Ghost’s ongoing “Skeletour” will conclude after the North American leg. In a new conversation with Full Metal Jackie, Tobias Forge shared the reasons behind this choice and why South America was excluded from the run. He also admitted that while South America was originally considered, the high production costs made it impossible to include.
Tobias said (via Whiplash): “Originally, we intended to go to South America, Australia, and Japan. But the tour is simply too big in terms of structure. We wouldn’t be able to take everything. It wouldn’t be feasible to travel with all the equipment. At least at our level, we would need to sell out 10 nights in each location to make the cost minimally viable. That’s the reality of the show I envisioned. If I had known this, would I have done it differently? I’m not sure.”
During the same interview, he spoke about his choice to take a break from the nonstop cycle of touring and recording.
“One, I have my family. Duh. Of course, everybody knows that. I’ve had two kids waiting at home with my wife for 15 years, and maybe that says something about me that it wasn’t a pushing enough factor during those years. Believe me, I felt bad, but I’ve definitely come to a point where not only do I need — I feel physically and mentally I need to be home, simply because they’re 17; they’re not gonna be around for an eon,” he said.
However, taking a break from Ghost doesn’t mean he’s leaving the entertainment world entirely. He shared that he’s already involved in several other creative projects:
“But it doesn’t mean that I’m not doing anything. I have two film projects that I’m working on. Just before I left for tour, I was recording another album with another thing. So I have tons of stuff lined up for me [for] the coming years. And also hobbies that I have put aside a little, just because for the last 15 years Ghost has obviously been force majeure. Luckily, my family has been very supportive of that. They know that in order to sort of make this happen, I need to do this. And over the years I’ve been very worried about momentum and just keeping it going because I have so many ideas and I don’t wanna lose speed. And I just came to a point where I’m, like, I’m actually fine if the momentum is not there. It’s cool. I’m good. I feel good about that. If I lose it, okay.”
In a previous conversation with Adam Wallis of Canada’s Global News, Forge was asked whether the band is planning to release a new EP, a tactic they’ve often used between full-length albums.
He said: “No. As of right now, there is no EP coming. Besides the [ongoing North American leg of the ‘Skeletour‘] tour that we’re doing now, we have nothing else planned. So the future is right now very open. Creatively, I have a lot to do. I’m actually recording currently, but it’s not a covers EP and it’s not a new Ghost record. So, I actually do not know exactly what and when anything will happen.”
Ghost last toured South America in September 2023, performing two shows in São Paulo, Brazil, on the 20th and 21st. Before that, the band had visited Brazil in 2013, 2014, and 2017.
