyed their strange set of as Sue says, pop melodic satanic rock. Could be on the radio some of this stuff the way the singer sings, if it were not for the musical content. Let’s hope they go for a darker less mainstream sound next record but I doubt it. Very cool to see live, even though I did not like the record they made much when I heard it.” -Scott aka Dr. Space^[2]

And who couldn’t be beguiled by their satanic theatrics?

“GHOST are, to put it bluntly, a mass set to music. You are cool. I arrived just in time for the last few songs including the catchy song "Ritual". Who or what are GHOST? Musically, they make use of a lot of music, ranging from pop to classic heavy metal and doom elements to psychedelic rock. Above all of this are texts of the darker kind. Live they are definitely an eye-catcher. None of the five fellow musicians, dressed in night-black monk's robes, is even a hint recognizable, you don't see a nose or eyes or anything else. Nevertheless, they are a heavy-tight combination with really impressive presence and precision live. The clear singing of the singer, who wears a striking papal robe with a white make-up face, is almost hypnotic from time to time. You stop almost automatically and can't help but watch spellbound. A spartan-looking light show with almost exclusively white spots and an almost continuous fog machine give the whole thing an additional mystical touch.” -Melanie Benthin (via Microsoft Translate)^[3]

• Wikstromtree, Sweden Rock Festival by Patrick Wikström
• Writing About Music, Sweden Rock Festival - Sölvesborg, Sweden Jun 8-12, 2011 by Scot aka Dr. Space
• Musikrefiews.de, Sweden Rock Festival 2011 - Freitag - Sölvesborg - 10.6.2011 by Melanie Benthin

rockmetal.pl, galeria: Ghost, Electric Wizard ("Sweden Rock Festival 2011"), Solvesborg 10.06.2011 by Verghityax

Festival Photo, Sweden Rock Festival 2011 - Ghost

Blabbermouth, Ghost: Performance Footage From Sweden Rock Festival

Download Festival

June 11, 2011

Performed at Donington Park in Castle Donington, England

Ghost’s first outing at Download Festival was a rather modest 2pm timeslot on the PepsiMax side stage.^[1] Despite the inauspiciousness of the setting, Ghost stole the show, the ritual making it onto Metal Hammer’s 20 greatest Download festival sets ever list:

“Mere months after their debut album had set the underground scene alight with excitement, rumour and confusion, Ghost made their Download bow halfway through Saturday afternoon in the confines of the roofed third stage. Shrouded in smoke and lurking around the stage, trusty thurible in hand, the OG Papa Emeritus announced himself to a bewitched, packed-out tent, surrounded by his mysterious masked cohorts. The full-hearted singalongs that greeted Ritual proved Ghost were far more than a fun gimmick, setting the stage [...] to become their generation's breakout metal band.” -Stephen Hill^[2]

Watching from the side of the stage was Down’s lead singer Philip H. Anselmo^[3], who would go on not only to wear Ghost merch on the mainstage during Down’s timeslot at 4:20pm^[1], but invite the nameless ghouls to perform with Down during their final song “Bury Me in Smoke.”^[4]

Watch Nameless Ghouls play with Down Here

• [1]Clashfinder, Download Festival 2011 Line-Up
• [2]Metal Hammer, The 20 greatest Download festival sets ever by Stephen Hill (via Louder)
• [3]Thrash Hits, Download Festival 2001: Ghost @ Pepsi Max Stage - Saturday, 11 June 2011 (via archive.org)
• [4]MetalIndia Magazine, Download Festival Review 2011 by Deepak Chennakkadan

Drowned In Sound, Download 2011 by Gary Wolstenholme

NME, The Big Picture - Giant Photos from Download Festival 2011 by NME Blog

The Guardian, Download festival-review by Jamie Thomson

The PRP, Down Joined by Memers Of Ghost At "Download Festival", Footage Available by wookubus

Nova Rock

June 13, 2011

Performed at Pannonia Fields II in Nickelsdorf, Austria

The Abschelten! Jetzt! Stage is nestled in a small tent between the two main stages of the Nova Rock Festival. Like an old time tent revival, Ghost turns the tent “into a narrow peephole into hell for 40 minutes.^[1]

“I actually didn't want to believe until the end that Ghost were actually supposed to perform on the stage that was called "Switch off now!" and was located on the area between the two main stages in a tent, which is probably usually used at church days.

Please don't accuse me of disrespect towards the other bands that played there, but I didn't really want to believe that Ghost should play on this stage until shortly before the concert began. After all, the Swedes had a much-praised appearance at the last Roadburn festival, and they were even worthy of a cover story in the American Decibel magazine.

When the sound engineer sang the bass line from "Con Clavi Con Dio" from the 2010 debut "Opus Eponymous" during the sound check 10 minutes before the concert began, my last doubts were removed. Here Ghost will perform and pay homage to Satan, because his worship runs like a red thread through the aforementioned album.

[...]

Who is behind Ghost and what their intention is, there are only rumors and speculations about it and no one really knows if they are actually serious. Is this a caricature of Satan's glorification or religious delusion, or both? Who knows. In any case, this small concert, which went unnoticed by many, was almost certainly one of the best and most intense performances at Nova Rock 2011. Those who were there can consider themselves very lucky.” -Christian Holzmann (via Microsoft Translate)^[1]

• [1]FM4 ORF.at, Das große Finale des Nova Rock 2011 by Christian Holzmann

Metaltown

June 17, 2011

Performed at Göteburg Galopp in Gothenburg, Sweden

The last performance on Friday night of Metaltown, Ghost took the Close-Up stage at 1am.

“The last band out for the day is Ghost, the probably most hyped rock band in Sweden right now, with a quickly growing following abroad as well. As everyone should know by now, the identities of all band members are secret and they all wear black robes, save for frontman Papa Emeritus I in his pope-like garment.

Overall, their gig was the best one on the entire festival, in my opinion. I couldn't possibly have anything to complain about regarding the setlist as they performed their entire album plus their cover of The Beatles' Here Comes The Sun, which was a personal highlight along with Death Knell and the instrumental masterpiece Genesis. Apart from that the song volume could have been higher; the gig was fantastic, showing that all the hype around Ghost is well deserved.” -Bjorn^[1]

“Worn out after a full day of beer, more or less standing all the time and with System Of A Down's hilarious gig in the back, I made my way up to the Close-up stage to get a glimpse of Papa Emeritus I and his robe-clad entourage. Ghost delivered their "nice" devil metal with bravura. The mystery surrounding their secret identities makes it all the more interesting. It's not every day you witness a black mass.” -Nosegarden (via Microsoft Translate)^[2]

• [1]Metal Covenant, Metaltown 2011 by Bjorn
• [2]Steel Garden Music, Fältrapport: Metaltown 2011 by Nosegarden

Grilled Ribs, Metaltown 2011, Gothenburg by Åke

RockFoto, Ghost from Metaltown by Niklas Gustavsson

Hellfest

June 19, 2011

Performed at Val de Moine in Clisson, France

On May 13, 2011 Hellfest announced Ghost would be replacing the sludge band Buzzov*en, who had to cancel their Hellfest appearance last minute due to health issues.^[1][2]

June 19th, Sunday, 3:50pm Ghost takes the Hellfest stage.^[3] It would mark the first professionally recorded ritual, giving us high quality versions of Con Clavi Con Dio and Elizabeth[4] which ended up being shared widely on the internet, spreading the message of the ministry further across the globe.

“A quick passage (end of the set) in the "Terrorizer tent" to see the Swedish hard-rock band Ghost practice a very metal cover of the Beatles' "Here come the sun" without putting on gloves. Dressed as priests, the singer as a bishop, it wasn't sad but too short to make a definitive opinion. The experience was still worth it!” -Mr. K (via Microsoft Translator)^[5]

“Identical to the album, the concert was exactly what I expected and above all a big slap in the face. At no time will we see the faces of the members, even on the album, the credits are not specified. It's impossible to know who is behind this group, the mystery is complete” -Abigail Darktrisha (via Microsoft Translator)^[6]

“I have missed them on the Paris date in Paradise Lost's "Draconian Tour" due to a line-up change (indeed they were replaced by French metallers Arkan on this date [...]). So it was time for a catch-up session. The band appeared totally masked, except their frontman Papa Emeritus. The show started with "Con Clavi Con Dio" and my first impression was: waoow! What a fucking great music! The whole show was simply splendid, atypical and unconventional. The audience was convinced too in regards of all the acclamations which have punctuated the band's performance. A nice discovery for me.” -White Winter Sun^[7]

“Ghost was the hot new band of the day and they delivered like veteran pros. A nice blend of eery theatrics and mid-paced chug-a-luggery, they brought the spirit of Mercyful Fate out loud and [p]roud. Well worth all the hype they are getting.” -Tim McLaws^[8]

“[Ghost] continues his songs with catchy choruses without discourse. Not lacking in humor, the 6 ghouls cover the song "Here comes the sun" by the Beatles. An excellent discovery for me and a flawless service. The sound is perfect. Well done.” -Pat (Via Google Translate)^[9]

• [1]BraveWords, Helfest Line-Up Changes Announced; The Answer, Ghost, Ken Mode, Zuul FX Now Confirmed
• [2]Hellfest, Communiqué sur les Annulations (via archive.org)
• [3]Clashfinder, Hellfest 2011
• [4]Blabbermouth, GHOST: Pro-Shot Footage From France's Hellfest
• [5]Le Capharnaüm Éclairé, Le sonotone déchaîné, Le Hellfest 2011 by Mr K
• [6]Concert And Co, Hellfest 2011 - 3ème journee : Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Duff Mc Kagan's Loaded, Ghost, Grand Magus, Mr. Big, Doro, Therion by Abigale Darktrisha
• [7]Metal Storm, Hellfest 2001, Part 3 - Sunday, 19/06 by Collin, Darkside Momo, White Winter Sun, and Wrathchild
• [8]Teeth of the Divine, fEstival Report: Hellfest 2011 by Tim McLaws
• Concert Expos, Ghost-Hellfest-Clisson-20/60/2011 - Compte rendu de concert - Concert review by Pat

flicker, Ghost @ Hellfest 2011 by Mathieu Ezan

flicker, Ghost @ Hellfest - 19/06/2011 by Christophe Muller

Graspop Metal Meeting

June 25, 2011

Performed at Boeretan in Dessel, Belgium

Ghost was confirmed for the 2011 Graspop Metal Meeting line up in December of 2010.^[1]

“Ghost: First band I saw and biggest surprise of the festival in a good way. I always find the satanic thingie in metal ridiculous, but I have to admit, this has something. I can't really say how or why, basicly it's just a guy with a skullface and a priests outfit and a band dressed in hoods, but it was... interesting in a way. Also, the music was REALLY solid, which surprised me. They play old school seventies rock, think Mercyful Fate or so. Really, really good sound. Consider me a 'fan', knowing that I find satanic bands usually ridiculous. Also, they played an AMAZING cover of 'Here Comes The Sun' by The Beatles. Check them out when they play near you. Big ” - st0n3r^[2]

“The psychedelic sound of Ghost runs metal all the way back. Seeing them again, was really huge and they have a good sound and engaging production. It was really killer.” -2GUYS1TV (via Google Translate)^[3]

• [1]Derrame Rock, Whitesnake, Journey, Foreigner y Rob Zombie al Graspop Metal Meeting 2011 posted by Rheingold
• [2]MyGNRForum, Graspop Metal Meeting 2011 by st0n3r
• [3]YouTube, 2GUYS1TV | Report | GRASPOP 2011 posted by Maxwell (if you have a better English translation of this video than the one I strangled out of Google, please contact me at mintyandee[at]gmail[dot]com, thanks!)

flickr, Ghost by Geert Van de Velde

Roskilde Festival

July 1, 2011

Performed at Darupvej in Roskilde, Denmark

Prior to the festival, the Roskilde forums were buzzing with excitement. Ghost had been announced and the Danes were excited to welcome them to their home soil. Not all were excited by the devil worshiping ministry, confusing their satanic ritual with a cheesy* gimmick band.^[1]

The tent was full on Friday night at 1am^[2]. The crowd filled with people seeing Ghost for the first time and drawn back to the ministry from catching previous rituals. The reviews were positive.

“That concert was the start of my love for Ghost. Because although the band has certainly played better concerts since then, the atmosphere inside the Odeon tent was completely electric and fantastically occult. Exactly as it should be at a Ghost concert. Filled with incense and with a Papa who didn't say a single word to his large crowd at the time, but could still get everyone in the palm of his hand. This is not least due to the fantastic songs like ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Ritual.’”-Weiss (via Google Translate)^[2]

“Under Ghost, Roskilde writes that "the style is conservative heavy metal". This is not true at all. Ghost, on the other hand, is a kind of poppy and actually completely dance-friendly version of heavy metal, born out of the moist sonic cunt that Mercyful Fate was so damn cool to kickstart hell of a lot of years ago. That is: Ghost plays up to satanic retro party with quick dance moves, while the four members of the band strut around in serious diabolical robes and sing about summoning Satan Almighty. One of the festival's absolute must-see concerts.” -Devilution (via Microsoft Translator)^[3]

“Ghost that was damn cool and the sound was more massive the lights cooler than at Sweden Rock. They used a lot of fog. I was pretty surprised to hear so many people singing the choruses of the songs for this underground band. I still don’t really connect with their music that much but I like seeing them live, with the costumes, stage set up, etc… Same set at Sweden Rock. I think they play the same set every night.” -Dr. Space^[4]

“I was also completely immersed in the occult universe – possibly because I had gained a great deal in the West. The backdrop, the clad people behind the instruments and the satanic-looking preacher made me feel like I was in a regular black mass. I simply don't understand the much negative criticism that has been around this concert. I readily admit that the expression has its limitations, and especially the vocals lacked some more clout. Papa Emeritus, as the lead singer/frontman calls himself, sounds almost like a very relaxed King Diamond at times. I now like the combination of their understated seventies heavy rock and the visual expression [...]” -Frysten (via Microsoft Translator)^[5]

*Cheese, of course, being quite demonic in its own right

• [1]Roskilde Festival Forum, GHOST! posted by weiss
• [2]BlastBeast, Weiss: De største Ghost øjeblikke by Weiss
• [3]Devilution, ROSKILDE FESTIVAL 2011: METAL OG ROCK-GUIDEN! by Devilution
• [4]Writing About Music, Riskilde Festival 2011 (June 30th-July 3rd) by Dr. Space
• [5]HeavyMetal.dk, Roskilde Festival by Frysten

Wikimedia Commons, Ghost - Roskilde Festival 2011

Blabbermouth, GHOST: Performance Footage From ROSKILDE FESTIVAL

Space Lab, Roskilde Festival 2011

Roskilde Festival Forum, Ghost (S) posted by Danni

Festival Photo, Roskilde Festival 2011 - Ghost by Rasmus Lindgren and Gunnar Petersen

Devilution, ROSKILDE FESTIVAL 2011: ANMELDELSERNE by Casper Villumsen

Travel Japan Blog, Ghost at Roskilde Festival 2011

Travel Japan Blog, Ghost

FortaRock

July 2, 2011

Performed at Park Brakkenstein in Nijmegen, Netherlands

Devilish rites are best performed in the dark shadows on a moonless night, but if you happen to be scheduled for late afternoon at an outdoor festival, copious amounts of stage fog and red lights will do in a pinch.

“What a contrast to this in the tent, because there the preparations for a Black Mass begin: Backline in church window look, wafts of fog drift across the stage, and then the six members of GHOST appear on the scene to sacred organ sounds. Jubilation.” -Eckart Maronde (via Microsoft Translator)^[1]

“It is not easy to put an atmosphere like this in a tent on an early hour, a quite unknown band which actually found its way to many European (festival)stages this summer. Credits for them to make it happen, it is one of the most interesting shows of the day.” -Sabine van Gameren^[2]

Ghost’s melodic spells of evil stood out amongst their peers at the festival.

“Ghost's music is very refreshing; With roots firmly in obscure 70s metal and a touch of Mercyful Fate, this band provides a retro sound that is unparalleled. Just solid heavy doom rock with a very lugubrious sauce, namely the lyrics dripping with Satanism.”-Park Brakkestein (via Google Translate)^[3]

“Definitely the most surprising act of Fortarock this year, GHOST treats the audience to a mysterious pleasant intermezzo in contrast to all the grunts and guitar violence of other bands. GHOST’s singer, wearing skull makeup and a cardinal outfit, has a great voice and makes their songs about Lucifer and Satan sound like a lullaby.”-Ruth Mampuys^[4]

At the end, while performing ‘Ritual’, a Sinterklaas doll that bears more than a passing resemblance to Papa Emeritus is tossed onto the stage.

“Even the Sinterklaas (the Dutch Santa Claus) doll that was thrown onto stage doesn’t seem to break his concentration, but was treasured by him like a true relic for the rest of the show.” -Ruth Mampuys^[4]

“It is not torn to pieces, but neatly given to a child in the front row. Secretly, these are also sweet boys who visit grandma every Sunday for a cup of tea. Some conservative metal fans look on enviously from a distance, but Ghost puts on a great performance. Or, as others amusingly remarked: a witty band.” -Ruud^[5]

• [1]Metal.de, FortaRock Festival Arch Enemy, Immortal, Sacred Reich u.a. live in Nijmegen by Eckart Maronde
• [2]Tempelores, 02-07-2011 Fortarock by Sabine van Gameron
• [3]Written in Music, Fortarock 2011 by Park Brakkestein
• [4]Reflections of Darkness Music Magazine, Live Review: Fortarock Festival - Nijmegen 2011 (part 2) by Ruth Mampuys
• [5]Metalfan.nl, FortaRock - The Festival 2011 by Gilber, Ruud, Joan, and Tonnie

fok.nl, Foto's: Fortarock by Eric van't Hof

Festival Info, FortaRock 2011 by Gertjan Van Der Loo

allmetalfest.com, FortaRock 2011 Live Report (via archive.org)

Luukies Site :)), Fortarock 2011, park Brakkestein Nijmegen by Lukas Bergman

Getaway Rock Festival

July 7, 2011

Performed at Gasklockorna in Gävle, Sweden

At last minute line-up change moved the Getaway Rock Festival ritual from Friday to Thursday. Undeterred, the queue to get into the ritual was the longest for any band at the festival.^[1] With only one album and less than a year of touring and festivals under their belts, Ghost had attained status as one of the hottest and buzzed about bands of the summer and seemed to already be quickly outgrowing the small stage at festivals.^[2] As it was, not all who gathered to celebrate the end did not make it into the tent.^[1]

Some did not feel Ghost was able to live up to the hype:

“However, I never understood the huge hype that surrounds the band. [...] Their mix of sixties pop and seventies rock, which in many ways can be compared to Blue Öyster Cult, should appeal to me but doesn't. It's Okay but no more. [...] However, I give up after just a few songs it doesn't take the speed I had hoped for and that the heat inside the The round brick building is about to break me completely. I'll just have to give the band a fair chance at another time But what I witnessed didn't convince me.” -Ulf Classon (via Microsoft Translator)^[2]

Others were charmed instantly:

“Swedish band Ghost’s significant popularity is justified. Music was good and their somewhat eccentric presence made me feel like I was in a mass.” -Tallee Savage^[3]

“Amazing gig!! One of the best on the festival!” -Soile Siirtola^[4]

• [1]Travel Japan Blog, Ghost @ Getaway Rock Festival 2011
• [2]ArtRocks.se, Getaway Rock Fesival by Ulf Classon
• [3]Savage Beauty, Getaway Rock Festival part I by Tallee Savage
• [4]ExtremeMetal.se, Ghost-Getaway Festival July 2011 bySoile Sirrtola

Wikimedia Commons, File:Ghost Getaway Rock Festival.jpg by Andreas

Travel Japan Blog, More Ghost photos and video

Metalshots, Reports 2011-07-02 Fortarock Nijmegan

Hell's Pleasure Metalfest

July 22, 2011

Performed at Motocross-Strecke in Pößneck, Germany

Hell’s Pleasure Metalfest announced they were adding Ghost to the bill in a 12.8.2010 FaceBook post. It would be a big festival, the ticket sale was set to go through July 7th was ended on the 4th so the festival could hold back 800 tickets to sell at the door.^[1]

Ghost took the stage at 10pm^[1]

“GHOST have many fans among the visitors to Hells Pleasure, in any case the pressure on the front rows increases considerably as the performance begins, because everyone wants to get a look at the five robers and the Pope. It is the latter in particular who largely determines the Swedes' performance with his gestures and singing. His gestures of blessing and his movements convey a dignity that is effectively caricatured by the lyrics and the black men in the background, resulting in complete blasphemy.

The only problem: GHOST definitely need more song material in order to be able to vary the setlist more. Thanks to their rehearsed performance, the show is almost exactly the same as the one in Berlin. If GHOST want to stay relevant in the long term, they need more variety.” -Wizardkira (via Microsoft Translator)^[2]

• [1]Facebook, Hell's Pleasure Metalfest
• [2]Merlin Metal Legion, Hell's Pleasure 2011 by Wizardkira

Metalshots, Reports 2011-07-22 HellsPleasure Possneck by Mira

Eternal Terror, Hells Pleasure 2011 by Olve Kolden

Hell is Open, 23.07.2011, Hell's Pleasure, Pößneck

Metal Hammer.de, Ghost Live Hells Pleasure 2011 by M. Born

Tuska Open Air

July 23, 2011

Performed at Suvilahti in Helsinki, Finland

Ghost was announced to be appearing at Tuska in February of 2011.^[1] Although it hadn’t even been a whole year since the release of Opus Eponymous, already the European festival fans were eager for new songs and a fuller set from the ministry:

“Dark stage, lots of dry ice and incense is the standard stage set for Ghost and they play seamlessly. There is not much surprise as only one album has yet been released so we get to hear “Death Knell”, “Con Clavi Con Dio”, “Elizabeth” & “Ritual” amongst others. A truly captivating live show, let´s hope for some new material and soon.” -Klaudia Weber^[2]

“They had a long recorded intro during which every instrumentalist in the band entered the stage dressed in dark monks outfits and you couldn’t even see their faces. The singer, on the other hand, was wearing this priest robe and ‘hat’, main difference being that all the crosses on it were upside down and his face looked quite demonic with the makeup he was wearing. A very ritualistic show, static as well, which I really hope to fully see one day.”-Andrea^[3]

• [1]Metal Shock Finland, Tuska 2011, More Bands Announced
• [2]Stalker Magazine, Tuska 2011 by Klaudia Weber
• [3]Lake of Tearz, Tuska Open Air Metal Festival-Day 2 review by Andrea

BewilderMe.Net, Ghost at Tuska 2011

flickr, Tuska Open Air 2011 Papa Emeritus I/ Ghost by Lammas Zine

Storsjöyran

July 29, 2011

Performed at Stortoget in Östersund, Sweden

RockFoto, Storsjöyran by Herman Dahlgren

Metal Hammer #220

August, 2011

PDF scans thanks to Mama Emeritus and the Clergy Library

This issue marks Ghost's first apperance on the cover of Metal Hammer magazine. The beginning of a long and beautiful relationship between devilish ministry and music media. Metal Hammer would go on to feature Ghost 27 more times across their various language publications (and counting!)

Although regulated to a few photos and short blurb covering the Download Festival ritual, Metal Hammer would prove their devotion in less than one year with a cover story.

Still, this is where it begins.

Excerpt:

"Watched from the side of the stage by a clearly enamoured Phil Anselmo, the ominous drons of GHOST thrill the crowd [at Download], with their theatrical specticale resembling a Satanic sermon"

Szene Open Air

August 5, 2011

Performed at Am alten Rhein in Lustenau, Austria

Ghost’s appearance at the Szene Openair was announced on the Szene website on March 28, 2011^[1]

The devilish ministry performed on the Buehne stage. One of the most atmospheric settings, the ritual took place under a painted night sky of golden stars.^[2]

• [1]szeneopenair.at, news
• [2]MEDIArt Photographie, Szene Open Air Ghost by Andreas Uher

Matthias Rhomberg.Fotograph, Szene Openair 2011 by Matthias Rhomberg

Wacken

August 6, 2011

Performed at Hauptstrasse in Wacken, Germany

Ghost was announced late in the season on June 15th^[1] and were set to play. Presumably they were booked for Wacken before Szene, as on July 6th, Wacken announced a line-up change where Ghost and Excrementory Grindfuckers exchanged festival slots. Which meant that Ghost went from playing the Bullhead-City Wrestling stage from midnight on Friday, August 5th (the same night as the Szene Open Air ritual) to the W.E.T*. Stage/Headbangers Ballroom on Saturday, August 6th from 1:05am - 1:45am.^[2][3]

Again, Satan tipped his hand in favor of the ministry as it started to rain, driving more converts-to-be into the tent:

“While GT found cover in the beer tent, I went to the W.E.T. Stage which ironically seemed to be the only dry spot to be at that time. Here I also found the reason for the sudden cloudburst: Ghost just started their ritual? I'm not superstitious or anything, but it just can't be coincidence that the forces of nature conspire against everyone not standing in front of the only sheltered stage on the festival grounds while Ghost commence their incantation on exactly this stage. And I don't think any spectators who involuntarily ended up in front of this stage regretted having come this way. The band of the faceless Papa Emeritus and the nameless ghosts played some psychedelically tinged heavy metal with a slight doom metal edge of high quality, not dissimilar to Grand Magus and Mercyful Fate. Despite lacking an identity, Ghost didn't appear dissociated from the crowd (unlike fellow occult rockers The Devil's Blood) and invited their parish to be witness to their rituals. One has to say, atmosphere-wise this band did everything right. And considering that the rainfall had waned once their set was over, they seemed to be doing something else right as well?”-Promonex^[4]

“We wrapped up the music portion of our Wacken experience with Ghost, newcomers to the scene that should not be overlooked and will totally spin you off into a different dimension with their spacey experimental death music, if that’s the kind of thing you’re into.”-Zach Shaw^[5]

Still, the ritual on the small stage was not enough for some and they were eager to see Ghost again on a bigger stage next year:

“[...}a festival like this is not only intended to rock out with the established acts like the famous Motörhead, but also awakens a desire for discovery in many. And so we might see a band like Ghost on a bigger stage again next year.” -Thorsten Zahn (via Microsoft Translator)^[6]

*W.E.T. Stage is short for the Wacken Evolution Tent where the festival largely showcases bands that have not been signed or are newcomers^[7]

• [1]Wacken Open Air, W:O:A 2011 - Next Band Confirmations by WackenHelge
• [2]Wacken Open Air, Running Order Update by Wacken-Nick
• [3]Wacken Open Air, Running Order (via Archive.Org)
• [4]Metal Storm, Wacken Open Air - Wacken, Germany, 6th August 2011 by Promonex, corrupt, Nefarious, and GT
• [5]Metal Insider, Wacken Fest 2011 Final Wrap UP by Zach Shaw
• [6]Classic Rock, Wacken Open Air: Wacken, Festival Grounds by Thorsten Zahn
• [7]Wikipedia, Wacken Open Air

Metal Hammer.de, Wacken 2011: die Krönung am Samstag by Tobias Gerber