My Chemical Romance: The Ultimate Guide (FAN MADE)

My Chemical Romance are my favourite band and since 2006 have been the sound track to my life. I decided to make this e-magazine to commemorate 10 years of the band I love. Through this magazine I'll take you on a journey from 2001 when the band first formed to 2011 when after 10 years, 4 albums and 4 drummers see MCR at the top of their game.

Thank you so much for downloading this.

Stephen Henderson

This is a totally NOT for profit publication. This is offered free and therefore no profit is made.

This is in no way endorsed or related to My Chemical Romance or their label. All images in this publication are subject to copyright and remain property of the appropriate person(s). All music lyrics copyright MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE (Way/Way/Toro/Iero) & (Way/Way/Bryar/Toro/Iero).

Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy within this publication.

Written, published, designed and edited by STEPHEN HENDERSON ( www.youtube.com/StephenDHenderson )

MCR are Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Frank Iero & Ray Toro

The first time I heard My Chemical Romance was in 2006. The song was “Welcome to the Black Parade”. I was about 13 and then I heard that song. The reaction this had on me... IT BLEW MY FUCKING MIND!!! Everything from the piano intro (which along with Hot Cross Buns is the only thing I can play) to the rocking middle and the drum-roll end. It triggered something in my mind and overnight MCR were everything. Then this opened the flood gates. My mp3 player began filling up with Nickleback, AC/DC, Queen, Green Day and the like.

I'm not gonna go down the route of “MCR saved my life”. I'm sure they have saved a few people's but not mine. However, they completely changed it! I'm so glad I

found this band. They mean so much to me, I won't buy the Daily Mail after the whole “Fuck the Daily Mail”, but to be honest I'd never buy it anyway.

Gerard & co are the soundtrack to my life. Whilst I do tend to favour the later half of the MCR back catalogue, Three Cheers has some awesome tracks and you can really hear the evolution of their sound from the first album through to the fourth.

MCR are fucking awesome and long may they reign as the kings of Punk-Rock

My Chemical Romance were formed shortly after September 11, 2001. Gerard was already at the bottom of a drink and drug fuelled depression when he witnessed the horrific events of that day.

A few days later he and Matt Pellisier formed a band and wrote a song “Skylines & Turnstiles” about 9/11. The band's line up was later completed by Way's school friend Ray Toro and his brother Mikey who dropped out of college in order to play in his brother's band. Prior to this he couldn't even play.

Then just days before recording their first album “I Brought You Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love” they met Frank Iero, who had been the front man of Prency Prep and joined as MCR's rhythm guitarist.

The first album was released in 2002. Their star was rising. On this album songs such as “Honey This Mirror Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us” and “Our Lady of Sorrows” depicting the still very dark place that the band but mostly Gerard was in at the time.

This album is dark. The Black Parade is dark but that's not real dark. The first and second albums are about the real lives of the band, the troubles they are going through which makes for some uneasy, yet brilliant listening. You can really hear the MCR we know and love breaking through.

Gerard's Troubles Gerard has had a lot to deal with in his life. From being held at gunpoint at the age of 15 to his alcoholism and prescription drug addiction.

His bandmates have twice been there for him when he battled with depression, first at the formation of the band and then later when deciding to give up drinking. Gerard has now been sober since August 2004. He appears to have beaten his daemons, in a recent issue of Spin magazine, he said that, having become a happier person and feeling more in control.

However, one vice remains, his love for Marlboro Reds.

"Surrounding myself with fans makes me feel like I'm not going through it alone."

The world has become a happier place for Gerard Way. His band has just been signed to major label Reprise Records and just days before their second album's release he decides to give up alcohol.

The album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, went platinum in just over a year and thanks to sharing a producer (Rob Cavallo) they tour with Green Day on their American Idiot tour.

However, like the rollercoaster of My Chemical Romance, the ups are accompanied with downs.

Gerard spirals into depression due to the death of his grandmother (whom he dedicated the song Helena to) and the stress of quitting alcohol, but the band

brung him back from the brink.

Also, after the tour of Japan in July 2004, original drummer Matt is replaced Bob Bryar.

The album is great and features such instant classics as I'm Not Okay, Helena, Ghost of You, Thank You For The Venom and I Never Told You What I Did For A Living.

I'm Not Okay was voted #2 in Kerrang's 100 Top Rock Songs narrowly beaten by Avenged Sevenfold's “Seize the Day� with whom they once toured. The video is the story of not fitting in at school, with hilarious consequences.

With such a hit on their first Reprise single, it was quite clear that the guys from New Jersey had hit the big time.

"Basically, it's never been accurate to describe us. Emo bands were being booked while we were touring with Christian metal bands because no one would book us on tours. I think emo is Fucking garbage, it's bullshit. I think there's bands that unfortunately we get lumped in with that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo."

Gerard Way on MCR's emo label

t s r o w e h t s ' What ? y a s d l u o c I t tha ! y a w s i h t f a r e b e t te r o T hi n g s

The Black Parade is a story. The story begins with the patient, who dies. But his earliest memory is when his father used to take him to see a parade in town, so when death comes to him, it comes in the form of a parade. This was The Black Parade, the alter egos of My Chemical Romance and as far the only explanation for Gerard's blonde hair.

Welcome to the Black Parade, originally to be named “The Five of us are Dying”, is to My Chemical Romance what Bohemian Rhapsody is to Queen. The piano intro leading into the rock anthem without any chorus. It's the instantly recognisable song that broke them into the mainstream

The next single was “Famous Last Words” which continues the story of The Black Parade. The setting of The Black Parade lies in flaming ruin but MCR rise from the dead - They're “not afraid to keep on living.” Then we get “I Don't Love You”. If “The Black Parade” is“Bohemian Rhapsody”, “I Don't Love You” is “Love of My Life”.

It's MCR's only love ballad, but completely fucks around with the established norm as this is a story about falling out of love.

Then we have “Teenagers”, which is the story

of “Teenagers scaring the living shit out of me�. This song doesn't really fit into the TBP concept, so in the video the costumes are totally different to define that this is the telling of a different story, but perhaps this was the patient's teenage years. Gerard had the idea for this song whilst on the NYC Subway realising he had all these preconceived ideas about teenagers, even when they aren't as scary as society thinks. It's punky and spunky.

Cancer, is another story of the patient and his tragic death. It's the saddest song on the album and even makes me sad now. I defy you not to feel just a little sympathy during

this song.

The Black Parade was accompanied by a world tour ending in Mexico City. It was a show of pyrotechnics and awesome singing and Ray Toro shredding guitar solos.

Definitely MCR's best album yet.

The Black Parade was such an epic success that it almost proved too much too follow. The band nearly split in the process.

Nearly half an album was written and recorded before the band decided that they would start again.

It was during the recording of NaNaNa that the foundations of Danger Days would be set. It was after that song that the new 4 piece MCR began to see their new album form.

Danger Days was everything that The Black Parade wasn't. TBP was dark and deadly and Danger Days was bright and full of comicstyle fun. But in true MCR style, it still has it's dark side. It's all about overthrowing Better Living Industries, who are taking over the world in the year 2019.

This is, if anything, a concept album. It tells the story of the Fabulous Killjoys. Each band member has their own alias.

Gerard was Party Poison. Ray was Jet Star. Mikey was Kobra Kid. Frank was Fun Ghoul. Together led

by Dr Death-Defying they fight against the cleaned-up corporation progress of BL/ind.

But above all the changes, including the ever varying shade of Gerard's hair, THIS IS STILL FUCKING AWESOME. NaNaNa almost combines the catchy tunes of a pop-song with the anarchistic punk rock that you'd expect from MCR. Then SING, which was even covered by Glee, which Gerard and the guys actually liked!

Despite the apparent propaganda (claimed FOX News, but then again FOX think anything is propaganda) it's still the brilliant MCR rock that goes through the entire album.

This album has everything.

Concepts. CHECK! A lead singer with red hair. CHECK! A video with shoot-em-up laser guns.

CHECK! But one thing we never expected was Planetary GO! It begins like a rave and ends like, well just like any MCR song. But that's no bad thing. Check out the remix on the Planetary single which starts like a rave ends like a rave and yet still sounds like MCR. And in the end MCR are back to what they do best, as all the Killjoys alter egos die.

Smash, blast and death. MCR are rocking again.

WELL I WAS THERE ON THE DAY N EE QU E TH R FO E US CA E TH LD SO EY TH AND WHEN THE LIGHTS ALL WENT OUT EN RE SC E TH ON S VE LI R OU ED CH AT W E W I HATE THE ENDING MYSELF E EN SC T GH RI AL AN H IT W D TE AR ST IT T BU

Y o u 'r e

Wit h

g n o s d a s a t j us

y a s o t g n i h not

In 2006 My Chemical Romance played Reading festival. All did not go to plan. Bottles were thrown and the band were booed for most of the performance.

Gerard vowed he would never return, unless they were headlining it . In 2011 they did just that.

Gerard, speaking to NME said: “The Reading Show was the best of our lives...The best shows are the ones that have a lot riding on them and everything to lose”.

MCR completely rocked the 2011 audience and they were assisted by

Brian May of Queen.

Gerard said “ I wrote an email to Brian saying...You guys [Queen] played a festival in Paris, and the story goes that you got booed off and Freddie said that we were gonna come back and be the biggest band in the world, so after what happened to us in Reading in 2006, people would always ask us would we ever do anything like that again and I said: No, not unless we're head-lining it.”

Brian agreed to do the show and signed his email “Tell me more” which Gerard said was the best part.

Brian had first came to notice MCR when they covered Queen's Under Pressure and complimented their on-stage enthusiasm.

The Reading show was awesome. Then, Brian was the icing on the cake. He joined them for a cover of Queen's We Will Rock You, which could only have been better if Gerard had actually sung the fucking chorus rather than letting the audience sing it, and for the final song, MCR favourite “Welcome to the Black Parade” MCR loved the night so much, they changed the home page of the official website with a picture of the Reading Stage and the caption “Thank You!”

E H T E R A C S S R E G A N E TE !

E M F O T U O t i h S G N I LI V

My Chemical Romance have but one problem. They just can't keep drummers. First along was Matt. He left after the first album. No explanation has ever been given except “We don't like to talk shit”.

His replacement was Bob Bryar. He first appearing, uncredited, in the video for I'm Not Okay. Bob injured his wrist during The Black Parade Tour so he was temporarily replaced. He was then with the band until halfway through the band's 4th album, when MCR and Bryar “went their separate ways” according to Iero.

Again, no explicit reason was given. No permanent replacement was ever appointed.

When Bob's touring replacement, Michael Pedicone was fired we finally got a reason. He was caught stealing from the band. His defence was that he was trying to get a stage hand fired for apparent incompetence.

That didn't wash and he was forced to leave the band, replaced by Jarrod Alexander as a temporary replacement.

My Chemical Romance and their drummers, eh? Even the temporary ones go out the window. Bryar is obviously the best, most loved and we were all a bit sad when ginger Bob left.

Well, I was.

I'm the onl y f riend That'll ma k e you cry You're a h eart atta ck in black h air dye

t r a p t s e d r a h e h t C au s e u o y g n i v a e l s i , s i h of t

Studio Albums I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002) Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004) The Black Parade (2006) Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (2010)

Singles

Vampires Will Never Hurt You

Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us

Head first for Halos I'm Not Okay (I Promise) Thank You for the Venom Helena Under Pressure The Ghost of You Welcome to the Black Parade Famous Last Words I Don't Love You Teenagers Desolation Row

Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)

The Only Hope for Me Is You Sing Planetary (GO!)

GRAVITY!

DON'T MEAN TOO MUCH TO ME

SING!

It for the boys!

SING! It for the girls!

SING! Every time that you lose it sing it for the world!

Grammy Award - Nominated for "Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package" for The Black Parade in 2008 Kerrang! Award - Won "Best Band on the Planet" in 2006 Kerrang! Award - Won "Best International Band" in 2007 Kerrang! Award - Won "Best Album" for Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge Kerrang! Award - Won "Best Video" for "Helena" in 2005 2005 MTV Video Music Awards - Nominated for "Best New Artist in a Video" for "Helena" 2005 MTV Video Music Awards - Nominated for "Best Rock Video" for "Helena" 2005 MTV Video Music Awards - Nominated for "Best Choreography in a Video" for "Helena" TRL Italy Award - Nominated for "Best New Artist" TRL Award 2006 - Won "Best Group That Actually Plays"[68] MTV Asia Awards 2006 - Nominated for "Favourite Rock Act" MTV Asia Awards 2006 - Nominated for "Favourite Breakthrough Artist" MTV Asia Awards 2006 - Nominated for "Favourite Video" for "Helena" NME Awards - Won "Best International Band" in 2007 NME Awards - Won "Best International Band" in 2011 NME Awards - Won "Best Video" for "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)" in 2011 NME Awards - Nominated “Best Album” for Danger Days NME Awards - Nominated “Worst” for Danger Days 15th Annual Music Video Production Awards - Won "Best Colourist/Telecine" for "Helena" and "Best Styling" for "The Ghost of You"[68]

FACT: Welcome to the Black Parade was MCR's first UK #1 Single

The hardest part, is letting go of...

YOUR DREAMS!

BLOOD! BLOOD!

GALLONS OF THE STUFF! GIVE THEM ALL THAT YOU CAN BLEED BUT IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH

www.imnotokay.net

Name:

Gerard Arthur Way DOB: April 9, 1977 From:New Jersey Position in band: Lead Vocals Family: Married to Lindsey Ann Ballatto (Lyn-Z from the band Mindless Self Indulgence) & one daughter (Bandit Lee Way) Gerard

is also a talented comic book artist and worked an as intern with Cartoon Network Gerard

is afraid of needles

www.imnotokay.net

Name:

Frank Iero DOB: October 31st, 1981 From: New Jersey Position in band: Rhythm guitarist Family: Married to Jamia Nestor & twin daughters Frank Frank

is 5'4'

plays an Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Custom guitar with an Alpine White finish, among others

www.imnotokay.net

Name:

Michael James Way (brother of Gerard) DOB: September 10, 1980 From: New Jersey Position in band: Bassist Family: Married to Alicia Simmons Mikey

and Alicia have matching tattoos on their wrists. Mikey

was also responsible for the band's name, which came from an Irvine Welsh novel Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance

www.imnotokay.net

Name:

Raymond Toro Ortiz DOB: July 15, 1977 From: New Jersey, went to same

high school as

Gerard & Mikey Position

in band: Lead Guitarist Family: Married to Christa Ray

wears contact lenses

Ray's

trademark is his afro, he doesn't mind people touching it, but when Mikey straightened it he didn't like it even when his band members did.

I never...

Said I'd lie and wait forever If you said we'd be together

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY

MY FATHER

TOOK ME INTO THE CITY

TO SEE A MARCHING BAND!

www.mychemicalromance.com www.youtube.com/mychemicalromance www.imnotokay.net www.youtube.com/StephenDHenderson

I'm not afraid to keep on living, I'm not afraid to walk this world alone