As they say, “If you have Ghost… you have everything.” And Ghost seemed to bring everything to Camden, New Jersey at their performance during the WMMR Barbeque last month. While there were no sightings of the dearly departed Papa Emeritus I, II or III, Cardinal Copia brought along an overflowing collection plate of accouterments on their latest foray through the United States.
Not only did the Cardinal (who eerily reminds me of an old math teacher I had in the New York Public School System) come to share his bombastic and over-the-top ritual with all those on the audience, he took with him a litany of clergy (backup musicians) on stage that would make the modern day Fleetwood Mac blush. While I’m sure it wasn’t Lindsay Buckingham or Neil Finn behind the masks of the Nameless Ghouls, there is no doubt of the talent the ghouls bring to the performance. In fact, this latest tour features noticeable female Ghouls, complete with more feminine looking masks. I was somewhat surprised, yet not so surprised that two of these ghouls were essentially on stage as backup singers.
Now, I’m not complaining about the large number of musicians on stage because they certainly help round out the sound and its rather clear that the show is still really Papa, uh, I mean, Tobias… wait a minute – Cardinal Copia. Not a lot of costume changes this trek out but beautifully detailed backdrops and stage décor. You really do feel that you are taken away to another place while Ghost is on stage. I can only imagine how Ghost plans to add to this stage show for their upcoming fall arena tour. Indeed, they are setting the expectations very high.
In terms of song selection, the band treated us to both “Rats” and “Dance Macabre” from the new record, Prequelle. The rest of the show featured many fan favorites including, “Square Hammer,” “Ritual,” and “From the Pinnacle to the Pit.” The intense crowd loved every minute and it seems Ghost is poised to take their place in resurrecting arena rock – maybe we’ll get a resurrection of Papa Emeritus as well.
