The Ghost Live Experience: Rats on the Road Tour

The immortal Ghost recently rocked St. Louis on their ongoing Rats of the Road tour and I found myself in front of the action. And it was life changing…

As Ghost’s tour begins to tie up its ends and the release of “Prequelle” right around the corner, I had the opportunity to join in on the fun and experience the Rats on the Road tour for myself. While Ghost’s final day of their tour ends in my hometown during a music festival, I wanted to experience Ghost live as they should be experienced, in a massive opera house.

Photo courtesy of D.D Crowley

I drove four hours to St Louis, MO to find myself standing in front of one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen. While the outside can’t even compare itself to the St. Louis post office (way to be extra STL) the inside was ornate and golden. It was reminiscent of old Catholic churches which, for the occasion, was more than appropriate.

Photo courtesy of D.D Crowley

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The crowd was immense. With Ghost t-shirts and tribute makeup as far as the eye could see, I could tell I wasn’t the only super-fan there. I will say right off the bat that Ghost live is THE best show I have ever seen. No exaggeration, Ghost live is more impressive than any band I’ve ever seen. Bands playing live performances with quality that is even better than their albums are few and far between in my opinion and this show was more than just a concert: it was theater.

From the lights to the smoke to the “mummy dust,” the theatrics were impressive. Even the changing backdrop that mimicked the stained glass of a Gothic church was impressive. Tobias Forge is a musical genius, but make no mistake, he only finds the best musicians for the band. The guitar players, the bassist, the drummer and the keyboardists oozed talent out their mask holes. Some of my favorite parts were when the Ghouls had the stage to themselves and taught us all a lesson about what good music is. And speaking of the Ghouls, can we take a huge minute to discuss the Ghoulettes.

Photo courtesy of D.D Crowley

These ladies stole the show, sometimes even away from Cardinal Copia. There was one instance in particular where one of the Ghoulettes was just tearing shit up on a tambourine. I mean she was working that tambourine with dance moves that put Cardiinal Copia to shame. I love the Ghoulettes and I am so happy they are part of the group.

Cardinal Copia, my Cardinal Copia. This incarnation of the band’s leader did not disappoint. Gone is the boombox carrying goofball for the hellishly sexy Cardinal is here to stay. He oozes sexual charisma and confidence, not to mention he is funny as hell. He went on in the show to talk about how he heard that St. Louis like “hard music” and having their “taints tickled.” If there was any question about the effectiveness of the music, I would have to say, “Yes, Cardinal Copia, all taints were tickled that day.”

Photo courtesy of D.D Crowley

While he went on to discuss the mysteries of the female orgasm, among other things, he did take a moment during “If You Have Ghosts” to talk about people feeling alone. While not straightforwardly about suicide prevention, it did feel like an uplifting moment from the band’s frontman. In a matter of words, he mentioned that if we remember all of the spirits in the dark with us, we are never truly alone. Take it as you will, but in the moment, it felt really nice. He then went on to discuss orgasms for Satan and continued to make sweet, sweet tunes.

Oh and I almost forgot, remember when Papa Nil was going to bust into a tasty saxophone solo in Chapter One? We finally got to hear him work the sax like a pro. It was one of the top moments in the night. The cameo was unexpected and so satisfying.

Photo courtesy of D.D Crowley