|  Emo figureheads My Chemical Romance | | The
atmosphere was buzzing as the throng of My Chemical Romance fans
gathered to be welcomed to The Black Parade. Cry For Silence were
gratefully received after hours of wait, although there were still
those who considered them to be aptly named, praying for MCR to grace
the stage. The New Jersey alternative rock band had already informed
the press that they were sparing any theatrics for the forthcoming 2007
tour, but this didn't faze anyone who had been eagerly awaiting their
arrival.
It can't be good for any band to have to compete for a
venue with an old timer like David Essex (ask your parents, or
grandparents for that matter...) and come off worse, but My Chemical
Romance took it in their stride and played the more intimate hall to
their advantage. They more than satisfied the hysterical gathering by
beginning their set with the inevitable opener The End, before the
dramatic curtain drop to reveal the band erupting into Dead!.
Gerard
glided through the songs with impressive ease, adding further emotion
to the heart-wrenching rendition of Cancer. The poignant lyrics
epitomise the struggle of a dying cancer patient and the thoughts that
go through their mind as they undertake chemotherapy, whilst their
family battle with the pain of seeing them suffer.
As even the
most macho guys were composing themselves, the quintet ironically
brought the hall back to life with Cemetery Drive. They received an
overwhelming response during Mama (coping considerably well with the
absense of Liza Minelli's vocals), which was followed by the iconic emo
anthem I'm Not Okay [I Promise]. The upcoming single Famous Last Words
provided a more positive and determined approach to the theme of dying
portrayed by The Black Parade album.
The highlight of the show
for band and fans alike had to be Welcome To The Black Parade - the
track that had rocketed them to mainstream fame in the UK and stayed at
number one for two weeks. It was accompanied by Gerard Way's
Mercury-esque stage performance, and a guitar solo from Ray Toro that
would make a certain Brian May very proud. House Of Wolves gave Bob
Bryar his time to shine, as his impressively energetic drum solo raised
the pulses of the adoring troops, whereas Frank Iero and Way's brother
Mikey showed what they were made of during You Know What They Do To
Guys Like Us In Prison and Thank You For The Venom.
Way then
took it upon himself to launch into a powerful attack against the
recent negative articles in the major papers, advising fans to "F***
the mistruths" and "be yourselves", to be "better than them". This was
ironically shortly followed by Give 'Em Hell Kid.
The only
disappointment was that MCR failed to play the incredibly catchy
Teenagers, a song which would have greatly supported Way's anti-press
rant, with lyrics such as "so darken your clothes or strike a violent
pose" and "but if you're troubled an hurt/what you've got under your
shirt/will make them pay for the things that they did". And they wonder
where they get their reputation from! But rumour has it they will be
adding a few more tracks to their setlist for larger venues such as
Brixton.
The talented five drew the evening to a close with a
powerful and heart-felt delivery of Helena, bidding their fans "so long
and goodnight". It's fair to say that even if you've resisted the urge
to join the Black Parade so far and refuse to be sucked into the ever
increasing "emo" scene, it won't be long until you too "paint it black
and take it back"...
Allana Cutter | |