Break out the eyeliner and copies of Kerrang! Magazine- My Chemical Romance are back.
On 31st October, the East Coast emo punk band announced that they’re reuniting for their first concert since playing the Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey in 2012. Tickets went on sale on 1st November, and sold out within two minutes, despite the strict two ticket limit per buyer. The concert is set to take place in Shrine Expo Hall in downtown LA on 20th December 2019.
This announcement follows an almost 7 year break. Formed in 2001, the band was essential in defining and shaping the concept of “emo” music. After the success of I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, they quickly gathered a cult following, and proceeded to tour with Green Day and headline Warped Tour. However, after 12 years and 4 studio albums together, MCR announced their break-up in March 2013, much to the dismay of many Hot Topic wearing, angsty teens.
In an interview with the Guardian earlier this year, frontman Gerard Way ruled out the prospect of a reunion, saying ‘We definitely get offers regularly to reunite – it’s a constant thing…It’s flattering, it’s really nice of people … I miss playing with the guys, but I don’t think so.’ However, on Halloween, the band broke the news on Instagram with a black and white photo of two statues with the word RETURN and the details of their LA show by the same name.
Some have seen the announcement of a reunion show as a complete surprise; however, others speculate that this has been in the works for some time. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mikey Way commented that after going to see Smashing Pumpkins in Madison Square Gardens with Gerard Way, they both realised ‘This is the band we want to be’. Several comments have been made on the fact that MCR seems to be following a similar timeline to that of the Smashing Pumpkins. Both bands lost their original drummer and they both were together for 12 years before breaking up. Smashing Pumpkins reformed after a 6 year hiatus which would mean that if MCR were to do the same, they would reform this year. Fans have also noted that the music video for ‘Na Na Na’ from the last studio album Danger Days: The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys, was set in California in 2019. Could MCR have been hinting at their future reunion when they first recorded this? Also, the last song recorded by MCR before their split was called ‘Fake Your Death’, perhaps another clue hinting at the rebirth of the band.
It remains to be seen whether the “Return” concert will lead to further concerts or new material.
Watch the ‘Na Na Na’ video below:
