04/20/2011 mcr article & interview with daniel of bonedo.de
"Daniel during an interview with MCR (photo)
“[…] I am fascinated by the band’s unwavering commitment to breaking with everything they have stood for,” I wrote in a 2006 album review of “The Black Parade,” which still commands my utmost respect. My Chemical Romance’s comparison of a rock band to a “marching band” is as fitting as it is brilliant. “The Black Parade” shook my world; it was a revelation, both conceptually and musically. Four years later, I met up with the guys for Bonedo to interview them about their new album, “Danger Days.” Would the band win me over with their new work? Let me say this upfront: I wasn’t disappointed.
'My Chem', as the band is affectionately known by their fans, rose in record time from a local New Jersey newcomer to an international top act. Their 2002 debut album, "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love," almost forgotten by the general public, is certainly a bit trashy compared to their later work, but it perfectly captured the feelings of an entire generation of adrift kids. Where fun-punk bands like Blink-182 or nu-metal groups like Limp Bizkit fall short, singer Gerard Way's lyrics, somewhere between sorrow, pain, and romance, struck a chord with the hearts of adolescents. A new music genre was born: emo/screamo began its triumphant march.
Following the extraordinary success of their debut album, which sold over 60,000 copies, the band signed a major label deal in 2003.
Their 2004 album, "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge," sparked an incredible hype around the band. "I'm Not OK (I Promise)," the album's first single, achieved gold status and, along with the music video for the single "Helena," defined the look of the emo scene. The band toured the world for almost two years and, with over 1 million records sold in the US alone, was at the forefront of the movement.
When "The Black Parade" was released in 2006, the band initially shocked their fans: gone were the hair, gone was the polish! The band reinvented themselves from the ground up, but what at first seemed like the staged suicide of the most successful emo band on the planet became the band's greatest triumph to date, reaching the top of the charts in no fewer than 19 countries. The single "Welcome To The Black Parade" even debuted at #1 in the world's most important record markets, the American Billboard charts and the UK singles chart, becoming the band's biggest hit. This modern "Bohemian Rhapsody" in a new black and white aesthetic also captivated me, and "The Black Parade" remains one of only three albums that I still carry around in its entirety on my MP3 player.
Following the extraordinary success of their debut album, which sold over 60,000 copies, the band signed a major label deal in 2003.
Their 2004 album, "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge," sparked an incredible hype around the band. "I'm Not OK (I Promise)," the album's first single, achieved gold status and, along with the music video for the single "Helena," defined the look of the emo scene. The band toured the world for almost two years and, with over 1 million records sold in the US alone, was at the forefront of the movement.
Four years later, I meet four cheerful and talkative guys at Hamburg's most prestigious address on the Reeperbahn, Große Freiheit 36. Even after a four-month press marathon, they still seem excited to talk about their new album, "Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys".
“You all look much fresher than I expected after such a long tour. Is this already the anticipation of being home?” I ask the band at the start of our conversation. “We basically spent the first few months doing constant press work. We flew back and forth a lot and were a bit burnt out by the end of the year. But we had a few days off around Christmas – and now, on the regular tour, everything is much more relaxed,” replies a surprisingly talkative Frank Iero – the guitarist is usually considered a rather quiet individual.
At the gig in Hamburg...
“Why did it actually take four years for you to release your new album? Up until now you've strictly adhered to the two-year cycle with your albums.” I ask.
“You mustn’t forget that we toured with The Black Parade for two years straight. After that, we took a longer break of six or seven months to rediscover what we enjoyed most about making music,” Frank explains. “Some of us got married or had children in the meantime—and we also needed a bit of distance from music. At the end of 2008, we were asked if we would contribute a track to the soundtrack of the film ‘Watchmen,’ and so we met up again in the studio to record a cover version of Bob Dylan’s ‘Desolation Row.’ Working in the studio rekindled our desire to make music together, and so we started working on a new album shortly afterward.”
“So you never released the first version of the album?” I ask Frank. “After a few months, we found ourselves in the middle of the mixing process and asked ourselves if this was the album we wanted to live with for the next two years – after all, we had played ‘The Black Parade’ every single night for two years, from beginning to end. The answer from everyone was an overwhelming ‘no.’” “What role did producer Rob Cavallo play in all this?” I want to know (Rob Cavallo also produced ‘The Black Parade’). “We took a break and went back to songwriting with Rob, who had finished other projects and was therefore available to us again. After four songs, we realized that each of them was significantly better than anything we had written for the album before,” Frank continues. “When we started again with Rob, we quickly realized that we all had a much clearer head and a more precise idea of what we wanted to achieve with our next album!” adds second guitarist Ray Toro.
"What influence did producer Rob have on the new songs?"
“Rob simply brings out the best in us,” singer Gerard chimes in. “Rob always demands the best, but in a way that’s never negative. From album to album, he constantly pushes us to explore new avenues, to dare things we wouldn’t have dared to do before. But it’s precisely those daring songs like ‘Planetary’ or ‘Sing’ that elicit the best reactions from the fans live.” “What’s special about a producer like Rob is that he has a very precise sense of when to intervene and when not to,” Ray adds. “Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference. For example, he might ask a question about a lyric—but then leave it up to us to find the answer ourselves.”
“Looking at your tour schedule, you don’t seem to take many breaks. Do you have a secret to staying together for such a long time?” I continued. “We all have good days and bad days, but we’re there for each other,” Gerard replied. “If one of us isn’t feeling well, we take care of them or give them more space—whatever is right at the time!” (A murmur of agreement from the entire band confirmed this statement.)
"A big part of the secret, however, is that we simply have a really nice job. We enjoy every day, and if something uncool comes up, we've learned to say 'no' and protect ourselves in the process."
The album “Danger Days” transports the listener to a virtual California of 2019. It describes the struggle of the musicians – aka the “Killjoys” and the pirate radio station DJ 'Dr. Death Defying' – against the all-powerful global corporation “Better Living Industries”, whose motto “Aftermath is secondary” could have come from our own time.
“How are things going with your work on band concepts? You’ve come up with a lot of conceptual things for ‘Danger Days’ again, such as the enemy image in the form of the ‘Better Living Industries’ corporation,” I ask the band.
“We don’t really see the album as a concept album. We simply enjoy coming up with a story in addition to the music,” explains Gerard, who worked as a comic book artist before becoming the singer of My Chem. “The album’s story is framed by the tale of the pirate radio station fighting against this mega-corporation. However, while making the album, we realized that we, as a band, could also be this mega-corporation. It’s not about good guys versus bad guys.”
"And yet, with every album, you seem to completely reinvent yourselves. Dare to take the step of leaving all the successes of the previous album behind and creating something completely new."
“When we first emerged, the emo scene had a completely different look, but at some point, our look suddenly seemed to define emo. We tried again to do something completely different from everyone else, but now it's already, ‘Oh, so emo is dyed hair and American hot rod muscle cars’ – but for us, it's fundamentally important to constantly redefine ourselves. After all, we plan to spend two years of our lives with this concept,” Gerard explains regarding the band's repeated reinvention. “We see our characters as an extension of our real selves and our art,” Frank adds. “We really are these people – and that's why we all feel comfortable in these roles!”
Check out the workshop: Frank and Ray also showed us a few licks!
The final song on the album, 'Vampire Money', holds a special place. Not only does it follow the main narrative – the concept ends with the preceding track – but it still seems to fit the overall concept. It describes the band's conscious decision to decline participation in the 'Twilight' film soundtrack. They resisted the lure of the big corporation and the allure of "vampire money." "Vampire Money" initially had nothing to do with the album," recalls Gerard, "but in the end, it was everything: 'Danger Days' is our raised middle finger. The song gave us back a feeling of freedom. We felt like kids again. We just went into the studio and rocked out live." "Yeah, even the second take we recorded ended up on the album," adds bassist Mikey Way.
“That makes me wonder how much influence you can – or even want to – have on your own promotional activities?” The whole band laughs, glancing at their label manager, who is following the interview in the background. “We’re lucky enough to have been working with the same people for a very long time, people we can trust implicitly. We all know by now exactly what we enjoy and when we need a break," Gerard continues.
Ray adds: “We like to have a say in all decisions whenever we can, so we’re heavily involved in all visual aspects like merchandising and music videos. Sometimes it’s something seemingly insignificant, like a slight color change in a T-shirt print, but ultimately it means we’re working together to make a better product. Take our special edition of the album, for example, which was supposed to include the laser guns from the artwork and music video. The initial samples simply weren’t good enough in terms of quality. We had them reworked, which took a few months longer, but resulted in a better product for the fans.”
“What does the phrase ‘Art Is The Weapon’ mean to you?” —an expression that appears in both the first video trailer for the album and on the merchandise. “Music is our weapon, our asset that must be protected,” Frank replies. “Art, and what we do as musicians, can change the world and bring things down. That’s why it was so important for us to improve this album even further. Art has to remain the most important thing in our work, because if we start compromising in our art, everything else we do becomes less meaningful.”
A beautiful closing sentence to a very inspiring and insightful interview. Even behind the facade of these crazy rock stars lies the unwavering will to create something meaningful. The profound message I thought I'd already discerned in "The Black Parade" was confirmed and further solidified that day – and the subsequent concert rounded off a fantastic day. I believe that the band, although they've already reached the pinnacle of their genre, are far from having reached the peak of their career. And I truly recommend that everyone give the band a listen – I think you won't regret it!"
New old interview with gerard! Has anyone else listened to this?
"On July 25th, 2003, I interviewed Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance after their set at The Downtown in Farmingdale, NY.
I aired the interview once on my live online music show, DJ Rossstar’s Punk Rock Show, and it was never heard again by anyone… UNTIL NOW!" via djrossstar on instagram
OP: So, last week or so, Gerard chatted on the swedish youthcommunity Lunarstorm, where the users could ask the band questions.. There's a lot of ordinary questions, and things that are pretty known, but there is some funny things in there as well (MacGyver, anyone? XD)
First line with "USERNAME P/FXX Tis 19 sep 15:XX is nothing you guys have to care about, since it's just some userinfo from the site.
Second line (the text that comes after "F:") is the question
Third line (test that comes after "S:") is Gerards answer
I haven't translated this, it was already in english(written by the users of the site), so don't bash on me for typos, or the questions for that matter.
the F14 från NyköpingTis 19 sep 15:55
F:is it tru that you're gonna change your name to "The black Parade"?
S:only as an alter ego…off to the airport! thanks!
STRYPMEJMJUKT P13 från UddevallaTis 19 sep 15:55
F:I love you guys. Did you have any rolemodels when you were kids?
S:Luke Skywalker
transperant P17 från VejbystrandTis 19 sep 15:54
F:You are fuckin awsome guys! Saw you on MTV Music awards when you played your new song!
S:thanks!
Fridizen_93 F13 från GöteborgTis 19 sep 15:54
F:I love you all. My life was a hell before I get know you. Love you all
S:thank you! keep your chin up
S1_ P15 från ÅsarpTis 19 sep 15:53
F:Hello! how is going whit the new album? :)
S:its all done and ready to go
Anniga F16 från FlenTis 19 sep 15:53
F:I really like your song "I never told you what I do for a living", But it's pretty sick ;) How did you come up with it?
S:lots of nightmares
ellen26 F25 från HillerstorpTis 19 sep 15:53
F:hi how long have you been a band?
S:we just turned 5
Sucide F14 från EskilstunaTis 19 sep 15:53
F:Hi My Chemical Romance, I just wanted to say that you are the best thing that ever happen to me. i´m so happy that you come to sweden in november. My Chemical Romance saved my life. I love you ! :) Gerard Way <3
S:thanks for saying all those nice things!
DRINKTHEPOISONFFS P14 från VårgårdaTis 19 sep 15:53
F:I realy liked the song "Welcome to the black parade". :) So what can we espect from your new album? And gerard, i like your new hair colour ^^
S:thanks…I like it too…the new album is very daring, large, and exciting…theatrical
iskall_vinter F16 från MohedaTis 19 sep 15:53
F:What is your best advice to a newly started rock band?
S:work hard and never go home
_blondiiiee F12 från PiteåTis 19 sep 15:52
F:Hello, you sigs good :D Me and my friends always listen to your songs. It is fun to sing in a band ?
S:its the most fun in the world
Cilly_Things F18 från VetlandaTis 19 sep 15:52
F:How are you today??
S:very well thank you
possibly_maybe F19 från KarlskogaTis 19 sep 15:52
F:Hello I most say that your brither is mutch more cool in glasses why are they gone? Btw see you at the show //Jenny
S:I like him better without…thanks!
Kanita F15 från KarlshamnTis 19 sep 15:51
F:HEY :D you're like the greatest band ever!! where are you right now and who is answering all the cuestions ? I will se you in stockholm !! :D hugs kanita
S:its me, Gerard answering…see you soon
LovisautanC F15 från SollentunaTis 19 sep 15:51
F:Hey gerard, I love you xD
S:thanks…same to you
ExplicitLyrics_ F16 från ArlövTis 19 sep 15:51
F:Is it true that the show in sthlm is the only scandinavian show on this tour?
S:yes but we will be back next year
EgoBajs F15 från SöderköpingTis 19 sep 15:50
F:Holy shit! What made up your mind to come to Sweden?
S:we finally had the time to…you guys made it possible as well…so thanks!
Elin91 F15 från KarlstadTis 19 sep 15:50
F:HI. Love MCR!… What is your best memory from your childhood?
S:going to the movies with my father
Crazy_vEvE F17 från KävlingeTis 19 sep 15:50
F:do u like lasagne?!
S:kinda…a little
MarilynOrWhat P14 från SurahammarTis 19 sep 15:50
F:Hello, i love your music. it has help me in ruff times ^^ sorry for my bad english ^^ working on it ;D how does it feel to be famous ? Love <3
S:its overwhelming at times…it comes with the lifestyle
Jane_Strays F21 från HultsfredTis 19 sep 15:50
F:Hi Gerard! How's Sweden? /Frida
S:its very nice here
loser_kid F17 från RocknebyTis 19 sep 15:49
F:hi ! will you do any more conserts in sweden after this one?! love your music ^^
S:im sure we will
casanovadropdead F18 från TrelleborgTis 19 sep 15:49
F:hey. I really like your first to records and and I've heard the new song and it's kinda diffrent from the old ones. are the rest of the cd going to be diffrent to and is there somthing special you want to say with the new one? see you in november :D
S:with us it will always be different….we are saying more direct things now…choose to live
mtv93 F13 från KungsörTis 19 sep 15:49
F:heey MCR :) i couldn't come up with a good question, so i just thought i could tell you how much u guys mean to me, thanx for everything! :P and by the way, have a great weekend. peace / becca
S:thank you!
Manga_Mania P17 från ÄsperödTis 19 sep 15:48
F:Which band(s) have you been influenced by?
S:Queen, Misfits, Smiths, Smashing Pumpkins, Pink Floyd
plain_vicious F15 från FårösundTis 19 sep 15:48
F:Hey guys! I really love your music, it has helped me through a lot of shit. Thank you! Now to my question, where do you get the inspiration to write a good song? // Johanna
S:We are inspired by classic albums, film, life
ClairVoyantDisease F15 från OsbyTis 19 sep 15:48
F:Hey Guys, From which country are you from?
S:the USA
WARNING F14 från HalmstadTis 19 sep 15:48
F:Ohgod, is it true that Gerard is BLOND ? ;o
S:false…it's WHITE
CUTEWITHOUTTHEE F19 från SödertäljeTis 19 sep 15:48
F:Do you remember a bunch of Swedish girls who slept outside for the danish concert in november 2005? i'm one of them, and you dedicated ''helena'' to us. thanx !
S:I do…thank you for coming again
ToTheEnd_ F13 från EskilstunaTis 19 sep 15:48
F:hi My Chemical Romance, I just wanted to say that you have saved my life! how are you? i´m really happy that you are coming to sweden! :) i love you <3
S:Thanks for saying that…I am well
Funk F15 från SkeneTis 19 sep 15:47
F:Do you come to sweden soon? I just love your music.. And i just dying to se you guys..
S:we come in november
depressedNhappy F16 från JonstorpTis 19 sep 15:47
F:Hi guys! First I'd like to thank you for showing me that music can be important. I have an interesting question for you… How do you feel about the fanfiction that's written about you? And especially the slash fanfiction? I'll see you guys in Stockholm. Keep rocking <3
S:Its all pretty strange but harmless as well…we just found out about it
klivilandkalle F14 från GävleTis 19 sep 15:47
F:i have a question, do you like tomatos?
S:I actually do not
PoeticTragedy F17 från LönnebergaTis 19 sep 15:46
F:Hey. ;P I was wondering, if you guys would ever break up (wich I really hope you won't), what would you do then? Would you get normal jobs? Or would you still be in the music business in some way? I really hope you answer… And, I'll see you at the concert in Stockholm in November!! :D // <3 Neela.
S:I think I would write childrens books or write sea chantys
BONKABAEVER F14 från VäxjöTis 19 sep 15:46
F:hi! i just want to say that you're the best band ever!! :D what do you think about playing in sweden?
S:We are very excited
_Annaaa_90 F16 från ÖrebroTis 19 sep 15:45
F:HEY you guys. I love u, your music rocks maan!! but i cant go to your sweden concert, cant and not allowed to :'( <3333 come back to sweden soon, after this, okay? huugs!!!<33/Anna
S:thank you…we will come back
AndreasLarsson P13 från KlågerupTis 19 sep 15:45
F:How Is It To Be My Best Punk Band!!!
S:It's great
kissmeimcontagious_ F16 från SödertäljeTis 19 sep 15:45
F:hi guys:) my friend is a HUGE fan of yours, but i couldn't get a hold of her. she cried for atleast a couple of hours when she found out you were coming to sweden.. :) anyways, why was/is the whole black parade thing such a secret? see you november 8 :)
S:We like building excitement and keeping secrets…its more fun with a sense of mystery…it also wasn't finished enough to show
Satin F16 från SolnaTis 19 sep 15:44
F:Hi :) i will just say, I love you. I will come and see you at Arenan (L)
S:Thank you! see you soon
xec P18 från FilipstadTis 19 sep 15:44
F:If you had to pick one city to live in for the rest of your life, would it me New york or Los Angeles?
S:Los Angeles
SweetRevenge_ F13 från Åkers styckebrukTis 19 sep 15:44
F:Hello MCR :) I love you guy's you're the best x) The Question: Gerard, why did you cut you're hair off? :O Hugs <3
S:it was a kind of method acting I decided to use to help sing my vocal parts
Maybee__ F14 från MariefredTis 19 sep 15:44
F:hey :) I just hace to say that I love your music , it really rocks >__< on the concert in sthlm will you have a "signing" so we'll hace a chance to meet you or something ? :)
S:Unfortunatley no signing but if time permits we will meet who we can
Svansprinsessan F18 från AvestaTis 19 sep 15:44
F:Hi guys. You're finally playing here! Yay. :) So what’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you on tour?
S:Not much craziness happens…we try and limit the craziness to the live performance
olaj P15 från MalmöTis 19 sep 15:43
F:Hi guys, first of all i just wanted to say that you're one of the greatest band's ever and second of all i wonder why you don't play in malmö or copenhagen? keep up the good work!
S:We will play those cities hopefully next year
_ankaan F15 från SandvikenTis 19 sep 15:43
F:Hur långa (tall) är ni ? :) lol
S:5.8
ErkoBoy P15 från ÖdeshögTis 19 sep 15:43
F:Hi guys! If you don't think you play emo, what do you think you play? Alternative?
S:We play rock…alternative rock if you prefer
TheTribal F15 från LöddeköpingeTis 19 sep 15:42
F:Hi MCR! I love your new single ’Welcome To The Black Parade’! Is your new cd going to be different from the last one? Love you all! //Emmy.
S:It's got a lot of growth and a stronger sense of identity…its bigger, better, and different
Griphook P17 från KullavikTis 19 sep 15:42
F:Your music rocks! If you guys were MacGyver for a day, what'd you do ? /Max
S:Build a studio out of bubble gum
el_godsmack F14 från HovåsTis 19 sep 15:42
F:what's so special with the swedish fans? :p
S:They have been so amazing and nice so far
CUREME F15 från VäxjöTis 19 sep 15:41
F:Hi! What do you feel about play in Sweden?
S:We are so excited to be playing sweden…I love it already
Jossie_Girl F19 från ÖrebroTis 19 sep 15:41
F:Hammersmith gig was awesome! What was the name of the opening band??
S:I think it was Enter Shikari
svartaroser P14 från TrollhättanTis 19 sep 15:41
F:You are so fucking Good i Love your Music.What did you start whit the music??
S:Thank you…I started singing at a young age
BandGeek P17 från KalmarTis 19 sep 15:40
F:hey guys, i play in a punkrockband from kalmar, and we're gets alot of insperation from your music and you really rock, my question is how great is the new album going to be ? ;) thx alot you rock, and frank your cool dude ;)
S:The new album is definitely a rock album…enjoy it with an open mind and let it take you on a journey
electriceffects F16 från TrelleborgTis 19 sep 15:40
F:i saw you guys in copenhagen back in november, great show. So my question is, why is Stockholm the only scandinavian city you're in playing this year?
S:WE will be playing as many new cities as possible next year
bd_gone F16 från ÅstorpTis 19 sep 15:40
F:Hi Gerard! How's you're leg doing?
S:My leg is a lot better thanks
simpleplanfreaket F14 från ÖrebroTis 19 sep 15:39
F:HI guy = D waazzup ? which band are opining for you ? and plz cant you have a sining on the day at the show or like comme out after the show cause that whould be great to meet you :D have it great / sara
S:We always try and pick great bands to open for…we are not sure who will be opening this time. There won't be a signing but we always try and meet the fans after the show when we can…especially on a first visit. Hopefully we can
