My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade Marches On…
On Friday 10 July, I saw My Chemical Romance at Wembley Stadium for what must be about the 25th time. This show was different. It wasn’t just a concert; it was a personal therapy session, (to me) a dystopian warning, and the moment my husband finally understood why this band has been in my life and heart for so long… (and good night ;) ).
This is my experience of the new wave of The Black Parade: my views, my emotions, my thoughts.
For me, music, especially in the past, has always been a trusted friend, a goto when shrouded in darkness and a mirror to my own soul. The first time the Black Parade came along, it was a very individual experience. It spoke to me, my weaknesses, my fears, my desires. Famous Last Words was my anthem, the song that energized me when my body felt weak, but my spirit had the ember of fight in it and needed this magical potion to re-awaken the fire.
It was all ego, all around me, all my emotion.
This time… my experience of The Black Parade was very very different.
The lead up to going to the concert was very fitting… you arrive from the tube station, descend a flight of stairs with stern looking security examining your very move. A modern, wide lane awaits, with clean, modern and square apartments, fancy (and less fancy) food and beverages to attract our addictive brain, a row of camera’s in the middle where there is no escape from Big Brother and speakers repeating the constant mantra of what we are allowed and not allowed to do… for our safety of course… because remember, these days, we can not trust our own common sense, we need it repeated over and over to keep us all safe and let someone else do the thinking for us. How very Orwellian…
Yes, saying ‘Orwellian’ can sound pretentious, but I don’t mean it that way. What worries me is how easily we divide ourselves into ‘educated’ and ‘non‑educated’, the Bart’s vs the Lisa’s, and forget we’re all human. All with different talents, different and beautiful hue’s (hueman), thoughts and emotions which make us unique and interesting to be around.
Anyway… this was the fitting opening act, even before we got to the stadium.
Before the show, I met up with the photographers as I had a photopass for the show, it felt like a miracle that I was able to do that… I definitely had a fairy godmother or father who sprinkled their magic dust to make that happen :-) ; meeting up with the photographers was a very different experience than 10 years ago. Of course I am a bit older now and still talk about websites and facebook, and these young photographers all pull up their instagram pages. But that is ok, that wasn’t the most remarkable thing. The most remarkable was the emotion and the honesty in the emotion of the photographers. In the past, most of the time, I used to be the only ‘fan’ photographer, the others were there to do a job, be serious and just see it as another artist they are covering. Not this time, a few of the ladies there were very open about how much MCR meant to them, there were even some tears and it is refreshing to see. Humanity is rising, realness is coming through…
We entered the stadium around 7:25 and were escorted to the side of the stage. I was excitedly looking for my husband, who reluctantly had to enter this huge stadium by himself and find his seat. Not something he had done before. I could not see him, but I waved anyway on the off chance he might see me. (turns out he did :) )
A bit after 7:40 we got to go into the pit and take pictures. I loved it, singing along whilst taking pictures, absolutely love it. And sometimes there might be a little blur in there, but I feel like it’s the same with cooking food, if you put emotion, care and genuine love into this, there is a little magic in those pictures. At least to me, hopefully also to you :)
I am going to jump to the end of the show, as I am sure there are plenty of reviews who will share setlists and details… you don’t need me for that. What I am trying to share is the impact, on me, as an individual person. Very much my own views as I am sure that other people watching exactly the same show, will probably have very different thoughts, emotions and experiences.
On my facebook, before the show, someone had posted the show was epic, they went to see it the day before. And I have to say, epic is exactly the right word for it. It was epic: thought‑provoking, motivating, energising… the music combined with the whole production was at another level. For me, it brought home thought of dystopian futures with elite power hungry assholes who suppress and take freedom of expression away. I think all of us can picture quite a few of those in this and other countries with their digital tracking, oppression of freedom of speech and their constant subtle brainwashing through whatever little box in your hands or living rooms.
While the production made me think about dystopian futures and power‑hungry elites, there were also moments where all of that fell away and it became painfully intimate again. Where it hit home, became inwards, very personal. A life long wait for a hospital stay… and you know the song… the one starting with C, I don’t even want to write it here because of what it now means to me. It stirred up the fresh emotions and deep cuts to my heart of my wonderful dad’s horrific journey to the afterlife. Tears were shed. Guilt, regret, sadness and grief were awakened. But in true My Chemical Romance style, they took me from despair and disappearance to a glimmer of hope, strength, and belief in myself. Remember everybody wants to change the world, but no one, no one wants to try… wanne try? - yes - a well resounding yes!!!! Enough with humanity living lives to wait for a life long hospital stay… not on my watch. Hence the different direction, or complementary direction I am taking with TasteiTTv, a more holistic exploration of us humans and the strengths we have.
The show became my own personal therapy; on the highest level, re-awakening purpose and integrity, a voice, subtle but strong, caring and challenging.
Is this the intent behind the music, behind their art? I don’t know, and in a way, it doesn’t matter. Of course I would love to know, but that’s the beauty of art: it lives in the eyes and hearts of everyone who experiences it.
On that night at Wembley, The Black Parade carried me… from a fighting awakening spirit, to grief and numbness back to purpose - and that’s the version of the story I’m taking with me into TasteiTTv and beyond.
Thank you My Chemical Romance - you will forever be in my heart.
