Guys, do you know what happened last night. Do you even know? No. You don't even know, man.
Megan and I saw Ghost last night. Ghost. The motherfucking
sharksteak of bands.
Even better--Megan looked like a raider from Fallout 3. She shaved the sides of her head and got the top braided in viking braids and she wore this little red corset number and had fishnets and heels. But... no pictures did we take, which we lamented as soon as we got home.
However, I took some shitty cell phone pics of Papa Emeritus and the Nameless Ghouls.
One thing I came away from at that show is that, though they're nameless, they still have personality. Their lead guitar player is a total showboat, Papa loves showing him off by orchestrating his solos. It's totally awesome, he'll walk around behind the guy, conjuring the solos he's playing. You can tell by the way he's moving his hands that he's predicting the notes that will play, like a conductor from hell.
And what I meant by 'they have personality,' I meant that they have it as a band--a group of specific people, not anonymous ghouls. They're people under those masks. The way they move betrays their anonymity.
The keyboard player, for example, really impressed me last night. On the song "Genesis," the closing instrumental from their debut Opus Eponymous, he threw all sorts of cool fills in there that aren't on the album, and he never strayed from the beat. During "Elizabeth," there are parts he just has to stand there and not play anything--and I was watching him, fidgeting just slightly, the human under the robe and mask unavoidably visible.
The rhythm guitar player plays the solo on "Year Zero." Did you know that? I was looking at the lead player--the one who plays that white Gibson Explorer--he was playing rhythm for that part. That's super cool they gave him a solo, cause the lead guy totally gets all the attention. He eats it up, too. He's an awesome guitar player, not because he's fast and really technically proficient, but because of his ability to perfectly blend in with the rest of the band, stay on time, and on mood. I saw him fuck up part in a solo last night on "Elizabeth," one which involves two-hand tapping. But he caught up immediately with himself, and it was like it never even happened. Didn't even speed up to compensate--just came back in at the right time. That's professionalism.
And Papa Emeritus II. Oh. My. God. Such a character. Such swagger that guy's got. He's one of the most perfect frontmen I've ever seen. His moves onstage are lucid, composed, slow and languid. He never hurries--he's got the power of Satan on his side. Why rush? His vocals were never off-key, his voice clear and lovely.
Another thing I became even more aware of last night--they're so in on the joke. Sometimes what they're doing is completely hilarious, and they know it. I'm sure they don't take themselves completely seriously--it's an act. But it's so real during the show, so palpable, and so perfectly designed by their image, look, and sound in a complete package instrumentally and expertly designed, that it seems real. The music is so beautiful it makes you want to cry, but then you realize the lyrics are all about Satan and you're not supposed to be happy about Satan. Then you realize, fuck it man, who fucking cares. If I'm really an open person, I'm gonna turn my gaze to at the darkest sides of life, stare them in the face, and get whatever I can get out of them.
You realize that the truest power lies within yourself, and wherever you put it--artistically and opinionatedly--it should be respected. Marketplace of ideas, man. Hearing viewpoints contrary to your own strengthens your own, especially when you have your ideals put to the test when you have to back them up and explain them.
I'm obsessed with Ghost, man. Ghost B.C. (not their true name. I hate that they had to do it.).
Great show, guys. I love all of you.
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