Imperatour
Tour by Ghost | |
Location |
|
---|---|
Associated album | Impera |
Start date | 25 January 2022 |
End date | 7 October 2023 |
Legs | 7 |
No. of shows | 129 |
Ghost concert chronology |
The Imperatour was a concert tour by the Swedish rock band Ghost in support of their fifth studio album, Impera. Following its announcement on 20 September 2021, the tour began on 25 January 2022 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada, and concluded at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia on 7 October 2023.
The tour featured lead singer Tobias Forge performing under the persona of "Papa Emeritus IV". Since the band's inception, Forge has performed under several incarnations of pope-like personas bearing the title of "Papa Emeritus". For the release of the band's 2018 album Prequelle, as well as their 2018–2020 concert tour A Pale Tour Named Death, Forge performed in the persona of "Cardinal Copia", a character who, at the final show of that tour, was promoted to Papa Emeritus IV.[1] For Imperatour, as with previous tours, Forge was backed by a band of masked musicians known as "Nameless Ghouls".[2]
Imperatour encompassed seven legs: a United States leg co-headlined with the Danish band Volbeat, and featuring Twin Temple as special guests, which spanned from January to March 2022; a European leg featuring Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats and Twin Temple, from April to June; a North American leg, with Mastodon and Spiritbox, from August to September; a second European leg which features a span of headlining and festival performances, from May to July 2023; a second United States leg with Amon Amarth as special guests from August to September; a South American leg in September which was their first time headlining in Brazil, Argentina and Chile, and an Australian leg in October.
Background and overview
[edit]On 30 December 2020, Ghost announced that "several big things" were being developed for 2021, indicating new live performances.[3] In September 2021, a United States tour co-headlined with Volbeat and featuring special guests Twin Temple was announced, and would become the first leg of Imperatour, kicking off in January 2022.[4][5] During the first show, at Reno, Nevada's Reno Events Center on 25 January, Ghost performed "Kaisarion", the second song from their 2022 album Impera, for the first time.[6] Each of the subsequent Imperatour concerts had featured "Kaisarion" as the first song on Ghost's setlist. The show also marked the introduction of new steampunk-inspired costumes worn by the Nameless Ghouls.[7] Volbeat's planned appearance on the third show of the US tour was cancelled when their drummer Jon Larsen tested positive for COVID-19.[8][9] The first leg of the tour concluded in March 2022 at Anaheim, California's Honda Center.
Ghost headlined the second leg of the tour, which took place in Europe from 9 April to 18 June 2022, supported by Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats and Twin Temple.[10][11] During Ghost's performance on 9 April, at Manchester's AO Arena, the songs "Spillways" and "Call Me Little Sunshine" made their live debuts.[12] The show on 18 June took place in Clisson, France, as part of the Hellfest music festival. The Hellfest show saw the band's live debut of their song "Griftwood".[13] The show's setlist was cut short due to Forge losing his voice, and concluded with the song "Dance Macabre" rather than the initially planned show closer, "Square Hammer";[13] after performing "Dance Macabre", Forge thanked the audience and stated, "My voice is completely fucked. I cannot take one other song for you."[13][14]
The third leg of the tour, spanning the US and Canada, featured Mastodon and Spiritbox as the opening acts;[15] this leg began on 26 August and concluded on 23 September. During Ghost's performance on 26 August, at San Diego's Pechanga Arena, the song "Watcher in the Sky" made its live debut.[16] At the 2 September show at Huntsville, Alabama's Von Braun Center, during a performance of the song "Year Zero", one of the Nameless Ghouls (later identified as Justin "Jutty" Taylor) fell from atop a platform; after the concert, Taylor jokingly tweeted, "I meant to do that."[17][18]
During an interview on 12 September 2022, Forge confirmed that that there would be more touring in 2023, with a European leg in the summer hinted in a video.[19][20] Ghost later announced that they would perform at both the Sweden Rock Festival on 10 June 2023 in Sölvesborg, Sweden and the Tuska Open Air in Helsinki, Finland.[21][22] The band later announced a third US leg dubbed the "Re-Imperatour" on 13 February 2023, which featured Amon Amarth as special guests.[23] A second show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles was announced following a video, giving fans speculation that the Papa Emeritus IV character would be "killed off" at the end of the tour.[24][25] A South American leg was later announced, acknowledging it as their first time headlining in Brazil and Argentina.[26] The band then performed an Australian leg shortly after, which took place in October, concluding the tour in Brisbane,[27] which was Papa Emeritus IV's final performance.[28]
Preceding Ghost's setlist at most stops on the tour are taped recordings of the Jan Johansson composition "Klara stjärnor" and Gregorio Allegri's setting Miserere mei, Deus.[29] The exact setlist for Imperatour has varied, but has consistently utilized "Kaisarion" as an opening number and included songs from each of the band's albums released thus far—Opus Eponymous, Infestissumam (only one song from Infestissumam has appeared in any of the setlists, that being "Year Zero"),[12][30] Meliora, Prequelle, and Impera.[12][16]
The character of Papa Nihil, who was "unceremoniously 'killed off'" at the final show of the band's previous tour, A Pale Tour Named Death, in 2020, did not appear during any of the concerts in the first leg of Imperatour.[12] However, at the 9 April show in Manchester, the character was wheeled out onto the stage and brought "back to life", performing a saxophone solo during the song "Miasma".[12]
Reception
[edit]Reviewing the 14 February 2022 show at Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center, Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praised the band's sound as "somewhere in the zone between Metallica and Blue Öyster Cult" and their flexibility in regards to the genres of their songs, writing that they are "never shy to flash influences, to go from the '60s-scented psych-rock of 'Mary on a Cross' to the Slayer stomp of 'Cirice' to the dreamy pop-metal-prog of 'Hunter's Moon'". However, he called the concert "more like a Ghost greatest-hits show" than one in support of the Impera album, concluding: "As great as it all was, Ghost fans of Pittsburgh surely have one plea for the Papa: please return with the whole Impera package."[31]
The Guardian's Chris Lord, reviewing the 9 April 2022 show at Manchester's AO Arena, gave the concert a score of five out of five stars.[32] He wrote that, by the second song on the setlist, "Rats", the band "already has a packed arena in raptures," and that "'Square Hammer' inspires the most frenzied singalong of the night."[32] Of the show's technical aspects and the band members themselves, Lord wrote: "There are confetti cannons, costume changes, flamethrowers and other forms of pyro, but the band is self-aware, preventing proceedings from ever getting too cartoonish. As one of the three guitarists relishes a solo spot on 'From the Pinnacle to the Pit' a little much for his liking, Forge playfully reprimands them with a wagging finger; this is pantomime as much as rock 'n' roll."[32]
Merlin Alderslade of Metal Hammer, also reviewing the Manchester show, wrote that the setlist was "absolutely stacked with songs designed to shake hips", and that, "They may attract their share of haters, but facts are facts: few modern bands in heavy metal know how to put on a massive, arena-worthy show like Ghost."[12]
Film
[edit]Footage from the two shows performed at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, on 11 and 12 September 2023 was featured in a concert film titled Rite Here Rite Now, directed by Forge and Alex Ross Perry. The film also includes a narrative story based on a web series produced by Ghost that incorporates fictional characters and lore surrounding the band.[33] The film was released theatrically by Trafalgar Releasing on 20 June 2024.[34]
Set list
[edit]- "Imperium" (taped)
- "Kaisarion"
- "Rats"
- "From the Pinnacle to the Pit"
- "Mary on a Cross"
- "Devil Church"
- "Cirice"
- "Hunter's Moon"
- "Faith"
- "Helvetesfönster" (abridged)
- "Year Zero"
- "Ritual"
- "Mummy Dust"
- "Kiss the Go-Goat"
Encore
- "Enter Sandman" (Metallica cover)
- "Dance Macabre"
- "Square Hammer"
- "Sorrow in the Wind" (Emmylou Harris song) (taped)
- "Klara stjärnor" (Jan Johansson composition) (taped)
- Miserere mei, Deus (Gregorio Allegri) (taped)[36]
- "Imperium" (taped)
- "Kaisarion"
- "Rats"
- "From the Pinnacle to the Pit"
- "Spillways"
- "Devil Church"
- "Call Me Little Sunshine"
- "Miasma"
- "Cirice"
- "Hunter's Moon"
- "Faith"
- "Helvetesfönster"
- "Year Zero"
- "He Is"
- "Ritual"
- "Mummy Dust"
- "Kiss the Go-Goat"
Encore
- "Enter Sandman" (Metallica cover)
- "Dance Macabre"
- "Square Hammer"
- "Sorrow in the Wind" (Emmylou Harris song) (taped)[36]
- "Klara stjärnor" (Jan Johansson composition) (taped)
- Miserere mei, Deus (Gregorio Allegri) (taped)
- "Imperium" (taped)
- "Kaisarion"
- "Rats"
- "Faith"
- "Spillways"
- "Devil Church"
- "Cirice"
- "Hunter's Moon"
- "Ritual"
- "Call Me Little Sunshine"
- "Con Clavi Con Dio"
- "Prime Mover"
- "Watcher in the Sky"
- "Year Zero"
- "He Is"
- "Miasma"
- "Mary on a Cross"
- "Mummy Dust"
Encore
- "Sorrow in the Wind" (Emmylou Harris song) (taped)
- "Klara stjärnor" (Jan Johansson composition) (taped)
- Miserere mei, Deus (Gregorio Allegri) (taped)
- "Imperium" (taped)
- "Kaisarion"
- "Rats"
- "Faith"
- "Spillways"
- "Cirice"
- "Hunter's Moon"
- "Jesus He Knows Me" (Genesis cover)
- "Ritual"
- "Call Me Little Sunshine"
- "Con Clavi Con Dio"
- "Watcher in the Sky"
- "Year Zero"
- "He Is"
- "Miasma"
- "Mary on a Cross"
- "Mummy Dust"
- "Respite on the Spitalfields"
Encore
- "Kiss the Go-Goat"
- "Dance Macabre"
- "Square Hammer"
- "Sorrow in the Wind" (Emmylou Harris song) (taped)
- "Klara stjärnor" (Jan Johansson composition) (taped)
- Miserere mei, Deus (Gregorio Allegri) (taped)
- "Imperium" (taped)
- "Kaisarion"
- "Rats"
- "From the Pinnacle to the Pit"
- "Spillways"
- "Cirice"
- "Absolution"
- "Ritual"
- "Call Me Little Sunshine"
- "Con Clavi Con Dio"
- "Watcher in the Sky"
- "Year Zero"
- "He Is"
- "Miasma"
- "Mary on a Cross"
- "Mummy Dust"
- "Respite on the Spitalfields"
Encore
- "Kiss the Go-Goat"
- "Dance Macabre"
- "Square Hammer"
- "Sorrow in the Wind" (Emmylou Harris song) (taped)
Notes
[edit]- The band performed "Twenties" in Inglewood at the September 11, 2023 performance.[40]
Tour dates
[edit]Cancelled dates
[edit]Date | City | Country | Venue | Reason |
---|---|---|---|---|
21 April 2022 | Leipzig | Germany | Arena Leipzig | — |
29 August 2023 | Simpsonville | United States | CCNB Amphitheatre | Due to severe weather conditions, this concert was stopped during Amon Amarth's set and cancelled hours later.[44] Though initially rescheduled for 31 August,[45] the rescheduled date too was ultimately cancelled as a result of equipment being damaged by rain.[46][47] |
30 August 2023 | Jacksonville | Daily's Place | Hurricane Idalia[48] | |
31 August 2023 | Tampa | MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre |
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ The concert on 18 June 2022 was a part of Hellfest.
- ^ The concert on 8 September 2022 was a part of Blue Ridge Rock Festival.
- ^ The concert on 1 June 2023 was a part of Primavera Sound.
- ^ The concert on 8 June 2023 was a part of Mystic Festival.
- ^ The concert on 10 June 2023 was a part of Sweden Rock Festival.
- ^ The concert on 11 June 2023 was a part of Download Festival.
- ^ The concert on 15 June 2023 was a part of Graspop Metal Meeting.
- ^ The concert on 22 June 2023 was a part of Basinfirefest.
- ^ The concert on 23 June 2023 was a part of Tons of Rock.
- ^ The concert on 25 June 2023 was a part of Athens Rocks Festival.
- ^ The concert on 28 June 2023 was a part of Resurrection Festival.
- ^ The concert on 1 July 2023 was a part of Provinssi Festival.
- ^ The concert on 2 July 2023 was a part of Tuska Open Air.
- ^ a b The concerts on 11 and 12 September 2023, were filmed and recorded for the concert film, Rite Here Rite Now.
Citations
[edit]- ^ "Ghost Unveil Papa Emeritus IV At Final Show Of Prequelle Tour". Kerrang!. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ Fragassi, Selena (27 August 2022). "Ghost Kick Off North American Imperatour with Live Debut of 'Watcher in the Sky'". Loudwire. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ "GHOST Is 'Working On Several Big Things' For 2021". Blabbermouth. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ a b Childers, Chad (20 September 2021). "Ghost + Volbeat Announce 2022 U.S. Co-Headline Tour Dates". Loudwire. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ^ a b Stickler, Jon (20 January 2022). "Ghost Set March Release For Fifth Album 'Impera', Share New Track Call Me Little Sunshine". Stereoboard. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
Ghost will kick off the North American co-headline Imperatour with Volbeat
- ^ "Ghost Debuts New Song 'Kaisarion' At First Show Of U.S. Tour With Volbeat (Video)". Blabbermouth.net. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ Ruskell, Nick (26 January 2022). "Ghost: "You have to destroy to rebuild, but that doesn't mean you have to level everything into gravel"". Kerrang!. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ Deeds, Michael (28 January 2022). "Volbeat cancels, Ghost will perform, at Idaho Center Jan. 28". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ "Volbeat Drops Off Show With Ghost After Drummer Tests Positive For Covid-19". WIRX.com. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ a b Skinner, Tom (23 November 2021). "Ghost announce UK and European tour for 2022". NME. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ^ a b Johnson, Laura (23 November 2021). "Ghost To Bring Imperatour To UK And Europe In Spring 2022". Stereoboard. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g Alderslade, Merlin (11 April 2022). "Satanic sermons and sax solos: inside Ghost's first post-Impera headline show". Metal Hammer. Louder Sound. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ a b c DiVita, Joe (20 June 2022). "Ghost Cut Hellfest Set One Song Short, Tobias Forge's Voice 'Completely F-cked'". Loudwire. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ Moore, Sam (20 June 2022). "Ghost cut Hellfest headline set short after Tobias Forge loses his voice". NME. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ Slingerland, Calum (17 May 2022). "Ghost Announce North American Tour with Mastodon and Spiritbox". Exclaim!. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ a b Lewry, Fraser (27 August 2022). "Watch Ghost give live debut to Watcher In The Sky on first night of US tour". Metal Hammer. Louder Sound. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- ^ Alderslade, Merlin (6 September 2022). "Watch a hapless Nameless Ghoul take a tumble off the stage at recent Ghost show". Metal Hammer. Louder Sound. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ Trapp, Philip (6 September 2022). "One of Ghost's Nameless Ghouls Falls Down Onstage, Jokes They 'Meant to Do That'". Loudwire. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ "Ghost's Tobias Forge: 'A Lot Of Your Favorite Bands Are Really Suffering' Right Now". Blabbermouth.net. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Ghost - Chapter 13: The Beach Life" – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Iron Maiden, Ghost, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe Confirmed For Sweden Rock Festival 2023; Video Trailer". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Tuska 2023 announces more artists: Ghost, Motionless In White, Clutch and others". Chaoszine. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ Brannigan, Paul (13 February 2023). "Ghost announce massive Re-Imperatour arena run across America". Louder Sound. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "It looks like Ghost are about to kill off Papa Emeritus IV in new Chapter 16 video Tax Season". Louder Sound. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ Wilkes, Emma (20 February 2023). "New Ghost video suggests Papa Emeritus IV will soon be killed off". NME. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Ghost announces South American tour". Chaoszine. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Ghost Announce First Australian Headline Tour". The Rockpit. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- ^ "Did Papa Emeritus IV play his final Ghost show?". Revolver. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ Brown, Tasha (28 June 2022). "Ghost: Ave Aeternus Papa Emeritus". Distorted Sound. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ Badin, Olivier (21 June 2022). "Ghost at Hellfest: more menacing and seductive than ever, despite the early finish". Metal Hammer. Louder Sound. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ Mervis, Scott (15 February 2022). "Review: Ghost leads an evening of enchanting, devilish metal at the Petersen". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Lord, Chris (11 April 2022). "Ghost review – rock 'n' roll pyro pantomime is hellishly good fun". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ "Rite Here Rite Now | Synopsis". RiteHereRiteNow.com. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "See First Trailer For Ghost's Debut Feature Film 'Rite Here Rite Now'". Blabbermouth.net. 9 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "Ghost's First Show in 2 Years: See Photos, Setlist From 2022 Tour Kickoff". Revolver. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ a b Glass, Polly (15 July 2022). "Heat 'em and smile: welcome to the world of Ghost's Tobias Forge". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ "See Ghost's Live Debut of "Watcher in the Sky" at U.S. Tour Kickoff". Revolver. 27 August 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ "See Ghost play "Jesus He Knows Me" live for first time at 2023 tour kickoff". Revolver. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Watch: Ghost Kicks Off Summer 2023 U.S. Tour In Concord". Blabbermouth.net. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ "Ghost's penultimate show of their US tour featured a live debut for one song, and a special, very different version of another". Louder Sound. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Tour". ghost-official.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ Roa, Ray (7 September 2022). "Photos: Ghost brings new album, and Mastodon, to Tampa's Yuengling Center". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ "Ghost Will Haunt U.S. Amphitheaters on a Summer Tour". Rolling Stone. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ Furtado, Peyton (30 August 2023). "Hundreds of frustrated fans speak out after South Carolina concert canceled hours after start time". WYFF. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park [@CCNBAmp] (30 August 2023). "Due to severe weather conditions, the Ghost concert scheduled for CCNB Amphitheater Simpsonville on Tuesday 8/29 is being rescheduled to this Thursday 8/31. [...]" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Ghost [@thebandghost] (30 August 2023). "Children of South Carolina (and beyond)! [...]". Retrieved 30 August 2023 – via Instagram.
- ^ CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park [@CCNBAmp] (30 August 2023). "Due to yesterday's storm, Ghost are unable to perform tomorrow tonight at CCNB Amphitheatre in Simpsonville, SC. Refunds will be issued automatically at point of purchase, there is nothing further ticket holders need to do" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Ghost: Florida Shows Canceled Ahead of Hurricane Idalia". Blabbermouth.net. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
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