Ghost / Volbeat / Twin Temple @ Fair Park Coliseum, Dallas, TX

Words and photos by Scott Rowe

Covering shows in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex over the past decade has awarded me plenty of opportunities to catch some pretty awesome artists in some iconic venues, i.e. Granada Theater, Sons of Hermann Hall, Majestic Theatre, et cetera. Up until this point, I have yet to venture out to Fair Park to catch a show at a venue that was not named Dos Equis Pavilion...Starplex Amphitheater...Gexa Energy Pavilion...Superpages.com Center...you get it. Naming rights aside, the amphitheater at Fair Park. I've had the chance to shoot at the Music Hall, but that failed to materialize, and while I make my way to the Cotton Bowl each year for OU-Texas, I have yet to shoot at the historic stadium. So, interestingly enough, the second venue I get to cover at Fair Park is the Fair Park Coliseum, a reborn relic of the past who looks to get back into the concert scene. It's only fitting that Ghost and Volbeat would be at the Coliseum, as the building has some fairly deep roots in rock music.

The shared bill of Ghost and Volbeat is a complimentary affair, as it's a co-headlining tour, which gives each artist the allotted time of a full set. With Ghost playing the later set, Volbeat entered the Coliseum and proceeded to crank their amps to well past ten. One thing I've noticed with Volbeat the numerous times I've seen them live, I can't recall the name of any one song, but the one fact that remains constant is that this band shows up to kick ass and take names. As I said earlier, it's a complimentary affair (in terms of co-headlining), but I think in the case of Volbeat and Ghost, it's actually more of a contrasted affair. While Ghost portrays a theatric performance, Volbeat is stripped down, bare-knuckle heavy rock. There is no filler, just pure in-your-face power rock that pulls you in and spits you out. Volbeat pummeled the Coliseum crowd with a 16-song set, including six songs from their 2021 release, Servant of the Mind.

Much like Volbeat, who are touring off a recent release, Ghost is nearing the release of their fifth album, Impera, which contains the set's opening song, "Kaisarion". Whereas Volbeat shows up to work and puts in a solid eight-hour shift, Ghost shows up for that same shift with a splash of flair and a pocket full of pyrotechnics. Much like their makeup'd predecessors in KISS or their masked colleagues in Slipknot, theater and production also play a big part in a Ghost show. But what amazes me about the production of this Ghost show, is that it relies heavily on an old-school approach of a creative backdrop and the biggest light rig I can remember ala Queen or even Kayne. While giant LED boards and laser shows can be fun, when the music can drive the show and not vice versa, the end result will undoubtably be a better experience.

Unlike Volbeat, Ghost only played two songs from their upcoming release, Impera, while the bulk of the set came from 2015's Meliora and 2018's Prequelle, with four songs coming from each respectively. Papa Emeritus IV, aka Tobias Forge, looks the part of his namesake, commanding the stage as his Nameless Ghouls (wearing Steampunk helmets instead of their sleek, devil masks) parade in all directions as they form the eclectic sound that drives each song. Much like a Swedish Arcade Fire, the Ghouls boast six musicians, two backup vocalists alongside the fronting Forge, making for a formidable rock ensemble. Their sound is a mesh of heavy and progressive metal with a splash of melodic theater. I know that might not make a whole lot of sense, but when you're standing feet from the stage and a camera in your hand, it's the best I could think of. All I can say with certainty is their show was an absolute blast from start to finish, a masterclass in modern showmanship with the dynamic production of yesteryear.

Photos of the show are below:

Twin Temple