How Does GHOST's TOBIAS FORGE Choose Setlist For METALLICA's European Stadium Tour?

In a brand new interview with Jorge Botas of the "Metal Global" radio show, which airs on the Portuguese public TV and radio broadcaster RTP, GHOST leader Tobias Forge was asked how he decides on a setlist for the band's current European stadium tour as the support act for METALLICA. He responded (hear audio below): "I usually try to enforce songs that I think work very well live.

"I think our positioning now, as opposed to five years ago, when we played with METALLICA last, which was nice, but I think the upside now is that more people — not everyone — know who we are," he continued. "They might not be fans, but at least they're, like, 'This is a band that I know of.'

"On a big show like this, obviously, you have a lot of people coming out that maybe haven't gone to a hard rock show in five years, and the last time they went to a hard rock show, it was AC/DC," he added. "That's the thing when you're playing with a big, global, iconic band — you get people from all… You might have people who maybe saw METALLICA 20 years ago, and then they go one show every fourth year. I wouldn't wanna bother trying to play a song like 'Ghuleh', for example. We don't even play 'He Is' on a tour like this. We play the songs that work well, that don't lose the attention, because you need to be a little bit more to the point when you're playing in front of… When there's so many people, if you lose them, it goes out so quickly, because everyone's still there waiting for the bigger band. So, if you have their attention, it's great, but as soon as you lose them, they're, like, 'Oh…' And it just takes a few people to start booing, and then it starts."

Forge founded GHOST more than a decade ago and has written almost all of the group's music, while also performing for years in costume as first Papa Emeritus and now Cardinal Copia. His real name was a mystery for much of that time and still does not appear on GHOST LPs.

As GHOST has gotten more popular, Forge has emerged from behind the masks, which he told The Pulse Of Radio has been an adjustment. "Having spent a few years at least sort of working undercover, and enjoying the luxury of being somewhat anonymous, I've definitely felt the joy of being able to go in and out of being a celebrity, which I do like a lot," he said. "Sometimes when you get reminded that you cannot escape from it, that's the sort of thing that I have to quickly sort of get used to."

GHOST's latest album, "Prequelle", debuted last June at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band will embark on a North American tour this fall in support of the disc, starting on September 13 in Bakersfield, California and wrapping on October 26 in Glens Falls, New York.