Ghost ‘Skeletour’ Ritual Makes Grand Rapids Stop

show recap

Aug 11

Swedish rock band Ghost made their way to Grand Rapids, MI at the end of July on the U.S. leg of the Skeletour in support of their latest album, Skeletá.

Hours before the show began, costume-clad fans lined up around the venue. Everywhere you looked, fans were decked out in their finest Ghost costumes including Nameless Ghouls, Papa Emeritus, and much more. Despite it being sweltering outside, the fans excitement showed off their costumes enthusiastically.

Inside the arena, the energy was as palpable as the lights came down and the opening notes of Peacefield echoed throughout the arena. A large stylized curtain covered the stage as Papa Emeritus V Perpetua appeared via screens on either side of the screen. After anticipation grew to a fever pitch, the curtain fell in an explosion as Papa Emeritus and the Nameless Ghouls triumphantly ripped their way through the remainder of the song. They immediately launched into an incredible live version of Lachryma and Spirit.

The band weaved their way through a juggernaut 22-song setlist over the next couple of hours. While the setlist featured many fan favorite songs like Year Zero, He Is, and Mummy Dust, the set also featured some surprises. The biggest surprise of the evening was an appearance of Stand By Him, a song that has only been played four times since 2018. Another surprise to many was the return of Monstrance Clock to the setlist. The song finally made it way back to the setlist after being replaced by Square Hammer as the last song of the set in 2019.

Papa Emeritus and the Nameless Ghouls showed off their trademark playfulness throughout the show, interacting with fans via gestures and dances aimed to the onlookers. During one point in the show, Papa joked about how Ghost had come through Grand Rapids several years ago, but he wouldn’t know since he wasn’t there. He also took a moment late in the show to tease one of the Nameless Ghouls who was clearly sporting a walking cast, joking that it was from “kicking too much ass.”

One noticeable difference from past tours was the upgraded stage that included a lighting rig that moved at various times throughout the set, skull and bone decorations, and a new dynamic backdrop that at times displayed the trademark stained glass, and other times displayed videos of band members or dramatic scenery. It added a new dimension to the band’s live show set up that made it truly feel like they’ve hit the peak of their arena rock presence.

The band concluded the show with a raucous encore of Mary on a Cross, Dance Macabre, and Square Hammer. These songs were a perfect ending to the evening, being some of the band’s most widely known songs, but also bringing the energy back up to 10 to end the evening. If this show is indicative of the band’s future tours, fans are going to have a lot to look forward to in the future.