“We wish to inform you that we will ALWAYS encourage creative expression, we will NEVER stifle it.”
Ghost (Source: Supplied)
Ghost fans were allegedly denied entry for wearing face paint or asked to remove said makeup from the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St Louis, Missouri, last Friday (11 August). The show rolled into St Louis with special guests Amon Amarth.
According to a tweet shared by the venue operators on the 9th of August, a statement revealed that “Face paint or masks covering the face are not allowed while entering the venue or purchasing items at concessions. Any face coverings must be removable upon request.”
Of course, this statement drew considerable confusion and ire amongst the Ghost fanbase, who often spend hours applying face paint before the concerts.
Whether some concertgoers knew it or not – how often do you check a venue’s social media pages? – they showed up to the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre wearing face paint and were subsequently allegedly “either denied entry or told to remove the face paint by venue staff,” Blabbermouth reports.
“This resulted in general confusion about what was and what was not allowed.”
After the confusion on the night (and perhaps some ruined evenings), venue operators for the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre issued the following apology: “Thanks to everyone who joined us for an amazing Ghost show last night.
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“On behalf of our crew, we’d like to apologize for a miscommunication about removing face paint. This was not directed by Ghost. If you experienced issues at last night’s show, please reach out to us at Hollywoodampstl@livenation.com so we can improve for future shows.”
The band also responded, sharing the venue’s apology statement and sharing their own, “We wish to inform you that we will ALWAYS encourage creative expression, we will NEVER stifle it.”
Ghost are heading to Australia for their first-ever headline tour this October – the group recently upgraded all the venues for their upcoming Australian tour to massive arenas.
In addition to the venue upgrade news, the band revealed that they are bringing their extravagant international production to Australia, promising an utterly authentic Ghost experience for their devoted fans.
TUESDAY, 3 OCTOBER - QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY – VENUE UPGRADE
WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER - JOHN CAIN ARENA, MELBOURNE – VENUE UPGRADE
SATURDAY, 7 OCTOBER - BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, BRISBANE – VENUE UPGRADE
You can buy tickets via Destroy All Lines.