After 2 years, 3 months and 3 weeks since we purchased the tickets, my friends and I FINALLY got to see My Chemical Romance in Milton Keynes. The show was incredible and had everything I could wish for and more since I was a teenager.
My Chemical Romance (MCR) opened with their new single The Foundations of Decay. I only discovered the song a couple of weeks ago and it has been a grower on me. I particularly love the stamping-style drumbeat in the track. Opening a reunion tour with a new single I always think is a brave move but I felt it worked well and it got a good response from the crowd.
They then went on to play one of my favourite tracks I’m Not Ok (I promise), which I frequently sing on a daily basis.
They played many more songs from the three best – and only – albums I know – Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, The Black Parade and Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Kill Joys. They played Give Em’ Hell Kid, Summertime, Bulletproof Heart, This Is How I Disappear, Na Na Na, Teenagers, DESTROYA, Vampire Money and another ultimate favourite of mine, Famous Last Words. Every song sounded incredible, full of energy, power and emotion, and the band’s excitement was infectious.
MCR even played some awesome tracks that I never expected would appear on the setlist including Mama and Sleep from The Black Parade and several songs from Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge including You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison and Thank You for the Venom. I forgot how many amazing songs they have.
They also played a few older songs that I wasn’t aware of including Make Room!!!,Surrender the Night, Our Lady of Sorrows and Boy Division. I didn’t think any of these were outstanding but it was still nice to discover some of their older work.
As well as all the incredible music, lead singer Gerard Way had a marvellous stage presence and was interacting with the audience with such emotion, love, friendliness and warmth. He told some heartwarming stories between tracks on the difficulties during the pandemic and losing loved ones. Plus he kept reinsuring the safety of the crowd by making sure people weren’t getting crushed and encouraging them to step back and support each other, which I thought was very thoughtful.
I admit I was expecting the band to close the show with Welcome to the Black Parade and the crowd enjoying a mammoth singalong. Thankfully, we did get to enjoy it, which was mind-blowingly awesome, but just not at the finale.
What MCR closed with actually did work really well. They closed with Helena, which has the distinctive line “so long and good night “, which I think was quite fitting to finish what was an incredible performance.
There were only three songs I really wish they could’ve played – I Don’t Love You, Sing and Fake Your Death. But as always, I understand you can’t fit all tracks on a live setlist, especially with the size of their back catalogue.
Overall, it was a brilliant night out and teenage dream come true! My Chemical Romance, please don’t make it another decade until you next return to the UK?!
