My Chemical Romance - "Strings"

Thank You

Just a quick update…
Thank you all for your incredible submissions. I knew that we could rely on your creativity in this project, but you've really taken it to another level. The quality and quantity of the work is really inspiring. Just remember to use the submission form so we don't miss any! Check out the pics to see some of the amazing work we are getting!
Also, later today we'll have some pictures of a special tracking session we're doing. A great group of musician has donated their time and talent, and we're gonna get it all on video. Keep an eye out for it!
Lastly, I got the domain name singitforjapan.com, so we are working on putting up a site there to centralize any future news, as well as host the video and track when they are ready. Also want to figure out a way to consolidate all the artwork we've gotten, so everyone who doesn't make it into the video has a chance to shine.
Thanks again for all your hard work!
Ray
credit: Ray's blog - mychemicalromance.com

Exclusive interview with guitarist Ray Toro of My Chemical Romance

American rock band My Chemical Romance (MCR) released their fourth studio album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys in November 2010, which marks MCR's first full length release since their 2006 album, The Black Parade. Within that four year time span My Chemical Romance relentlessly toured for two and a half years, took a long break from anything music related, created and scrapped an entire album, and had drummer Bob Bryar depart the band.
In my exclusive interview with My Chemical Romance's lead guitarist Ray Toro, he talks about how much social media has changed since the release of their 2006 album The Black Parade, setlists for The World Contamination Tour, the importance of making a solid album without throwaway songs, his opinion on MCR vocalist Gerard Way’s songwriting, and much more.
My Chemical Romance 2011 The World Contamination tour dates and opening acts
The majority of My Chemical Romance's music videos are narrative based, but the music video for "Planetary (GO!)" is strictly performance based. Why did you guys go that particular route for “Planetary (GO!)”?
Ray Toro: A couple of reasons, number one being it was a time crunch. We decided late in the game we needed another single out in the UK and Europe. We were on tour, but still needed a video to support it, which put us in a position of being limited on time, and we had to scramble to put a video together.
The other reason, which is why I am glad it worked out this way, is because to me we never really did one. The only other video that is a live video would be “Desolation Row,” but only a little bit because in a sense we were still playing characters. That video was shot to be in the world of The Watchmen. Yeah, it’s a live gig, but they brought in extras to make sure it looked the way we wanted it too.
For "Planetary (GO!)" it is all our kids. We put online that we were going to do a show, charged maybe five bucks, played a half-hour set for them, and then shot the video.
You get to see us in a different light, and our fans in a different way. The fans showed up the way they would to all our shows. They are really taking part in the creativity with the theme of the record [Danger Days], art is a weapon, and the whole Killjoys world. We did say for them to show up in their Killjoys outfit, but it’s actually cool because they show up to the shows like that anyway.
That video is very representative of what My Chem shows are like nowadays. It is a really great place of positivity, and people getting together to have a god time. I think it is important for people to see that.
Since there was a big time gap between releasing the albums The Black Parade and Danger Days, has the decision making process for choosing singles changed?
When we released “Sing” we did that because it was so different from anything we had done before. I think it was very important to put our foot down and show that the band is capable of a lot more than what people may think, and that the band has evolved.
The lyrics are really important, especially with what is going on today. In a great and organic way, the song “Sing” has become almost a rallying cry for a lot of people. It is a very inspirational song.
With everything going down in Egypt and Libya, if you listen to the lyrics it kind of talks about what is going on in those places. Granted, that stuff was going on but it was written before any of it was in the media.
It is really strange when I think about it, because that song was written last year, and a lot of what it talks about is coming true with people using their voices to speak out against things that are corrupt, or speaking out wanting change.
It was important for us to put that song out early so people could see what we are capable of, and also so people would know we are a different band now. Every record we like to change up our style, and change up the song-writing process. It is always different for us, which keeps us on our toes, and makes it interesting for the fans.
Since the release of The Black Parade social media has changed a lot with how much bands interact with fans, and Twitter and Facebook primarily being used instead MySpace. Is that something you evolved with over the years, or did you pick up on it once Danger Days was going to be released?
The band has always used the internet since the beginning. When we first started out around 2001 we scrambled to put up a webpage together. I taught myself how to program websites by a pirated software I downloaded called Dreamweaver, which I used to put up our first website. I went online, bought the My Chemical Romance domain name, put up the site really quick, and we gave away free downloads.
The internet has always been important for us since the beginning, and definitely things are moving fast. Obviously, the internet is to put something out there and anyone has access to it, but now the immediacy of how fast word travels is just mind blowing.
With Facebook, the whole idea of you posting something on your wall so everyone you are friends with can see it, then everyone they are friends with can see it, to me just seems like an unstoppable train. It is definitely important to utilize those tools, but it is also important not to overdo it.
With Twitter, the thing that pisses me off the most is when bands or celebrities use it almost like a crutch. They are not producing anything, making movies, art, or music, but they use Twitter to keep followers. I think you have to be smart with the way you use it, and we don’t over utilize it. We use it when we want too, not because we feel the need too.
Both Facebook and Twitter are very important tools, and if you ignore it, you are stupid.
What is your take on fans being demanding, and expecting bands to be more available to them?  
I think there are some people out there who do demand it, because that is what they are used too. I think that is one of the problems and there is almost too much access. A lot of the mystic is gone.
I think there is a fine line there, but I actually like being able to communicate directly to our fans, I think that is important. However, I don’t think I should be required to do it as if I am clocking in. There are some people who use it that way, and that kind of disgusts me. The fans who actually think it is our responsibility to, well we do it when we want too, and don’t want it to be a job.
For those fans, you don’t want us to get on there because we feel we have too, because then something shitty is going to be said. We like to go on there and express our thoughts when we are ready.

How did the name The World Contamination Tour come about?
It started with the spring of ideas about spreading the idea that art is a weapon, and to use your creativity to fight. The record cover, and symbol of the Killjoys calling card is a spider, so that ties into the contamination as well.
Can you recall a favorite tour name you have been on?
The World Contamination is pretty awesome. Sometimes I forget we have a tour name since we are just kind of on the road.
Pretty much we started the launch of this record overseas, and the first place we went to was Japan. We started two months ago, were on the road for two months, and just got back to L.A. It is crazy within two months all of what has gone in Japan, it is just crazy.
It is definitely a world tour, we launched it in Japan, UK, and Europe. It is interesting to see the spread of the record. Kids are picking up on the style and making it their own, and that is my favorite part. Kids are making it their own, and that is a very important message throughout the record.
Some kids come dressed up [to concerts] how we look in the video, and then other kids are taking it in another direction by bringing artwork to express their creativity. We love that, and it is exactly what this record is about. The fans are taking it to the next level, and I am really excited to see what the US has in store for us because we have not played any shows here yet.
Well, we did do some radio shows, but that was when the record [Danger Days] first came out, and to me radio shows don’t really count because they are not really your shows. Granted, a lot of the kids there are your kids, but there are also random listeners of the station who happen to get in, buy a ticket, or win a freebie. It is definitely nice to be in a venue with just our kids, and have it just our show. That is kind of how we like it.

My Chemical Romance’s last major tour was in 2007, which is a long gap between starting The World Contamination Tour end of 2011. Have you noticed any changes in the touring world from then until now?
We have not really noticed any differences. We go on the road, and get nostalgic for it. Whenever we are on the road we have a lot of memories for the venues we’ve played. We go back to a lot of venues, and play some new ones.
In the sense of the people that are coming to the shows, the crowd is a lot more diverse now, which is really exciting. We have seen a huge new influx of fans. A lot of young fans combined with a lot of the old ones we’ve had.
I feel the band gets passed around though families like a dusty record. You see parents come out to the shows with their kids, brothers, and sisters. That is a little different from when we first started.

The North America leg for The World Contamination tour is a couple days shy of two months. Is there anyway you can physically and emotionally prepare for an extensive tour?
You kind of have to go with it. Luckily, it is scheduled where we have three weeks on, and then a week off.
The one we just did was really tough because we were in Japan, had not been on tour that extensive in a long time, and we were overseas. On top of that, Frank (Iero) just had babies, and it was the first time Gerard (Way) was leaving his wife and kid at home. It was definitely a big adjustment.
Honestly, I don’t know how those guys did it. When you are overseas it is so much harder to communicate, make phone calls, and video chat. Half the day seems like you are trying to do anything possible to find internet so you can make a video call. You will see dudes huddled in corners, which is the only spot they can get a Wi-Fi signal. It is definitely taxing.
Wouldn’t technology be a big change since touring in 2007? Did you guys video chat back then?
Yeah, with the iPhone 4 and FaceTime stuff, that is insane. God bless Steve Jobs for bringing it because it is fucking awesome. It works so good, it is so cool. People can say we had video chat before, which we did, but it was not easy to use, and it didn’t look well. That definitely is a big change. We used to Skype, but to have it on your damn phone is insane.
For My Chemical Romance’s setlist during The World Contamination Tour, are you guys basing it primarily on Danger Days, or will it be an even mixture between all four albums?
I would say definitely more Danger Days. We don’t know touring wise what the rest of this year or next year will hold. We are really excited to play these songs, and some people have not heard them. It is definitely primarily Danger Days, but there is also a good mix of stuff from The Black Parade, and songs we have not played off Revenge (Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge) in years.
We have even been playing a couple of songs off our basement record Bullets (I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love) which is pretty cool. I don’t even know where we got the idea from, but we started playing the second or third song the band wrote, which was the first song we recorded for real called "Vampires Will Never Hurt You.”
That is a super fan favorite, and if you are a super fan of My Chem then you will know that song, and know it was almost our first introduction to the fans. That was when we were a little bit darker.
We brought that song out, and I cannot remember which city we did it in, but the hardcore fans flipped out. We play that song every once in a while depending on how the night goes, and if it is a really good show, we will probably play it.
Another crazy thing is because every record is so different, it is cool to hear them budded up against each other, and they take on a different light. It is definitely a fun show.
When creating a setlist, do you group songs together based on the same album, or do you mix it up?
We kind of mix it up. On The Black Parade tour we were doing that, which was playing the record front to back. That was kind of cool because you got to feel in a live sense what it is like to drive in a car listening to the record from front to back. Not that a lot of people probably do that. I hope people still listen to records, but I don’t even know anymore.
We designed the record in a certain way, and even decide how many seconds of silence are between each song. I’ll sit there and listen to it over and over again just constantly trimming milliseconds off the end of one track so it leads right into the next. Hopefully, kids get to experience that.
I feel My Chemical Romance puts together solid albums that you can listen to from front to finish without skipping tracks.
You’ve got too, you have too. Singles are very important and I almost think of singles as an advertisement for a band. Singles are the songs most people pick up on because they have a special quality to them. They have a certain pixie dust that happens to catch your ear, and a lot of people can enjoy them.
You hear a single or two that make you want to buy the record, and most good music fans will tell you they have favorite album tracks they enjoy better than the singles. It is always about digging deep, and digging further like that.
I am really proud of us for doing that, and we don’t put a bad song on our record. We don’t put throwaways, we can’t fucking do it.
I know there are bands, and people out there doing it, and it sucks. To me, those are the people who kill the record, it’s what kills the album. A lot of people talk about it is because of downloading, or iTunes and the 99 cent single, which plays a part, but the reality is, people are fucking tired of paying ten to fifteen dollars for three songs. That is the problem. There was an era of music with a lot of fucking bands, and a lot of rock artists who put out shitty records and ruined it. They are the ones who fucking ruined it.
You have to be on top of your game all the time, and there are a lot of people who don’t do that. They concentrate on three or four singles, and put them up front on the record. It is so fucking obvious, and the rest of the record straight up fucking sucks. You can talk to these people and they will talk about it like they did their best, but they are throwaways. That is what sucks, so that is what killed the album.
We are doing our part, and put the same amount of effort into every single song that goes onto a record. We spend countless hours working to make sure it is right. We cannot do it, we can’t put out shitty songs, we won’t do it.
Bands that create albums based on singles eventually get weeded out over time. I think My Chemical Romance has stayed popular for so long because you do put out quality work, and in the long run will show with longevity.
I hope. It is definitely funny how the music scene looked when we came out starting with Revenge. Now it has been the thinning of the herd, I guess I’ll call it, and thank God too. It is funny because we were not in the best of companies, and a lot of times we did not understand why were lumped in with [certain] people, but what are you going to do. I guess at the end of the day, the true stuff rises.
From Danger Days, musically what is your favorite song, and lyrically what is your favorite song and why?
That is a tough one because I have a lot of favorites. “Summertime” musically is great because it is a lot lighter than anything we have ever done before. It is breezy. That song in particular is called “Summertime” because it is about a summer one of us had but also you can picture driving during the summer with the windows rolled down. It has a perfect tempo for that.
"S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W" I feel is our stab at Beatle-esque kind of slow vocals. It has an acoustic guitar, there is a wild solo in there, and a weird arraignment that keeps growing and growing. Musically, I have a lot of favorites, so that is a tough one.
Lyrically, it would definitely be “Sing.” Gerard is an incredible lyricist, and he is aware of things that I think he is not even aware of. He is just a really smart guy that to me is years ahead of what is going on in the world, and the world always seems to catch up to things he writes about. “Sing” is a perfect example of that. Think about what is going on in the world, and read those lyrics. It is really crazy.


credit: Natalie Kuchik - Music Examiner - examiner.com

My Chemical Romance -The Ghost Of You (Live Acoustic at 98.7FM Penthouse)

My Chemical Romance on Live Lounge With Fearne Cotton

My Chemical Romance will be on Live Lounge With Fearne Cotton this Thursday between 10am and 12:45pm. The band will be performing their new UK and Ireland single Planetary (GO!) along with a cover. Tune in to BBC - Radio 1

credit: MCR's Blog

SOUTH PARK ART GALLERY FEAT. LINDSEY WAY 3/28

credit Master of the Wicked

My Chemical Romance - Cancer (Live Acoustic at 98.7FM Penthouse) [Video]

My Chemical Romance to re-release SING for earthquake relief efforts

My Chemical Romance may have released their new single Planetary (GO!) this week, but the New Jersey rockers are currently working on a special version of their last single, SING, in aid those affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
The band have asked fans to submit video and artwork for the upcoming reworking of the track via their website, www.mychemicalromance.com, by this Wednesday (March 30). All proceeds from the single will be donated to Red Cross Japan.
"It moved me in a profound way," said guitarist Ray Toro. "We'd like to send messages of hope to Japan and want fans to send in video, pictures and written messages."
For details on how you can submit your videos and artwork, click here.

credit Kerrang!

REVIEW - DURAN DURAN'S "UNSTAGED"

When Duran Duran took the stage at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles last night for their UNSTAGED performance, directed by David Lynch, no one knew what to expect… including Lynch himself. The director’s only premonitions were taken from “great dreams about Duran Duran” of “spontaneous musical images” and a hope for “happy accidents.”
The production, streamed live for fans and lookie-loos around the world via YouTube, started off in a typically Lynchian manner (if such a thing exists): The director barked fan-generated questions in his familiar backwards-ish way at the four band members, demanding answers ranging from how they maintain benevolence in their music, to current influences. Was Nick’s response of “1950s sci-fi soundtracks” a sign of things to come? The band responded to each query with the utmost gravitas and respect. It was as if the inquisition was a kind of test, and once the master was pleased, the show could begin. Lynch snapped his fingers, and lo and behold, it did.

The internet audience was given the choice of three views, or ‘cameras’. Two were mostly fan-focused, the Funhouse Cam featuring the frolicsome crowd reflected in — you guessed it — a funhouse mirror, and the additional, perpetually swaying Swimming Fish Cam. Neither of those were views you would want to watch the whole time, rather they were amusing diversions during an extended show. These choices did, however, provide the attention-deficit Internet viewer with a chance to visualize what the rave scene in Matrix Reloaded would look like if it were shot in a karaoke bar. Thankfully, we were also provided with a special channel marked Lynch’s View, focused on the band and overlaid with dreamlike imagery. The shots were tight and didn’t quite capture the energy of the band playing off of each other, but did satisfy the keenly focused gaze of the fan-base.
The air disappeared from the auditorium as the instrumental Diamond in the Mind led straight into All You Need Is Now; all shot in stunning (and flattering) black and white, with dramatic visual overlays of smoke and whirling clocks — Durantime gone mad. A spinning penny and visual distortion, reminiscent of Clunie Reid, designer of the new album sleeve, announced to viewers early on that Lynch was both well-versed in, and appreciative of, the Duran aesthetic.

When Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance joined Duran Duran onstage for Planet Earth, one couldn’t help wonder if it was an attempt to win over the kids. Simon even nudged the audience with, “How cool is this?” Never has a thought been more fleeting, though, as the chemistry between Le Bon and Way absolutely electrified the 30-year-old classic. Cool indeed.
Friends of Mine was delivered with impressive snarl and swagger. Nick Rhodes’ sinister synths curling and re-coiling around the serpentine guitar of Dom Brown, framing the song perfectly for Lynch’s production. Written thirty years hence and in consideration of a future where “Georgie Davis (was) coming out,” the song sparred beautifully with the equally dreamlike Lynch visuals; the result, something gorgeous and outside of time: an artistically menacing dream state: one known, otherwise, as Now.

Like weddings, every big production has to have at least one thing go wrong, however. And this show was no exception; with the good-luck flub delivered by The Gossip’s Beth Ditto. A panting vision in hounds-tooth, Ditto arrived nervously on stage announcing that she’d “ran all the way from Portland,” and implored Simon to lead her. Unfortunately, the nervousness wasn’t an act, and Ditto forgot the words throughout Notorious, deflating what could have been a fiery duet . Le Bon shot a few daggers towards the blushing Beth, and the show swiftly ushered onwards. The first-time live Blame the Machines giving backing vocalist Anna Ross chance to strut her stuff, after which Simon delivered some (honestly) top-notch yelps during Hungry Like the Wolf.
With taste-buds alive, Mark Ronson – all serious looks and intent, and introduced as “at least 1/5 of the reason our record sounds as good as it does” – stepped in to take over guitar duties on Safe (in the Heat of the Moment); a song otherwise driven full-tilt by the flawlessly relentless John and Roger Taylor rhythm-machine. JT was then tasked with engaging in audience banter while the string section was set up. He seized the opportunity to plug the new album, only to be gently chided by Nick; and Simon told one of his trademark silly jokes, this time about a dog in a blender. Hey, it’s supposed to be wacky and surreal, right? The pause reminded us that even though the show is the coolest thing we’ve ever seen, it’s still “our boys” up there.

Things quickly resumed a cinematic air with a pristine version of Leave a Light On. Armed with an acoustic guitar and a shimmering mantel of sincerity, Le Bon and co. absolutely nailed it. Lynch drove this home with images of – what else – hammering nails. With subtlety damned, however, Ordinary World was to prove the evening’s only true point of pretense, when Brown’s guitars edging precariously towards overkill.
And yet… and yet: The hotly-anticipated appearance of Kelis, who was nothing short of stunning in a futuristic earring/nose-ring combo, was absolutely worth the wait. The Man Who Stole a Leopard is the jewel of All You Need Is Now, and Kelis’ vocals were exotic and alluring; the writhing purity of the tale trucking us deeper into the realms of the mystical. Then, with no intention of even trying to top such a high, Ring Master Lynch swerved us off further left-field, with Simon recalling (to order, one presumes) a quaint dream he had recently. Involving a caravan full of prostitutes.

Cue Ronson on guitar again: for Girl Panic, at which Lynch ignited our view with sparks, and the band took off into a hyperkinetic energy state. Going for the one-two, Duran then punched in with a fierce rendition of Careless Memories; and by the time the naked dancing Barbies arrived onscreen for Sunrise, and the collective do-do-dooos of Rio were rung, the whole conceit was well and truly up to bliss speed. With trick mirrors a thing of the past, the fantastic-looking crowd were clearly energized, the band were surging, as was – I would imagine – a raving Ethernet of Duran fans cabled around the world.
Pulling up just short of meltdown, there was just time for breath before Kelis returned to the stage, with haunting vocals that were suddenly – obviously – Come Undone: albeit one she helped take to a new high. Achieving the divine, even Lynch’s incoming visual of hand puppets and a barbecue grill full of hot dogs somehow made sense. Which is saying something.

But what comes up, must come down; and after just shy of two galloping hours, in shimmied the elegant Ronson architecture of the now obligatory Bond theme medley, culminating in the perpetually redeeming A View to a Kill. Of course that could not, would not be curtains; because no one should ever leave a Duran Duran show without witnessing Le Bon shooting stars amidst a climaxing Girls on Film; the edict of “the band designed to make you party” ceremoniously etched like the mark of Zorro upon the sweaty crowd. Mission accomplished.

As so to that delayed curtain; yet as the veritable orchestra of performers gathered for their well-deserved, collective bow, the mysterious Mr. Lynch was nowhere to be found. Everyone paused to look around, until Simon declared sharp as a tack, that perhaps the director had “teleported himself into another universe. Like this one, but better.” A statement of intent which, I reckon, should actually be used to sum up the sublime deliverance of the brave Duran Duran UNSTAGED. Brilliant.

Review Of MCR In Oslo, Norway & Stockholm

By Teyana Kent
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE OSLO MARCH 16TH 2011 REVIEW
The day I had been waiting for for so long had finally arrived! I was so happy, sad,
scared, nervous and anxious at the same time. And just for a concert! I left home a
little before 8 am (I had to leave with the school bus, or else my mom would’ve
figured out that I skipped school) and I was by the venue around 9am. I sat down,
found a couple of people I knew, talked and smoked with them, singing and getting to
know them. When the gals I already knew left, I got to know some other pretty
amazing people in the queue. That’s what I love about Norwegian people – they are
amazing when you’re in the queue for a show or something similar.
About five hours into the waiting, the secuirity guys moved the three smaller queues
to one large one, using only one enterance. Thanks to the awesome people walking
around and giving people numbers so the people being there first gets to stay first
no matter what happens, we managed to get to the front again after getting pushed
back. Hours went by, I was interviewd three times – one on TV (people were spamming
my Facebook when they saw it), one on the radio (people kept trying to call me to
tell me they were listening) and one on some music website (no response yet).
After hours upon hours of waiting, they finally opened the doors. I checked my
ticket before running down really steep stairs (I almost fell on my face several
times), and up to the stage. I ended up on the second row, because people who had
won the meet & greet got to get in first and stood on the first row. I was in the
middle, but more on Ray Toro’s side than Frank Iero’s. The first thing I did was
grab the barrier so I wouldn’t get pushed backwards and then the waiting began.
LostAlone was the support band. I had talked to people who had seen them before, and
they all said that LostAlone was boring on stage, had boring songs and were bad
entertainers, so I didn’t have high expectations. However, as soon as Steven got on
stage I knew I loved them. He was like a mini Frank Iero from 2004-2005: happy,
jumping, rolling around, screaming and just having a blast. It was awesome to watch,
and he just gave me a really bubbly feeling. Alan was also amazing on stage, and my
friend got to the conclusion that his legs were worth gold. I loved the music as
well, and I had already listed LostAlone as one of my top 10 bands after their short
set.
When the lights went out and we wpuld hear Dr. D, people went wild. I was already
crying like a little baby; I couldn’t believe I would actually be able to see MCR..
I mean.. wow. “Na Na Na” started and people went wild. The temperature in the crowd
was rising, but it didn’t matter. “Thank You For The Venom” followed, and as soon as
the amazing Revenge song was over, Gerard made sure that everybody was ok. I thought
it was a hint to “I’m Not Okay” coming as the next song, but when “Planetary”
started, I realized that it’s Gerard Way we’re talking about. He actually cares
about his fans.
The show was incredible – a lifelong memory. In the middle, people were throwing up
Norwegian flags and hats… Mikey Way picked up a flag and started to wave it back
and forth before putting it in the “Good Luck” helmet. He then put on a Norwegian
flag -printed hat and played some awesome bass-notes. Ray Toro got a viking hat and
played with that on.
Hearing “Cancer” live was surreal for me. I’d seen it on YouTube, I’d heard the
record and I’d prepared myself to hear it, but no matter how much I tried, a new,
bigger flood of tears ran down my face. The pure rawnes.. It was just Gerard
standing in front of his mic singing, and James playing the keyboard…. I can’t get
over it.
The band ended the show with an amazing encore: “Vampires Will Never Hurt You” and
“Bulletproof Heart”. It was increadible hearing Gerard’s screaming during Vampires,
and my love for the band grew even more.
The show was amazing. Even the word ‘amazing’ isn’t big enough to describe it. . I
loved the moment where Gerard unofficially announced them coming back to Norway this
summer. And the fact that both Mikey and Ray put on Norwegian hats. And James
getting Skittles! “Taste the rainbow, James!”. Let’s just say I laughed at his face
when the bag flew up there.
The band didn’t come out to sign, but it didn’t even matter. We had already gotten
the show of our lives
I’M NOT OKAY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i4lvMa9bys
FAMOUS LAST WORDS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrawljPTp5g
HELENA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziipMZ0bgrY
CANCER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovpHXYJ8UGI
VAMPIRES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VUqdff4XWo
BULLETPROOF HEART: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKmmdgjO_ko
UNOFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT + NORWEGIAN PRIDE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDlpsPMH_eM
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE STOCKHOLM MARCH 18TH 2011 REVIEW
After flying to Sweden on thursday and going to bed early, my friend Becca and I
were getting up at 4:30 am to get to the venue early… Let’s just say we failed,
because we weren’t there before 8 am. We met two nice girls and sat down in the
queue with them. We got out numbers, and Becca and me left the queue to look around.
It was a huge building – there were three of four venues in the same building. MCR
got the smallest one, because of a hockey game in the larger one.
After walking throught the mall anf buying coffee, Becca and me ended up on the
wrong side of the building – the opposite of the queue. The semitrailers were there
and local crew were putting up the stage. There were two huge doors open, so Becca
and I got a clear view to the stage. We started talking to one of the local
secuirity guys who’s job was standing outside and making sure fans wouldn’t walk in.
We ended up standing on the wrong side the whole day. After they had loaded all of
the equipment into the building, they closed the doors, but people were still
walking in and out of the building. We kept talking to the onw secuirity guy always
standing outside and becaume quite good friends with him. His name was Nocket and he
was awesome
Every now and then MCR crew came out for a cigarette break. They were all wearing
matching “Danger Days – The Wolds Contamination Tour” sweatshirts, so we quickly got
to know who were local and who were a part of MCR. We got talking to two amazing
crewmembers both named Dave; one of them were SuperDave and the other was
GuitarTechDave. SuperDave came out more often than GuitarTechDave, so we mostly
talked to him.
It was so amazing! He had known the band for seven years and told us so many details
people usually don’t know about the band. Cute and funny details from the weddings,
about the babies, about the guys that people just don’t know. GuitarTechDave brought
guitarpicks for us and a local crewmember from the cateringteam gave me a cork he
had stolen from the champagne the guys had been drinking. They were all pretty
amazing. They talked, told jokes, told us about stuff people don’t know, bummed me
cigarettes, gave us guitarpicks and other stuff… it was increadible.
When LostAlone arrived, we were the only two fans standing there, so of course we
approached them. They were so nice; hugging us, signing stuff and taking pictures
with us, asking how the day had been and which MCR songs we were looking forward to
seeing. They didn’t have that much time though, because they had to do their
soundcheck.
When the bands did their soundchecks, Becca and I got to be the only two fans
listening. It was amazing, and we could hear Gerard being all cute. He was like
“Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaames, oh James.. Jameeees Deweeees”. I had to laugh. They
played “Na Na Na”, “Planetary” and one more song. I honestly can’t remember which
one, but I think it was “Bulletproof Heart”.
After the soundcheck, Becca and I kept staying there and talked to the crewmembers.
That’s when the “jaw-drop” moment started. Someone opened one of the large doors and
I screamed. Right there, in front of me, were GERARD AND MIKEY WAY doing an
interview. I could see the bright red hair and a horrible jacket on the older
brother, and the blonde top of Mikey’s hair. I couldn’t really help but scream
Gerard’s name, causing both of the brothers to smile at me, before yelling that I
loved them. Nocket got pretty pissed, but when a MCR crew member walked out he
smiled and told me that Gerard and Mikey were glad that I had yelled and that they
loved Scandinavian fans. I swear my heart swelled and stayed four sizes bigger than
it had ever been – just like The Grinch.
I also managed to lose my concert ticket while going to the bathroom. I panicked,
ran back and forth and almost started crying. It was an hour until the doors opened,
and it’s never smart to lose your ticket. After looking everywhere, I bought a new
ticket (they had like five left, so I was lucky) and relaxed before walking back to
Nocket to tell him that we were heading back to the queue. SuperDave was there
having a cig, and I told him what had happened. He laughed at my stupidity and
panicking before pulling out his phone (a BlackBerry bold for the people interested)
and asking me what my name was so he could put me on the guestlist. I swear I hit
myself for spending my money on another ticket when I could get in for free instead
of merch. I told him thank you, and then we went back to the queue, met some awesome
people and waited for like half an hour.
The show was amazing. LostAlone did an incredible job (again!) and got everybody
involved in the music. Steven freaked out like a mini Frank Iero again, jumping
around, playing on his back and doing push-ups (!) in the middle of the songs. It
was LostAlone’s last show on the MCR tour, so it was extra special for them which
the crowd felt throughout the whole set.
Gerard hardly talked to the crowd, but there’s one quote that’s stuck in my head. He
said the same thing in Norway, but I couldn’t really hear him because someone got
pulled out right next to me and I helped the secuirity guy with that.
“Stockholm, the world is going to try to clean you up. What are you gonna do about
it? They’re gonna try to fix your face and make you pretty, what are you going to do
about it? You’re gonna say fuck no? (crowd cheering) Right there you said fuck yeah,
you gonna say FUCK NO? (crowd saying fuck no) Here’s what you’re gonna do, you’re
gonna sing about it”.
If I could define a Swedish crowd in one word, it would be “crazy”. People were
passing out before LostAlone hit the stage. Since I was on the first row, people got
pulled out over me all the time throughout the whole show. I could see Gerard being
all concerned when the secirity people pulled out four or five kids at the time.
That might be the reason they didn’t play “Vampires” in Stockholm or the reason he
hardly talked to the crowd at all.
In spite of the crowd going crazy, the band seemed more comfortable in Stockholm.
Frank seemed much more energetic; jumping around and playing his heart out. Ray and
Mikey seemed more energetic as well, and smiled a lot. Gerard even layed down on the
ground and just took a couple of deep breaths in between songs. It was nice watching
them being so comfortable on stage compared to their Oslo show. Don’t get me wrong,
the show in Oslo was amazing, but the show in Stockholm was more personal which made
it just a tad bit better
The band didn’t come out to sign in Stockholm either, but I got a bunch of stuff
from the crew, and I got to meet LostAlone two more times..!
QUOTE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plIzFJrLIts
FAMOUS LAST WORDS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDtKBCgmSyw
The setlist was the same as the Norway show, except for “Vampires”, and it was
incredible. I wish I could have seen a couple of other songs LIVE, but I’m happy
with which songs they played anyways.
SETLIST:
1. Na Na Na
2. Thank You For The Venom
3. Planetary (GO!)
4. Sing
5. Vampire Money
6. Mama
7. The Only Hope For Me Is You
8. House Of Wolves
9. Summertime
10. I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
11. Famous Last Words
12. Destroya
13. Welcome To The Black Parade
14. Teenagers
15. Helena
16. Cancer
*ENCORE*
17. Vampires Will Never Hurt You (not in Sweden)
18. Bulletproof Heart

MTV Winter Valencia 2011 - MCR INTERVIEW

 

Calling all true rock fans Kerrang! TV needs YOU! It's time to stick your neck out and vote for the most eye-popping, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring rock videos ever made, it's official!!!

VOTE! 

FUSE'S "BATTLE OF THE FANS" - VOTE!

Fuse wants to know which rockers have the best fans. Think you know? Then prove it in our Battle of the Fans polldown.

VOTE! 

SINGItForJapan Twitter page

#SINGItForJapan

Dear MCRMY,

It’s time to call the MCRMY to arms. I mentioned last post that we would need your help. Now is the time. We’ve been working on an idea which will hopefully help raise money for the recovery effort in Japan. We would like you to know the idea was inspired by you, the fans.
After the news of the earthquake and tsunami spread, I did what most people did.  I stopped and stared at the TV.  I sat at the computer, constantly refreshing CNN in hopes of some good news. And I went to Twitter to see what people were saying. I noticed a hash-tag, “#SINGItForJapan,” where you kids were writing messages of hope, saying prayers and sending your condolences and well wishes to survivors. It moved me in a profound way.
A week later, after talking with the guys about what we could do, here we are. I’ve been working backstage and on planes to put together a special version of SING. Our plan is to release it with all proceeds going to Red Cross Japan. We also feel we need a video to share on Facebook and YouTube, so this is where you come in.
We’d like to send messages of hope to Japan from people all over the world. We’re asking for you to send video, pictures, drawings or written messages to the people of Japan. Go wherever your creativity and heart takes you.  It could be as simple as you holding up a sign with “#SINGItForJapan ” written on it, or anything else you can dream up.  From what we’ve seen on tour, we know you guys can dream bigger than we ever could.
Don’t be afraid to get your families involved.  If you are inspired to do something alone, that’s great too.  But we encourage you to get a big group of people from your community together.  We want Japan to know just how many people are behind them.  The one request we have is for you to somehow include where you’re from in your video, photo, or drawing. Using YouTube, Flickr, Twitpic, etc, upload your contribution. Remember to include the tag #SINGItForJapan. Then, send your submissions to us by filling out the form below.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to include everybody, but know that we will see everything, and your submission is meaningful and appreciated.
Thank you all for your help in this.
Speak soon.
Ray

Killjoy Jackets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4EPKcRaQ2A&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Ray and Frank guitar tutorial My Chemical Romance - Planetary (GO!)

REPLICA JACKETS BASED ON THE WORLD OF "DANGER DAYS: THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS" NOW AVAILABLE AT MCR.COM

Party Poison, Kobra Kid, Jet Star & Fun Ghoul jackets

4 Individual custom band jackets designed from the world of Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. Exclusively available at www.mychemicalromance.com

Party Poison (Gerard Way) Jacket Details:
- Zip-up blue nylon jacket with red lining
- “Dead Pegasus” patch sewn on left side
- Gold-colored front zipper
- Gold-colored zipper on each sleeve
- Two front pockets with gold-colored zippers
- “Party Poison” logo appliqué sewn on the back of jacket
- Official MCR custom tag - Shell: 100% Nylon
- Lining 100% cotton
- Fill 100% Polyester

Kobra Kid (Mikey Way) Jacket Details:
- Zip-up red nylon jacket with yellow lining
- “Kobra Kid” patch sewn on left side
- Black front zipper
- Black zipper on each sleeve
- Black and white appliqué on the sleeves.
- Two front pockets with black zippers
- Left sleeve “Kobra” stitched in white
- Right sleeve “03” patch sewn on
- Official MCR custom tag - Shell: 100% Nylon
- Lining 100% cotton
- Fill 100% Polyester

Jet Star (Ray Toro) Jacket Details:
- Zip-up denim jacket and nylon sleeves
- Black front zipper
- Black zipper on each sleeve
- Two-button chest pockets
- Red “Kill Joy” patch sewn on the left side
- Yellow “Ace” patch on the left sleeve
- “American Widow” printed on the back
- Official MCR custom tag

- Fun Ghoul (Frank Iero) Jacket Details:
- Zip-up green cotton vest with yellow lining
- Gold-colored zipper
- Two-button chest pockets
- Yellow “Kill joy” patch sewn on the left side
- Black appliqué on shoulders and collar with yellow stitching

MTV's Musical March Madness: My Chemical Romance Vs. Rage Against The Machine

It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

The second round is almost completely open, though there is plenty of action still to come today (and over the weekend). Some of the Sweet 16 teams are coming into focus, while others remain up in the air. This particular pairing is especially intriguing, as it pits a perennial favorite against a surprise underdog.
Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Sunday, March 27 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.
(3) My Chemical Romance vs. (11) Rage Against the Machine
Despite not having released new music in years, Rage Against the Machine took down current modern rock chart kings Cage the Elephant in a first round drubbing. They'll square off against My Chemical Romance, who stomped all over Panda Bear in the opening round in hopes of securing the championship trophy this year (they fell in the finals of 2010's tournament). Will they continue their surge, or will Rage continue their unlikely run? Vote to find out!
 VOTE

SING (Live Acoustic at 98.7FM Penthouse) [Video]

My Chemical Romance's Reading and Leeds festival plans...

My Chemical Romance have revealed that at this year's Reading and Leeds Festival they'll be channelling the legendary Queen.

As in the band, not ol' Lizzie

Gerard Way told NME that after they got bottled on stage at Reading 2006, "I said to myself, 'We'll never play this festival again until we headline!' Kind of what Freddie Mercury said when Queen were booed offstage."
He also revealed that the band's headline shows would really be "something special" and that "we don't care if we lose money or break even."

We're sure they'll get a warmer reception this year!

Kerrang! - My Chemical Romance issue Glee with a cease and desist order

My Chemical Romance have issued New Directions, the glee club in hit US TV show Glee, with a cease and desist order to prevent them from performing their track Sing live. However, before you get too excited, this is actually a story line in an episode of the program.
Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (played by Jane Lynch) claims to have "had a brief affair" with "the drummer from My Chemical Romance" back in 1996, and decides to notify the band about the glee club performing the track to spite music teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison).
Coach Sylvester later admits that she forged the letter, and the drummer she slept with was "that guy from Jimmy Eat World". Oh how we LOLed!
source

More pics here: Gerard Way & Duran Duran

Gerard Way performing "Planet Earth" with Duran Duran

"PLANET EARTH" performance with Duran Duran - DL link

http://www.sendspace.com/file/pgtkn7

Gerard Way performing "Planet Earth" with Duran Duran

Planetary (GO!) (Lags Gallows Remix)

Coming Soon...

RAY'S LATEST BLOG - HOMEWARD BOUND

On a flight home from Helsinki, so close to LA. It's been an incredible 2 month journey, starting on one side of the world, and ending in another.

 I will say this...never before has My Chem had so much fun playing shows, meeting you outside when we can, and at meet and greets. From city to city, we noticed a love of life, an exuberance and maturity in you all that wasn't their 4 years ago. Maybe not for us either.

Your letters, drawings, art pieces, and everything in between kept the mood up. All of you are so creative and we love to see you express yourselves in that way. Positivity begets positivity.

We've also been collecting flags, which I thought would make a great backdrop once all sewn together. I think we got one in most every country we hit, so US, it's your turn to bring out the state flags all "Killjoys" like.

It's crazy to think we started this run in Japan, and 2 months later it is a changed place. You all know we have a special love and respect for Japan. Our hearts go out to all affected by the tragedy. We know that Japan will pick itself up as it has done in the past.

We have some news to announce shortly about a plan to help raise funds for the recovery. Just our small way of trying to help. You all should know too that the idea was inspired by you fans, so keep watching and we'll give you news soon!

Ray

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE - A Message to JAPAN

PLANETARY (GO!)

NME INTERVIEW PART ONE

 My Chemical Romance: 'We scrapped our album for a new mission' - video

My Chemical Romance have said they scrapped the album they recorded before 'Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys' because they "needed a new mission".
 
Reading And Leeds Festivals headliners open up about 'lost album'

Speaking to NME in a video you can watch by clicking above, the band opened up about why they they ditched a full-length record's-worth of new songs, which they have said they'd like to release after they split up.

Singer Gerard Way said the songs written before 'Danger Days...' weren't "explosive" and had no "nitro-glycerine to make them explode."

He added: "We didn't realise after [2006 album] 'Welcome To The Black Parade' there was going to be anything else. We could have just made a generic My Chem album, but we needed a new mission."

My Chemical Romance are set to headline the Reading And Leeds Festivals in August. 

NME INTERVIEW PART 1