My Chemical Romance - Cardiff International Arena, 25th March 2007
Support - Thursday

Setlist
The End
Dead
This Is How I Disappear
The Sharpest Lives
Welcome To The Black Parade
I Don't Love You
House Of Wolves
Cancer
Mama
Sleep
Teenagers
Disenchanted
Famous Last Words
I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's A Deathwish
Cemetary Drive
Ghost of You
Give em Hell, Kid
Thank You For the Venom
You Know What they do to Guys like us in Prison
Helena


The streets of Cardiff are a mass of black clothing, dyed hair and miniature versions of Gerard Way. Some fans have been at the venue since 6am. Parents queue with their children and some of them are even going to see the show!
My Chemical Romance certainly live up to the hype that is currently surrounding them. Their UK arena shows have been gathering rave reviews across the country and tonight they certainly don't disappoint.

Tonights show is split into two-halves. It begins with Gerard being rolled onto the stage in a hospital bed and the amount of noise that erupts drowns out the opening notes of 'The End.' The rest of the band are spectacularly revealed and they launch themselves into alter-ego 'The Black Parade'.

The band are a blur of rage, energy and Sgt Pepper-esque marching band uniforms. This band aren't just putting on a gig for the fans, they are the stars of their very own rock show complete with fire erupting from the back of the stage and black and white confetti falling from the roof into the hands of their audience.

Crowd pleaser 'Welcome To The Black Parade,' sounds like it has the whole of Cardiff singing-a-long and controversial track 'Cancer,' has the teenage girls in tears, the parents looking confused and everyone else with their lighters and mobile phones in the air. It's tracks like 'Mama' and 'Teenagers' that really get the crowd riled. Circle pits begin evolving and people are constantly being lifted over the barrier, not being able to cope with the chaos surrounding them.
Despite the large gap between the stage and the audience, Gerard still manages to have the audience in the palm of his hand, he talks to them between songs and shows a little humour while he reflects back to last years headlining tours, a time when album track 'Disenchanted' was named 'Shut Up And Play'.

The Black Parade play their final track 'Famous Last Words', and leave the stage. After a short time, they re-appear wearing their everyday clothes and it feels like everyone has time travelled back to 2004. My Chemical Romance are back and I'm Not Okay (I Promise) causes absolute pandemonium in the venue, as usual. They prove that without the make up and uniforms, they can still put on a brilliant show.
Most of the people in the room probably haven't heard half of the songs on 'Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge', so it's no surprise that the level of singing from the crowd drops dramatically. The rest of the fans sing their hearts out to their favourite tracks and concert closer 'Helena,' sees everyone in the venue going completely ape. Theres no fireworks or confetti for the end of show but the band end it in style with constant cymbal crashing and the chants of 'My Chemical Romance.'

There is a hint of disappointment floating around the venue from dedicated fans, the ones from the 'Bullets' era, who were expecting to mosh along to the likes of 'Vampires Will Never Hurt You,' and 'Our Lady Of Sorrows,' but they are willing to forgive and forget after the life-altering performance they've just witnessed.
My Chemical Romance and The Black Parade are the biggest band on the planet at the moment and they continue to impress, it's difficult to see how they will top this travelling rock masterpiece next time around.

Review by Cherry Pullinger


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