With a wave of excitement you could feel in the brisk winter air, fans filed into the Reno Events Center for the first date of the Ghost and Volbeat co-headline tour kickoff show. Ghost had been through town right before the pandemic began, and for a lot of fans I talked to, this was their first show back. Not only is the band a singularly interesting and creative Heavy Metal band, their faithful followers are fast becoming legends on their own for their voracious appetites for all things Ghost. And they didn’t disappoint on this night, many dressed in costumes and churchly garb, as a tribute. Over ten years in existence, the rapport between the band and flock has been inspiring to watch them bloom over time.
The Reno Events Center is a mid-sized venue, but it felt intimate from anywhere inside. The staff inside and outside the venue was terrific as we quickly got inside. Waiting on a fast moving set of lines for merch, there were tons of options from all three bands, inducing a bevy of shirts, posters, flags, hoodies, vinyl, and other chotchkies. Make sure you get your vinyl early, since they were mostly gone by the end of the night. As for the venue, I never felt too far away from the stage and the sound was excellent overall.
Twin Temple opened up with their own ritual, and I couldn’t be more proud of them from a band I saw and interviewed just a few years back at Saint Vitus Bar. I managed to convert a few fans sight unseen before the show with my glowing appraisal and said fans thanked me after the set. Some of the crowd was not sure what to make of them, but they quickly hit the stage and possessed the crowd as if they were the headliner. Longtime fans will be pleased to learn the band dynamic and performance has not changed one iota, just adjusted properly for the arena crowd. They played a sadly short set that left me wishing for more, but they were masterful in their use of the entire stage, highly entertaining, and devilishly on brand. The songs they did play were great and the crowd seemed to warm up to them by the end of the set. They also played a new song – “Let’s Have A Satanic Orgy” which was amazing! The 7-inch for sale at the booth has a version in Spanish – entitled “Tengamos La Orgía Satánica.” A lot of their merch was gone after the set, but I totally bought a plushy Lady Baphomet, no doubt inspired by their track “Satan’s a Woman.”
Twin Temple setlist:
In Lvx (Instrumental with Satanic Ritual)
Sex Magick
Let’s Have A Satanic Orgy
Satan’s a Woman
I’m Wicked
Volbeat was up next and I have always enjoyed them much more in a live setting than on record. The band had the big “kabuki” curtain which dropped to reveal huge video screens, an incredible lighting rig and the band kicking total ass! Natural performers, the band blazed through new songs and their classic hits while running all over the stage. One could not help but be reminded instantly of Metallica, who I have been lucky to see a lot lately. They debuted a bunch of new songs from their recent album Servant of the Mind (Republic Records, read our review here) and the visuals on screen and the dramatic lighting also added a lot to the show. Frontman Michael Poulsen told the crowd the band was rusty, but I couldn’t tell, as he demanded attention with his performance and his constant cheerleading of the crowd to sing along! Lead guitarist Rob Cagianno shredded every solo and then fans ate it up. In addition to the new jams, the band killed it with classics like “Black Rose,” “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown,” “Doc Holiday,” “Seal The Deal,” and the closer – “Still Counting!”
Volbeat setlist:
Mummy’s Tomb (on tape)
Temple of Ekur (Live Premiere)
Pelvis on Fire
Doc Holliday
Lola Montez
Sad Man’s Tongue
Becoming (Live Premiere)
Last Day Under the Sun
Black Rose
Shotgun Blues
The Devil’s Bleeding Crown
The Devil Rages On (Live Premiere)
The Sacred Stones (Live Premiere)
Seal the Deal
Die to Live
Still Counting
“Trust Me” (on tape, Brad Fiedel song)
It was finally go time for Ghost, with another Kabuki curtain erected around the entire stage for the changeover. Right at 10 PM sharp, the intro began and the now near full venue roared to life with a cheer! You could make out Papa Emeritus IV and some Nameless Ghouls behind the curtain begin an unfamiliar new song. As they launched into the live debut of the intro “Imperium” and “Kaisarion” from their upcoming new album, the band emerged behind the fallen drape to reveal the stage and an extensive band of Ghouls of Ghoulettes! Papa immediately hit the runway out into the crowd and it was on! The track was positively old-school Iron Maiden-esqe to my ears. Even though the new song was unfamiliar to our ears, it was a bold and welcome choice.
The stage was a grander version of the last Ghost arena stage with the backdrop depicting old and new Papas, a massive drum riser, and smaller risers for the band at their music-making battle stations. Many in the crowd were talking about the new look Ghouls, first seen in the recent new music video and press photos. The steam-punk look will take some getting used to, but the designs were impeccable and I love the little half-cape accents and masks. Papa ran all around the stage, occasionally dipping out of sight for a costume change. Sporting a few different looks, including a Gomez Addams smoking jacket, creepy giant bat wings, and his new ceremonial garb as the true new papal Papa for “Year Zero” – he put on a captivating performance all night long.
With his usually witty patter between songs, the crowd was thoroughly entertained as the group touched on music from their entire career. I always love hearing “Ritual” – but with the recent anniversary of Opus Eponymous, I would have liked to have heard a few more songs. Still, the setlist was masterful and entertaining with track after track of bangers. While they did not perform their current single, they did perform “Hunter’s Moon” and their cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman!” These were both fun and great to hear live, as well as the first time I have gotten to hear tracks such as “Mary On A Cross” and “Kiss The Go-Goat” first-time live. We also got to hear some of the heaviest tunes in the Ghost catalog such as “Faith” and “Mummy Dust.”
Coming out for a stellar encore – the band performed their Metallica cover, “Dance Macabre” and the modern classic “Square Hammer” to bring the proceedings to a close. Make sure you get to this show if you can, it’s a special one and possibly already one of the best lineups in 2022
Ghost setlist:
Imperium (World Premiere) (on tape)
Kaisarion (World Premiere)
Rats
From the Pinnacle to the Pit
Mary on a Cross
Devil Church
Cirice
Hunter’s Moon (Live Premiere)
Faith
Helvetesfönster (abridged)
Year Zero
Ritual
Mummy Dust
Kiss the Go-Goat
Encore:
Enter Sandman
(Metallica cover) (Live Premiere)
Dance Macabre
Square Hammer
Sorrow in the Wind (Emmylou Harris song)
Setlists from https://www.setlist.fm/
WORDS BY KEEFY
PHOTOS BY EVIL ROBB PHOTOGRAPHY (from the DCU Center show in Worcester, MA.