My Chemical Romance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids My Chemical Romance |
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My Chemical Romance in Oklahoma City, 2022. From left to right: Mikey Way, Frank Iero, Gerard Way, Ray Toro, Jarrod Alexander, and Jamie Muhoberac
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| Origin | New Jersey, U.S. |
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My Chemical Romance is a famous American rock band from New Jersey. The band's current members are Gerard Way (lead singer), Ray Toro (lead guitarist), Frank Iero (rhythm guitarist), and Mikey Way (bassist). They are known as one of the most important rock groups of the 2000s. They are also a big name in the pop-punk and emo music styles. However, the band does not like to be called "emo."
The band started in September 2001. Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro, and drummer Matt Pelissier formed the group. Frank Iero joined later. They signed with Eyeball Records and released their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, in 2002. The next year, they signed with Reprise Records. Their first album with a major label, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, came out in 2004. Soon after, Matt Pelissier was replaced by Bob Bryar. This album was very popular and sold many copies.
Their 2006 album, The Black Parade, became even more successful. This album was a rock opera and a concept album. Its first song, "Welcome to the Black Parade", became number one in the UK. This album made the band even more popular. Their fourth album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, was released in 2010. Bob Bryar left the band before this album came out. In 2012, James Dewees joined as a touring keyboard player. In 2012 and 2013, the band released songs they had recorded in 2009. These were called Conventional Weapons. My Chemical Romance announced they were breaking up on March 22, 2013. In 2014, a collection of their best songs, May Death Never Stop You, was released. A special edition of The Black Parade came out in 2016 to celebrate its tenth anniversary.
On October 31, 2019, the band announced they would play a reunion show. This concert happened in Los Angeles on December 20, 2019. In January 2020, they announced more shows and a Reunion Tour. This tour started in 2022 after being delayed for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour ended in early 2023.
Band History
Starting the Band: 2001–2002
The band started in New Jersey with singer Gerard Way and drummer Matt Pelissier. This was soon after the September 11 attacks. Seeing the World Trade Center towers fall made Gerard Way want to start a band. He said, "Music was this thing I secretly wanted to do." He wrote the song "Skylines and Turnstiles" about his feelings on September 11.
Ray Toro joined as the guitarist because Gerard could not sing and play guitar at the same time. Gerard's younger brother, Mikey Way, suggested the band's name. The first songs were recorded in Matt Pelissier's attic. These included "Our Lady of Sorrows" and "Cubicles." Mikey Way joined the band after hearing these demo songs.
While with Eyeball Records, the band met Frank Iero. He was the singer and guitarist for another band, Pencey Prep. When Pencey Prep broke up in 2002, Frank Iero joined My Chemical Romance. This was just days before they recorded their first album. They recorded I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love only three months after forming. It was released in 2002 by Eyeball Records. Thursday's singer, Geoff Rickly, produced the album. Frank Iero played guitar on two songs, including "Early Sunsets Over Monroeville." The band offered free downloads of their music online. This helped them gain many early fans.
Becoming Popular: 2003–2006
On August 31, 2003, the band announced they had signed with Reprise Records. Their second album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, came out on June 8, 2004. About a month later, Bob Bryar replaced Matt Pelissier as the drummer. The band released four popular songs from this album: "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", "Thank You for the Venom", "Helena", and "The Ghost of You". The album sold over a million copies in just over a year.
In 2005, the band toured with other groups like The Used and Killswitch Engage. They also opened for Green Day on their American Idiot tour. My Chemical Romance also toured with Fall Out Boy and Alkaline Trio. That same year, they worked with The Used to cover the song "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie. This song was released to help people affected by a tsunami.
In March 2006, the band released Life on the Murder Scene. This included a CD and two DVDs. One DVD showed the band's history. The other had music videos and live performances. A book about the band, Something Incredible This Way Comes, was also released in 2006.
The Black Parade Era: 2006–2009
My Chemical Romance began recording their third album on April 10, 2006. They worked with Rob Cavallo, who had produced many of Green Day's albums.
By August 3, 2006, the band finished filming videos for their first two songs from the album. These were "Welcome to the Black Parade" and "Famous Last Words". Both videos were directed by Samuel Bayer. During the filming of the second video, Gerard Way and Bob Bryar were hurt. Because of this, the band had to cancel some tour dates.
On August 22, 2006, the band played a special show in London. All tickets for the show sold out in just 15 minutes.
"Welcome to the Black Parade" was released as a song on September 11, 2006. Its music video came out later that month. The song became the band's first number-one hit in the UK in October 2006. The album The Black Parade was released on October 23, 2006. In the US, "Welcome to the Black Parade" reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This is their only top ten hit on that chart so far.
The Black Parade World Tour began on February 22, 2007. Bands like Rise Against and Muse joined them on tour. James Dewees joined the band to play keyboards and synthesizer. In April 2007, Mikey Way took a break from the tour to be with his new wife. Matt Cortez filled in for him. During another part of the tour, some band members and crew got sick. They had to cancel some shows. The band later joined Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution tour in 2007.
My Chemical Romance received many awards for The Black Parade. Kerrang! magazine called it the fourth-greatest album of 2006. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it the 20th best album of 2006. My Chemical Romance won Best International Band at the 2007 NME Awards. Gerard Way also won Hero of the Year.
In 2008, the band released a live DVD/CD called The Black Parade Is Dead!. This included two concerts from October 2007. In 2009, they released an EP (a short album) of extra songs from The Black Parade. This was called The Black Parade: The B-Sides. They also released ¡Venganza!, which had nine live videos from their Mexico City show.
New Sound: Danger Days (2009–2011)
In February 2009, My Chemical Romance released a new song called "Desolation Row". This was a cover of a Bob Dylan song. It was used in the 2009 movie Watchmen.
The band worked with producer Brendan O'Brien on their fourth album. He had worked with bands like AC/DC and Pearl Jam. Gerard Way told NME that the next album would be a rock album. He said it would be "stripped down" and less theatrical.
On July 31 and August 1, 2009, My Chemical Romance played two "secret" shows in Los Angeles. These were their first concerts since May 2008. The band played several new songs from their upcoming album. One song, first called "Death Before Disco," was later renamed "Party Poison."
In November 2009, Gerard Way told Rock Sound that their fourth album would be their most important work. He felt it would make their older music seem less important.
On March 3, 2010, Frank Iero announced that Bob Bryar had left the band. He wrote that it was a "painful decision" for everyone.
In a March 2010 MTV interview, Gerard Way said they had no title for the new album yet. He was very happy with the songs. The band later announced the album title with a video called Art is a Weapon. The album was named Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. On September 22, 2010, the band played their song "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)" on the radio. The album was released on November 22, 2010. Other songs from the album included "Sing" and "Planetary (Go!)".
Rock Sound magazine gave the album a good review. They said the band used what they learned from The Black Parade and improved.
Michael Pedicone joined the band as a touring drummer in late 2010. On September 2, 2011, Frank Iero announced that Michael Pedicone was no longer with the band. Jarrod Alexander became the new touring drummer.
New Songs and Break-up: 2011–2013
In October 2011, guitarist Frank Iero said that new music might be released "by summer."
On April 28, 2011, a US broadcaster criticized the My Chemical Romance song "Sing". This happened after the song was featured on the TV show Glee. Gerard Way responded on the band's website. He said he was surprised that the lyrics were not checked properly. Bassist Mikey Way told the BBC that if people reacted strongly, it meant they were doing something right.
On December 18, 2011, the band appeared on Nick Jr. Channel's Yo Gabba Gabba!. They performed a song called "Every Snowflake Is Different (Just Like You)" for a Christmas special.
In February 2012, My Chemical Romance members said they were building a studio in Los Angeles. They planned to record music for their fifth album, called MCR5. Touring keyboardist James Dewees became an official member. In September 2012, the band announced a new project called Conventional Weapons. This project included 10 unreleased songs recorded in 2009. The band released two songs each month from October 2012 to February 2013.
On March 22, 2013, the band announced they were breaking up on their official website. They said, "Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing." They thanked fans for their support. Two days later, Gerard Way confirmed the break-up on Twitter. He said that arguments between band members were not the reason for the split.
After the Break-up: 2013–2019
On March 25, 2014, the band released a collection of their greatest hits. It was called May Death Never Stop You. This album included one new song, "Fake Your Death". It was the only song where James Dewees played keyboards.
After the band broke up, the members continued to make music. Lead singer Gerard Way released his first solo album, Hesitant Alien, on September 29, 2014. It was very successful, reaching number one on the US Billboard Alternative Albums chart.
Rhythm guitarist Frank Iero worked with My Chemical Romance keyboardist James Dewees. They formed a band called Death Spells. Frank Iero also released a solo album called Stomachaches in August 2014. Former My Chemical Romance touring drummer Jarrod Alexander played on this album.
Bassist Mikey Way formed a band called Electric Century in 2014. They released their first song, "I Lied," in February 2014. Their first EP (short album) came out in April 2015.
Lead guitarist Ray Toro released a song called "Isn't That Something" on May 24, 2013. On January 1, 2015, he shared a new song, "For the Lost and Brave," on his website.
On July 20, 2016, the band posted a video on their social media. It had the piano music from "Welcome to the Black Parade" and a date: "9/23/16." This made many people think the band was reuniting. But it was for a new version of The Black Parade with unreleased demo songs. This re-release was called The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts.
Gerard Way later said that a reunion was possible but not certain. He said everyone was enjoying what they were doing in their lives.
The Reunion: 2019–Present
On October 31, 2019, the band announced they would reunite for a show in Los Angeles on December 20. The tickets sold out almost immediately. At first, people thought it was a one-time show. But a week later, the band announced more dates in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand for 2020. They later shared that they had secretly regrouped in 2017 and had been working together since then.
In January 2020, the group announced plans for concerts in Milton Keynes, England. Tickets for these shows sold out in minutes. Later that month, they announced a North American tour. These tickets also sold out very quickly. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all the shows planned for 2020 were delayed until 2021, and then again to 2022. The tour finally started on May 16, 2022, and ended on March 26, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan.
On May 12, 2022, the band released "The Foundations of Decay". This was their first new song since 2014.
My Chemical Romance was a main band at the When We Were Young Festival 2024 in Las Vegas. They played their entire 2006 album The Black Parade. After the festival, the band announced the Long Live The Black Parade for 2025. On this tour, they will again play The Black Parade album from start to finish.
In November 2024, the band's former drummer, Bob Bryar, passed away at his home.
Music Style and Influences
Band Style
My Chemical Romance is known for its "goth-like" look and dramatic singing. Their songs often have deep, personal lyrics. The band's music is mostly called alternative rock, emo, pop-punk, post-hardcore, punk rock, and hard rock. They have also made songs that sound like emo pop, hardcore punk, gothic rock, pop rock, arena rock, glam rock, progressive rock, heavy metal, pop, screamo, and garage punk.
The band's first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, has a raw sound. It features fast guitar riffs and very energetic singing, sometimes with screaming. Their next album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, has very active music and a strong, immediate feel.
Their third album, The Black Parade, is a "concept album" that tells a story. It has powerful guitar riffs and soaring guitar solos. This album has been called alternative rock, emo, pop punk, progressive rock, post-hardcore, and punk rock. It also has sounds from 1970s classic rock, glam rock, pop, and gothic rock. The band's fourth album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, added parts of power pop, psychedelic rock, proto-punk, pop rock, and electronic rock to their sound.
What Inspired Them
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Gerard Way told Rolling Stone that they love bands like Queen, which are "huge and majestic." But they also like bands like Black Flag and the Misfits, who were very wild. Way has said that Queen, Iron Maiden, Misfits, Black Flag, At the Gates, Descendents, Pantera, Van Halen, the Cure, Joy Division, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Smiths, Morrissey, and Thursday greatly influenced the band. The Smashing Pumpkins also had an impact. Other bands that influenced My Chemical Romance include the Stooges, Ramones, Sex Pistols, the Clash, Minor Threat, Nirvana, and Operation Ivy. They also say that their lives, childhoods, books, and movies have inspired their music.
Band Members
- Gerard Way – lead vocals (2001–2013, 2019–present)
- Ray Toro – lead guitar, backing vocals (2001–2013, 2019–present); rhythm guitar (2001–2002)
- Mikey Way – bass guitar (2001–2013, 2019–present)
- Frank Iero – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2002–2013, 2019–present)
- Jarrod Alexander – drums, percussion (2011–2013, 2019–present)
- Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards (2019–present)
- Matt Pelissier – drums, percussion (2001–2004)
- Bob Bryar – drums, percussion (2004–2010; died 2024)
- James Dewees – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals (2012–2013; touring 2007–2012)
- Pete Parada – drums, percussion (2007)
- Matt Cortez – rhythm guitar (2007–2008), bass guitar (2007)
- Tucker Rule – drums, percussion (2007–2008)
- Todd Price – rhythm guitar (2008)
- Michael Pedicone – drums, percussion (2010–2011)
Timeline
Discography
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)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
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| 2011 | Yo Gabba Gabba! | Themselves | Episode: "A Very Awesome Christmas", performed the song "Every Snowflake Is Different (Like You)" |
See also
In Spanish: My Chemical Romance para niños
