Tonight, saw Ghost return
to Glasgow in support of their new album "Impera". They brought
along with them two supports in the form of Twin Temple and Uncle Acid &
the Deadbeats. My gig buddy for tonight was Campbell and we had a good
catch up in the Clyde built restaurant where we had dinner prior to the
gig. As we were eating, we could see the queues build outside the Hydro
and we knew the first band weren't due on till 7 so we made our way over about
ten to seven.
It didn't take too long to get in and as we walked in, we found Twin Temple in full flow already. Going into the arena, apart from the stage area it was pitch black, so it was a case of trying not to bump into anyone and at the same time trying not to lose Campbell. Struggling to find out much on the internet about band members and where they are from, but I think Tobias Forge of Ghost mentioned later on in the evening that they were from America. What instantly struck me about Twin Temple where they were quite different experience. They had a female singer, guitarist, bassist, drummer, keyboardist and saxophone player. It felt more of 50's, 60s rock and roll vibe. From the songs I heard it was quite refreshing to have the saxophonist getting most of the limelight. While the guitarist had his moments it was definitely the saxophone player who stole the show.
Most of their songs were focused on Satan and all that sort of ideology. Which kind of puts them in a position where a lot of people would turn away because of their own beliefs. But if you base it on the music rather than what the lyrics are it was a good set to start the night. There was some sort of drinking blood ritual at the end of the set then the lead singer and guitarist had a snog. While this was happening the rest of the band hand an almighty free form jamming session reminiscent of something The Mars Volta are well known for.
The next band up were Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats who hail from Cambridge, England. They very much had a metal vibe while still having audible vocals. If the singer passed me in the street I wouldn't know as he had his long hair covering his face the whole set. There was no doubt these guys rocked hard musically but perhaps were about stagnant onstage compared to the other 2 bands tonight. They were good to see once but probably not a band I would go back to.
Next up were tonight's headliners Ghost. I saw Ghost in 2019 on their "Prequelle" tour so had been looking forward to this one. The stage set up I think was pretty much the same as last time from memory. But the faceless ghouls (the band members except Tobias Forge) had different costumes which I understand were inspired by Star Wars. Once again tonight Tobias Forge showed what a great frontman he is. He has great stage presence and good interaction with the audience in between songs. The guitarists got in on the act too and were having funny interactions like after one song trying to out do each others guitar solos.
Obviously these things add to the show and go away to make the show memorable. But the thing with Ghost is they have the music to back it up. And now having 5 albums out along with various other releases they seem to be snowballing more and more fans into their world. Out of the 20-song set, nearly 75% of tracks were from the last 3 albums. 4 from new album "IMPERA", 5 from "Prequelle" and 5 from "Meliora". Then they played "Kiss the Goat" and "Mary on a cross" which was a double A-side single brought out in 2019. They also played a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" which they did for the Metallica covers album.
My personal highlights were "Miasma", "Dance Macabre" and set closer "Square Hammer". But overall, it was a blistering set from a band who keep getting better and better.
Photos by Campbell Hunter
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