At this point in his career, Tobias Forge of Ghost is used to haters. When you have a super popular band that appeals to a great range of folks, you are bound to get some backlash from gatekeepers.
During a recent conversation with Elliot In The Morning, Forge was asked if it bothers him at all to hear people speak negatively about the band – spoilers, he is cool with it! In fact, he says that when haters talk about Ghost, it actually helps out the band.
For years now, there have been a plethora of people talking smack about Ghost, striving to categorize them (going back and forth whether they are metal or not). When asked about this, and whether such talk bothers him, this is what Tobias said:
“No, definitely not angry. That is not my problem, really. I don’t have a problem with people having a problem with it. If I want to be the most super-positive person ever and just see everything from a half-full perspective… Most things today [are] measured by activity. Spotify activity, online activity, whatever – as opposed to 30 years ago when it was sales; one record sold was one unit and that counted. But nowadays everything is about content and activity.”
Forge then went on to add how even negative conversation fuels the activity he is speaking about, ultimately helping the band:
“One thing that people, especially those who aren’t really chatting about how good they think we are but how bad they think we are – that adds to the activity. So it’s actually a good thing. So keep on talking. It’s all good. It’s all fun.”
While there’s the saying that “Any press is good press,” do you think the same concept applies when it comes to the general public talking about a band? In the past, Forge has spoken to how he is glad Ghost haters don’t listen to the band. In other Tobias Forge related news, the frontman recently shared that streaming services like Spotify pulled the music industry out of the dark ages.
There are still a few dates left in Ghost’s current North American arena tour; you can find all the dates and locations associated with that tour below! Also below, you can check out the full interview featuring Tobias.
9/19 – Saginaw, MI – Dow Event Center
9/20 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre
9/21 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center Arena
9/23 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center**
* Ghost and Spiritbox only
** Ghost, Spiritbox and special guest Carcass