I went to three shows in five days on Ghost’s last tour. The tour ended in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum in Inglewood. The special thing about the two last days on this particular tour was that cell phones were not allowed at the show and it was the only show completely indoors as the rest had been at amphitheaters across the country. YES, Ghost but on their usuals show with all the pageantry and effects OUTDOORS and in blistering temperatures. I remember St. Louis being particularly hot with temperatures reaching into the 90s. It turns out those last 2 shows were closed to film a concert movie and there was some new fair for those who attended.
I’ve seen many live concert films and none quite capture the aura of the performance quite like Rite Here Rite Now does for Ghost. The addition of a narrative of what is Papa Emeritus IV’s LAST performance with Ghost helps immerse the viewer into the performance. The pageantry and regalia of Ghost enhances the film while we check in with Papa, Sister Imperator and the ghost of Papa Nihil in between live performances. The live performances are top notch despite this being an end of a concert cycle. There are two songs that were not performed on the circuit earlier, a stripped down version of the Roky Erickson cover “If You Have Ghosts” and the live debut of “Twenties.” “Twenties” and was accompanied by skeleton dancers and add much more flair to the song. In my opinion “Twenties” isn’t Ghost’s best song lyrically, the drums absolutely rock and it must have been something to hear all of that live for the first time. The set is well rounded with songs from every Ghost album to date and their popular LP Seven Inches of Satanic Panic. The set was the same as their last North American tour otherwise with the skeleton dancers returning for “Dance Macabre.” As I sat in the movie theater I knew this was going to be a lot of people’s first taste of Ghost live and I hope it encourages them to go out to the arenas to see Ghost in the future. I’m also happy for everyone who finally hears songs like “Kaisarion” “Watcher in the Sky” and “Call Me Little Sunshine” with full backing vocals from the female Ghouls. It truly makes all three of those songs even better and something I wish was more prevalent on the studio recordings. Rarely does a recording of a live performance perfectly capture the feeling of a show the way Rite Here Rite Now Does.
OKAY FOLKS HERE ARE THE SPOILERS OF THE NARRATIVE PORTION OF THE FILM.
I think deep down we knew Cardi’s time as Papa IV was coming to an end. After seeing the ghouls dispatch all three previous Papa’s and Papa Nihil on the You Tube channel I thought Papa IV was toast. As at the end of every Ghost cycle something has to end to bring a new sound and a new beginning and this time it was Sister Imperator who bites the dust leaving the control of the Clergy to Papa IV as he now looks on to his new role as Father Imperator. The interesting thing I noticed during the Sister’s death was as she had her flashback of her life, there wasn’t just one child but two! So who is this mystery child and how will they factor into Ghost’s future. Some have speculated that it’s the infamous Father Jim DeFroque. Some speculate that Jim is going to be the villain for the Clergy moving forward as the lore of Ghost continues to develop. IF you’ve read this far I hope you stayed past the credits for the a short after credit stinger showing Father Imperator preparing for the arrival of the new clergyman who will be replacing him. However this is a much bigger tease as the film cuts before the doors can open to reveal who the mystery person is.
Rite Here Rite Now isn’t only a great concert film but a great entry into Ghost lore, and if you’re a fan this is an absolute can not miss. For those who missed the haunt across cinemas this weekend I’d expect the Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital release details in the near future. Rite Here Rite Now’s soundtrack including the newly released “The Future is a Foreign Land” (which you can read about here https://sadisticpenguinstudios.com/cpg-quick-hitter-ghosts-the-future-is-a-foreign-land/) are available on Ghost and Loma Vista’s website with a plethora of merch for the film.
