My Chemical Romance: 12 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

My Chemical Romance burst back onto the global rock scene in October 2019 when they announced that they would playing live shows for the first time in 7 years.

The first reunion show happened on the 20th of December 2019 in Los Angeles. 6,299 lucky fans watched them play. Tickets cost $140, but the show sold out in 4 minutes. To be honest, I would not have minded to be one of those fans. I’m so green with jealousy, I could probably be a South African version of the Green Lantern.

There are no My Chemical Romance shows that have been announced for South Africa to date. This makes me sad. But, I’ve decided NOT to mope like the Grinch would.

Instead of moping because I’m probably not going to see them live in the near future in South Africa, I decided to do some research about them instead. This is what I found on the interwebs…

Here are 12 Interesting My Chemical Romance facts you might not have not known:

1. Gerard Way insists that My Chemical Romance are NOT an Emo band

I actually don’t agree with this (and I’m probably not alone). This is what Gerard Way told the The Maine Campus in an interview:

“I think emo is fucking garbage, it’s bullshit… All I can say is anyone actually listening to the records, put the records next to each other and listen to them and there’s actually no similarities.” 

2. The “Famous Last Words” Video Shoot Seriously Injured Two Band Members

Back in August of 2006, My Chemical Romance started filming for the music video. They actually filmed that music video along with “Welcome To The Black Parade” in the span of two days.

By day two, things started to get messy and that’s when the injuries started. Rhythm guitarist Frank Iero tackled vocalist Gerard Way. Way tore the ligaments in his ankle. Drummer Bob Bryar’s kit was set up too close to the flames in the music video, and he ended up receiving second and third-degree burns on his leg, eventually leading up to gangrene.

3. Tim Burton’s Costume Expert Designed The Band’s Uniforms

Colleen Atwood, the Academy Award-winning costume designer responsible for the costumes in Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. She was actually the mastermind behind “The Black Parade”‘s costumes on tour and in their music videos.

4. “Welcome To The Black Parade” Used To Be Called “The Five Of Us Are Dying”

The band started writing the song in 2002. You can hear a rough demo of the original song once it was written for the first time, released on The Black Parade‘s 10th anniversary album Living With Ghosts.

5. “Welcome To The Black Parade” was written In a Haunted House

“The Paramour” mansion or Canfield-Moreno Estate, in California, is known to be extremely haunted. This is where My Chemical Romance wrote the entire concept album.

The band reported doors slamming in their faces and a dark feeling that loomed over bassist Mikey Way’s room. Other bands have recorded there too and have reported paranormal phenomenons too, such as Papa Roach, who said to have heard footsteps and singing in the house.

6. Gerard Way formed My Chemical Romance in 2001 as an artistic response to 9/11

At that time he was a visual artist. He recruited his younger brother Mikey to play bass as well as guitarist Ray Toro and drummer Matt Pelissier. Rhythm guitarist Frank Iero joined the following year after his band, Pencey Prep, broke up.

7. Mikey Way suggested the band’s name

He was working in a Barnes & Noble store at the time. Mike was struck by the title of a book by Irvine Welsh named Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.

8. “Mama” Features The Members’ Mothers

The song “Mama” from the album actually features some of the members’ mothers and other relatives. Iero’s mother and the parents of the Way brothers sing along the pirate shanty at the end of the track.

9. Gerard Way is also the co-founder of DC Comics’ Young Animal imprint

He wrote the comic mini-series The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys and the Eisner Award-winning comic book series The Umbrella Academy (which was adapted into a Netflix series). The series premiered on the popular streaming service in February 2019 and was renewed for a second season.

10. To date My Chemical Romance have released 4 studio albums

I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love was released in 2002. Their second album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge was released in 2004. The Black Parade was released in 2006 and Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys was released in 2010. Maybe they will release a new album in the near future? Who knows?

11. The band released a new single in 2022

On May 12 of this year, the band released “The Foundations of Decay”, their first new song since 2014. The song commences with a burst of static interference, followed by the gentle introduction of an electric guitar, piano, and a relaxed drumbeat, all accompanying Way’s distorted vocals. This leads to a powerful chorus that Billboard likened to the anthemic intensity of MCR‘s cherished 2006 song “Welcome to the Black Parade.”

12. Several special editions of The Black Parade album were released

The first variant features white text set against a black backdrop, while the second displays black text against a white background. The third iteration takes the standard booklet and reverses it, revealing the parade illustration crafted by comic artist James Jean. Within the booklet, you’ll also find a sheet with the lyrics, a band photograph, and depictions of characters from the album.

Well, there you have it, 12 interesting facts about My Chemical Romance that you might not have known. If you have something that you can add, feel free to post it in the comments below.

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