Swedish rock band Ghost kicked off their 2023 Re-Imperatour on May 21 with a show in Rouen, France. French fans were treated to a new setlist featuring two songs the group had never played live before. “Jesus He Knows Me” the first single from their latest Phantomime EP and fan-favorite “Respite On The Spitalfields” from their 2022 full-length Impera were greeted with delighted cheers from concertgoers. 

In celebration of the occasion, lead vocalist Papa Emeritus IV teased fans with a modern take on the lyrics from “Jesus He Knows Me”, changing the line “She doesn’t know about my girlfriend / Or the man I met last night” to “She doesn’t know about my girlfriend / Or the dude I screwed last night.” Even so, the band recently discussed the fact that although the lyricism may appear outdated, the sentiment still remains the same today.

The live debut of “Respite On The Spitalfields” featured melodic backup vocals courtesy of the Nameless Ghouls and stayed true to the track’s original composition on Impera. Fan-shot videos of the performances are available for viewing below. The setlist can be found here.

The tour follows the release of the band’s new EP Phantomime which includes covers of Iron Maiden’s “Phantom Of The Opera”, The Stranglers’ “Hanging Around”, Television’s “See No Evil” and Tina Turner’s “We Don’t Need Another Hero.” The release was accompanied by an interactive game dubbed Escape The Ministry which let fans explore the band’s headquarters while finding clues and solving a riddle. 

Ghost is currently on the European leg of their tour but will kicking off the U.S. trek on August 2 with a show in Concord, California. They will also be visiting Washington, Utah, Colorado, Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before returning to California for back-to-back shows at the Kia Forum in L.A. on September 11 and 12.

Photo Credit: Ekaterina Gorbacheva