Ghost at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City MO (2025-08-05)
One of the best arena concert-going experiences in some time, was courtesy of the Swedish Grammy Award-winning monsters of macabre melodic metal, Ghost, who played a Tuesday night concert…err, make that ritual, in downtown Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center
| GHOST SETLIST
Peacefield Encore: |
GHOST TOUR DATES
AUG 7 Ball Arena Denver, CO
AUG 9 MGM Grand Garden Arena Las Vegas, NV
AUG 10 Viejas Arena San Diego, CA
AUG 11 PHX Arena Phoenix, AZ
AUG 14 Moody Center Austin, TX
AUG 15 Dickies Arena Fort Worth, TX
AUG 16 Toyota Center Houston, TX
SEP 23 Palacio de los Deportes Mexico City, Mexico
SEP 24 Palacio de los Deportes Mexico City, Mexico
SEP 25 Palacio de los Deportes Mexico City, Mexico
Message Regarding the Clergy – we wish to inform you that Papa was right-–
One of the best arena concert-going experiences in some time, was courtesy of the Swedish Grammy Award-winning monsters of macabre melodic metal, Ghost, who played a Tuesday night concert…err, make that ritual, in downtown Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center.
The concert, like all on their current 55-date Skeletour, was declared phone-free (via the use of Yondr bags) and made for a very noticeably more engaged and focused loyal crowd- present in the moment, and not distracted by random social posts, taking shaky videos, or chatting about errant text chains.
The result was a much more enjoyable live experience and one that should be more encouraged further. Any fear of additional entry delays, or not being clear and efficient on how this all worked (and that were present at the April 15 Manchester UK opener) are sorted out and of no concern, and well worth any trade-off.
As for the show, we’ve been fans of Papa and his Nameless Ghoul band members (and now a few Ghoulettes) for over a dozen years- since before their second album, and when the band had to be known as Ghost B.C. (in the US).
We just saw Papa singing alongside a Tom Morello-formed super group last month at the Black Sabbath/Ozzy: Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, UK, covering the Ozzy Osbourne classic, “Bark at the Moon” (a Black Sabbath deep cut was first lobbied for playing instead, but was vetoed). And, how excited were we for this show and tour? – enough to preview it a full ten months ago, when tour plans were first announced.
They’ve come a long way since those early days when no choral singers would appear on their recordings, and four disc plants refused to press their record in the States- something similar to the initial reception other theatrical rock acts like Alice Cooper and Kiss received, so were at least in good company.
The new album is their sixth studio effort, Skeletá (via Loma Vista Recordings) released in late April and is their most successful yet, topping the Billboard Top 200 (a first for the band). In support, they’ve embarked on their biggest and most ambitious tour to date, and likely the closest in realizing leader Tobias Forge’s overall vision for the band.
And they’ve deftly figured out all the details to embark on this scale of tour – from posted QR codes to download official show photos (in lieu of not allowing your own), a huge merch stand outside the venue complete with a large inflatable Papa, “Ghoulbangers Ball” (emceed by former MTV Europe host Vanessa Warwick) broadcasting on-site in an MTV-style with behind-the-scenes, fan interviews, and exclusive “GTV” live clips, and more.
A gangway stage may have helped; to bring the band closer to the phone-less faithful (maybe cross-shaped?) but we can hope for that next time. The fan culture has expanded as well, encouraging cosplay, group meetups, and even bracelet trading- something we thought was more relegated to Swiftie-type pop shows.
Forge’s latest papal persona incarnation is Papa V Perpetua and the band has expanded as well (all dressed in sequined black styles of various goth), as has the stage design and effects. The two-hour performance began with the band behind an ominous torn curtain, that was dropped to reveal them following the first verse of the opening, ‘Peacefield,” from the new record.
The visual backdrop (once eventually shown) has an almost separate but complementary narrative that begins as a church backdrop, complete with stained-glass windows inside its Gothic architecture arcs and then… well, we won’t give it all away, but it evolves as the setlist does.
Though Papa is very spry in his current costume and mask, anyone missing the earlier days when Forge played most of the show in heavy papal robes and wearing a mitre, will be glad to know he re-visits that look a couple of times during the show, though with less bulky costuming that looks much easier to switch out of.
The setlist seemed well thought out as well- from beginning with the two opening songs/singles culled from the new album (playing two more new tracks, as the set continued) and a generous peppering of melodic numbers from the five previous releases. Papa admitted being a little stuffed up (hard to notice that vocally), and the twin guitarists (Per Eriksson and Randy Moore) played their 80’s-inspired riffs forcefully and with great skill; both individually and in sync (along with bassist Cos Sylvan), like two clones of a younger, in-his-prime Mick Mars.
“Year Zero” was epic in scale with vertical smoke plumes shot in the air and blazes of fire were saved for towards the end of the set, with the frantic “Rats” ending with flash bangs. After air kisses to each part of the arena during “Kiss the Go-Goat” were answered with roars from those sections, the main set increased its momentum with “Mummy Dust” (complete with cannons blasting confetti and fluttering $666 United Clergy dollar-sized bills).
“Is there anyone from Lindsborg here?” Papa inquired, referring to the very-Swedish small town, south of Salina. “As a complete sidenote, one of my very distant relatives helped found that city, so I have a little bit of Kansas in me!” he remarked to big cheers, before also humbly thanking the audience for their support over the years.
Their typical closing “Monstrance Clock” with its unifying lyrical chorus, “Come together, together as one” flashed on the screens to end the main set, but the break didn’t last long, as the band re-appeared for a three-song encore.
2019’s “Mary on a Cross’ began things as the band’s giant lighted Grucifix flashed from above, Papa asked an already moving audience if they wanted to dance to 2018’s “Dance Macabre”, and then asked the loud crowd if they felt “happier now than you were today,” adding, “Good, take this out into the world, and enjoy it!” as explosions both from the stage and Eriksson’s opening riffs, led into the finale of 2016’s “Square Hammer.”
It may have taken fifteen years, but Ghost is in their current arena-sized glory- both musically and now culturally at the top of their game, with higher heights to still undoubtedly come. And we became fully convinced that their phone-free decision is the best method to encourage fans to be properly engaged in all that an immersive live concert experience can deliver – Papa was right.
