As Ghost continues its latest European tour, fan-shot footage of their performance of “Square Hammer” emerging from their show last night at Oslo’s Spektrum got released online. You can see it down below. Tobias Forge has detailed the band’s new “phone-free experience” for their upcoming 2025 world tour. The policy, which uses Yondr pouches to secure audience phones, aims to create a more immersive and intimate live show.
In a conversation with Riff X’s “Metal XS,” Forge explained that the decision stems from a growing sense of detachment he’s felt during performances in recent years.
“Simply put, over the last — I don’t know — five years, whatever, every year has become more and more and ever-growing distance I felt between the crowd and the band, or the band and myself,” Forge stated. “I felt that I have a problem with watching someone [in the audience holding up a phone in front of their face]. It’s irritating. And maybe I’m old school, maybe I’m old fashioned. I just feel that we’re having an intimate moment, and it disturbs me that you’re filming while we’re doing this together.”
The catalyst for the new rule was the overwhelmingly positive experience during the filming of Ghost‘s feature film, “Rite Here Rite Now,” in Los Angeles last September, which also utilized the phone-free policy.
“When we did the shows in L.A., I, together with everyone on stage, was amazed how great it felt and how we wish that it was like this every night, because it made us better. It felt like they were having a better time,” Forge recalled. “I cannot neglect that I just had an experience saying that this is so much better.”
While the band feels the policy enhances the concert, its implementation has not been without issues. Reports from a show in Birmingham on April 20th cited significant delays for fans entering the venue, with long lines forming outside the arena, which some attributed to the process of securing phones in the Yondr pouches.
Despite potential fan hesitation, Forge believes the end result is worth it. “People were afraid, people were worried about the concept of not being able to film or being able to access the world. As soon as they’d done it, they felt so much better, and that is what I want everyone to feel,” he explained. “For two hours, you feel relieved of the chains that is the ether, whatever it is… that is the collective joy that I want people to associate Ghost with. That’s the show now.”
Forge also clarified that the move is about the concert atmosphere, not about controlling content or preventing leaks. “The reason for us not wanting people to film the show is not for copyright reasons… We will make sure that people will see sh*t from the show… there will be like documentation and things to look at,” he assured fans.
Ghost – Upcoming Tour Dates:
United States (July/August):
- Jul 09 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
- Jul 11 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
- Jul 12 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
- Jul 13 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
- Jul 15 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center
- Jul 17 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
- Jul 18 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
- Jul 19 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
- Jul 21 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
- Jul 22 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
- Jul 24 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
- Jul 25 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
- Jul 26 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
- Jul 28 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
- Jul 29 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
- Jul 30 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
- Aug 01 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
- Aug 02 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
- Aug 03 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
- Aug 05 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
- Aug 07 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
- Aug 09 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
- Aug 10 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
- Aug 11 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
- Aug 14 – Austin, TX – Moody Center ATX
- Aug 15 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
- Aug 16 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Mexico (September):
- Sep 24 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
- Sep 25 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
