On October 7th, Ghost played the last of their currently scheduled tour dates at a show in Brisbane, Australia. It might've also been the final performance from Papa Emeritus IV.
During a cryptic yet suggestive speech in between songs, Emeritus IV — who was anointed in 2020, succeeding prior Ghost frontmen Papa's I, II and III, Papa Nihil, and Cardinal Copia — announced that the show would be his "finale" as the frontman of Ghost, but that it wouldn't go down as many audience members might expect.
During this spiel, Emeritus IV repeatedly evoked his conclusion as the band's singer, while also carrying on a bit about how nervous he was to be standing up there for his last night — which he remedied by dropping an ice cube down his pants in an act of levity.
There was no grand ceremony or ritualistic transfer of power to Emeritus IV's as-yet-unnamed successor, but he did essentially confirm that the October 7th gig was his "last show," and now the Ghost fandom is waiting on bated breath to see what happens next.
"It's a big night in so many ways," Emeritus IV told the crowd, as captured in fan-shot footage. "I'm going to let you accompany me, you can stay where you are and I'm going to go have a little bit of a drink over here.
"I know a lot of people are expecting some sort of explosion, implosion, a miracle where I just disappear in favor of a successor.
"I'm going to take this ice cube and I'm going to put it down my pants. I usually don't do that, but that is to make me feel a little bit better because now I'm focusing on that and not on you.
"Just in case you thought I was pissing myself, which I'm sure would have been the great finale. But you know what?
"This finale, it's just going to be my last show, and I'm going to do my best to deliver that show to you. And that would just have to be enough, OK?"
Watch Papa Emeritus IV's announcement above. Pick up Ghost vinyl, merch, magazines and more over at Revolver's shop
