My Chemical Romance - Brixton Academy - 12th November 2006
Support: Cry For Silence

Most of the people here tonight know what is to come over the next few hours, the lights will go down, the curtain will be pulled back and as the band step forward the crowd will explode, and even though I know this too, it still feels like a new experience each time. We are no longer individual fans at a rock gig, we are an army and we are here to support our band. While the curtains are still drawn the first chords of ‘The End’, ironically, the opening track of their new album, and the roar of the crowd almost over shadows the music. The band are well known for being in touch with their fans and what they are thinking, and tonight will be no different as they comfortably move between new and old tracks, chatting between songs and saying what we are all needing and wanting to hear.

The classic tracks are just as good as ever and what’s better is how they balance out perfectly with some of the new songs we are treated too such as ‘I don’t love you’, one of the slower tracks off the new record, and ‘Mama’, by far one of the stand out songs of the night, best known as the track featuring Liza Minnelli, about a mother’s words to her solider son at war, with a rock/cabaret/ polka inspired twist. The band has clearly grown as performers with their new material, with Frank Iero and Ray Toro playing their guitars’ like they were born to do it, Bob Bryar on drums, smooth and on form as usual and bassist Mikey Way having a newly found confidence as a live performer. Gerard Way also shows a new side to his performance as he balances out the dramatic with the professionalism, whilst still keeping the crowd engaged; something few front men have in modern music.

My Chemical Romance have recently received some criticism from other bands and certain right wing papers as being a ‘death cult’ that encourages self harm and lead singer Gerard Way has been very out spoken on this subject. He pauses before leaping into ‘Teenagers’, a gut busting song about the underdog teens in high school, to mention these claims and instead of making snide remarks back, he speaks to the fans and reminds them to ‘always be themselves’ and to basically rise above it all. The fact that the band faces problems that most of the audience faces everyday, with name calling and ignorant remarks from strangers, only brings us all closer. With more old and new tracks to follow this, the audience is in the palm of their hands, and its clear the guys know this as they parade around onstage dancing, jumping and simply rocking the night away.

As the boys return to the stage to do two last songs for their encore, ‘Cancer’ one of the most moving tracks I’ve heard for a long time, and ‘Helena’, their classic goodbye track about loss, moving on and the Way brothers Grandmother, there is a sense of happiness and sadness in the building. The fans are elated with the evening but also know deep down that with the call of large scale tours calling this may be one of the last times to see the band up close and very personal. My Chemical Romance may move onwards and upwards, with a spectacular new album and stadium performances, they will always be a ‘fan driven band’ and they know and respect this completely as they play for and to the fans no matter if its in a basement, where they started out, Brixton Academy or in Wembley Arena next spring.

My Chemical Romance’s new album ‘The Black Parade’ is out now and they are back touring in the UK in March next year, hitting London’s Wembley Arena on the 29th and 30th of March.


Review by Laura Heath


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