Ghost frontman Tobias Forge has opened up about a recent protest of the band’s music, lead by a US pastor in Texas.
Back in November, Swedish rockers Ghost were the centre of an odd international controversy, after a US pastor in Texas led a prayer group to protest the band’s ‘satanic’ nature.
“I think the community should be alarmed about it,” Pastor Larry Long explained. “This is not healthy for our community. Because we Christians believe the devil is real, so when you have a devil-worshipping band…”
“And I’m sure the band believes the devil’s real; I doubt that they’re just doing this as a part of their schtick for music and music they produce and so on.”
Even after the venue that booked the group came to their defence, the show went on as planned, yet the band’s members have remained rather silent about the topic, until now.
Speaking to Loudwire, Ghost frontman Tobias Forge – who does identify as a satanist – discussed the actions of the US pastor, calling him “poorly informed” in regards to the band’s intentions.
“I mean, they’re right [about Ghost being a satanic band],” Forge said jovially. “I think that a lot of these people – I obviously have never met these people; I’ve spent very little time, I’ve read basically the same news piece that everybody else read – and [Pastor Larry Long] is obviously poorly informed about what we’re doing.”
“But on the other hand, it’s like, if he is an actual Bible-thumping true believer over a certain word, then it’s like talking to someone who has some sort of malfunction, I guess.”
“Because if they don’t understand that what we’re trying to do is to make these, however many people that were at that show – say a thousand people – we’re trying to make them happy. We’re trying to make them happy about life.”
Check out Ghost’s Tobias Forge being interviewed:
“We’re actually quite humanistic,” Forge continued, “But if you take all these things that we’re saying and what we’re doing completely literally and believe that this is equal to damnation, then there’s no way that we can meet intellectually.”
“On one hand, as a human, I can grieve for tendencies like that. Because I think it reflects on something more somber and limited and regressive.”
“On the other hand, an obstinate little hard-rocker shit, I’m also like [chuckles]. But yeah, I’m always sort-of holding that little shit in the hand as well.”
Check out Ghost’s ‘Rats’:
Tobias Forge was interviewed about the incident last week, but spoke more in regards to the idea of changing the band’s appearance and theme so as to become more appealing to the mainstream.
“No, I think that within Ghost there are certain parameters that I do as a professional musician who’s making my livelihood,”Forge explained to the Eddie Trunk podcast. “This is what I do, this is my life, so I have to accept that there are certain parameters that I need to sort of move within.”
“I do believe that even though some of the artists that had similar troubles with the moral right, I think it’s all how you present yourself and how you handle that.”
Ghost are set to return to Australia next year, appearing as part of the 2019 Download Festival. The band also announced a sideshow for Brisbane during their visit next March. Check out all the details below.
Check out Ghost’s ‘Square Hammer’:
Ghost Australian Tour 2019
Wednesday, March 6th, 2019
The Tivoli, Brisbane, QLD
Tickets: Live Nation
Also appearing at Download Festival 2019
Saturday, March 9th, 2019
Parramatta Park, Sydney, NSW
Monday, March 11th, 2019 (Long weekend)
Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, VIC
Download Festival 2019 Lineup
Sum 41 (Only Aus Shows)
Pennywise (Only Aus Shows)
Thy Art Is Murder
Polaris
Twelve Foot Ninja
Slaves
Voyager
Joining…
Ozzy Osbourne (Only Aus Shows)
Slayer (Final World Tour)
Judas Priest (Only Aus Shows)
Alice In Chains
Ghost
Rise Against (Only Aus Shows)
The Amity Affliction (Only Aus Shows)
Anthrax
Halestorm (Only Aus Shows)
Behemoth
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes
I Prevail
Converge
Frenzal Rhomb
Luca Brasi
Code Orange
Andy Black
The Fever 333
War On Women
High Tension
Outright
Ruins
Alien Weaponry
