My Chemical Romance
Tonight's headliners, My Chemical Romance, have been praised by Kerrang as "screamo punk rock of the most passionate order" and were also nominated against the likes of Velvet Revolver in the "best international newcomers" award. The fans present at tonight's show in London are noticeably a mix of the old fans who have been fans since the release of the debut album "I brought you my Bullets, you brought my your Love" and the new fans of the recently released "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge".
The fans have been treated to Death from Above 1979 and Yourcodenameis:Milo as openers for My Chemical Romance and as you can imagine, at 9:30 when the headliners are set to take the stage the energy in the room is worryingly high and the excitement of each and every girl in the front row is building into what can only be called a frenzy. It's therefore no surprise that when My Chemical Romance take to the stage, the crowd erupts with howls of appreciation for the band before the first note has even been played. This band has always looked a bit miss matched, and tonight is no difference, but there is never any questioning who the front man is, and as Gerard Way steps on stage dressed in a black suit and tie with red, white and black makeup the crowd surges forward towards the stage.
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The set list is a generous blend of old a new songs, with upbeat punk beats of "Headfirst for Halos" and emotional screamo "Lady of Sorrows" satisfying the older fans while the single "I'm not Okay (I promise)" and heavy ballad "Ghost of You" allows the newer fans to sing along to the words they know, and possibly hold up a lighter (as a few people chose to). However, despite the crowd's energy My Chemical Romance seem to deflate almost visibly halfway through their set, but thankfully proceed to entertain the audience on enthusiasm and crowd participation, such as Way's beginning of a deafening chant of "hip hip hooray" which must have been heard by passers by all around the building. Way also apologises for the "short set" they're playing, but it's clear to see that this band are in dire need of a rest before they burn out. The anthemic "Vampires Will Never Hurt You" ends the night on a high note, with the old and new fans coming together to show the band their appreciation for their four day trip to the United Kingdom and roaring every word back at the stage.
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Tonight's show was an enjoyable one, but certainly wasn't one of the band's better shows. My Chemical Romance's non stop touring has evidently taken its toll, not on the sound of the live performance, but on the bodies of the band members. Readers should look out for this band in the future and consider seeing them when they return in February, hopefully in peak condition after a few weeks off over Christmas and the New Year.
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 21 available.