My Chemical Romance - Hammersmith Palais - 22nd August 2006
Support: Enter Shikari

With the current flow of rock bands that pour out of MTV, to be able to find one that stands out as representing its audience and making good music in the process, ‘My Chemical Romance’ would be one of the top contenders.

The band, formed shortly after 9/11, has grown from strength to strength and with the release of their third album in October, fans were treated to a one of gig in the warm up to festival touring and the inevitable album promotion in the coming months. The band’s live performances are no stranger to high emotion from both audience and band member’s alike and this show was no exception. This was one of the first intimate performances the band has had to test out their new material and revamped alter ego image of ‘The Black Parade’ to their loyal army of fans. The day’s events began early with street teams for the group covering the area with ‘The Black Parade’ placards and demanding the attention of the entire street, followed by rows of ghostly figures in floor length black cloaks ‘parading’ the road. This hyped up the all ready excited fans begging for more information on the already mysterious identity of ‘The Black Parade’, questioning if it’s a new band, the old one reinvented or something else all together and why were they here.

Once inside the evening started with further mystery with the announcement declaring ‘My Chemical Romance’ were unable to be present but sent some ‘special friends’ in their place. From behind the black curtain a voice began to sing and as the curtain dropped the atmosphere changed to euphoria as ‘My Chemical Romance’ march forward, in matching Victorian-esqe military outfits and playing like they’ve never been away. After two new tracks, ‘The End’ and ‘Dead!’, lead singer, Gerard Way, announces they are ‘The Black Parade’. Gerard Way holds the audience in the palm of his hands for the whole evening, with his theatrical performance and genuine interaction, backed by his brother Mikey, who’s confidence on stage has developed dramatically, Ray Toro and Frank Iero, who play like the professionals they are and Bob Bryar acting as the serene backbone to the group as ever. The night pushes onward with a mix of old classics from their ‘Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge’ record and new tracks all of which turns the audience into a passionate sea of teens and young adults that religiously chant back every lyric with the same passion as the lead singer.

The fact that you leave the venue drenched in sweat and water, mostly likely bruised and possibly bleeding only makes you beg for more. The band don’t shy away from reality, with new tracks about death and mortality and the fact that life isn’t perfect and instead give their crowd someone to look up to, as being messed up but still surviving giving them more credit to their name. ‘My Chemical Romance’ continue to try new ideas and retain their rock ideals with influences running from The Smiths to the Misfits and Queen, and always know how to connect to an audience of any size, by being themselves on and off stage. Even after the gig is over they still agree to meet fans outside, sign autographs, take photos and engage in feedback on their performance, listening to the people that support them and take on board their opinion. After being away from an audience for some time the band still play to perfection, the newer tracks sounding as if they’ve been played a hundred times before. Clearly a band for the more energetic rock listener, however My Chemical Romance still shine over most bands that come from out the current generation’s MP3’s as a group that isn’t in it for the money or fame but to make music with passion, felt both on the stage and on the record. The new record is available at the end of October and ‘My Chemical Romance’ returns to the UK early next year.


Review by Laura Heath


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