Let it flood, let it flood, let it wash away

Death Spells’ section from Alt Press’ Frank Iero special issue (389), December 2020.

Frank Iero discusses how the band was formed with James Dewees, the production, sound, time away from family, tours, and more. :)

From the Projekt Revolution tour at the Tweeter Center in Camden, New Jersey.

PHOTO BY BILL McCAY / Wirelmage.com/Getty Images Japan

My Chemical Romance [INROCK (November 2007)]

My Chemical Romance (sans Mikey Way) [INROCK (August 2007)]

My Chemical Romance

May 29, 2007 Nippon Budokan

The Budokan show, ablaze with crimson flames, was a huge success!!

REPORT & PHOTOS: YUKO KATO

Performing at Nippon Budokan holds special significance for musicians baptized in rock by bands like KISS and Cheap Trick. The band members were more nervous than expected, with Frank (g) even confessing that he “couldn't sleep a wink” the night before. Of course, this night was special for the fans too. My Chemical Romance were closing out their perfectly crafted The Black Parade Tour at the Budokan. The basic structure mirrored the US tour, though there were some changes to equipment and staging.

The opening began with “The End.” As the house lights went down, Gerard Way (vocals), dressed as the Patient, walked in from the right side of the stage, singing. In the US, he was carried in on a stretcher, but that was different here. Once the lights went out, Gerard, having shed his white gown, appeared with the band. What struck me was how intense Gerard's movements were. He ran all over the vast stage. It was almost hard for the camera to keep focus. He was much more subdued at the LA show… From then on, Gerard changed expressions like an actress, playing multiple characters. His backward pose and swaying hips were so sexy I could say, “Ahhh!” ♥ This wasn't something I saw in America, either… His younger brother, Mikey (bass), said Gerard was a completely different person onstage, and he was right. One climax was “Mama”. During the US tour, pillars of fire representing hell's flames roared up repeatedly, but I never imagined they'd do it at Budokan too! As you know, the Budokan is made of wood, and fire regulations place strict restrictions on the use of fire. But My Chemical Romance wanted to stick to their vision. While slightly smaller than the US tour, they used the fire pillars multiple times, performing the dramatic songs even more dramatically. Another point worth mentioning is Gerard's MC during the show. In a recent interview, he stated something along the lines of, “It's our role to deliver positive, non-violent messages.” Now, standing on stage with influence over thousands of fans, he's determined to use that power for good. Gerard repeatedly and powerfully appealed to the audience about the preciousness of human life and the importance of caring for others. It's in English, so I doubt it was 100% understood, but I hope it serves as some kind of catalyst…

My Chemical Romance is incredibly hardworking. They're touring non-stop this summer, and Mikey is set to return in early August. For now, supporting Muse at London's Wembley Stadium in June is one major highlight. Especially for Gerard, who deeply reveres Freddie Mercury…

All the individual interviews published at once!!

INTERVIEW: YUKO KATO

Following on from our last issue, which featured an early glimpse into The Black Parade Tour at their Anaheim, USA show (March 11th), this issue features all the individual interviews (with Mikey, Ray, Bob, and Frank) we conducted backstage at the show.

This interview with Mikey in particular was a precious one, conducted before his hiatus.

“Thanks to her, I think life's gotten a little easier.” —Mikey Way

—Congrats! You got married? Mikey Way (b.): Yeah, thanks. We got married three days ago. (he says happily)

—Is it true you had the ceremony backstage after the show? Mikey: Yeah. James Dewees officiated the ceremony (laughs). James from the Get Up Kids!

—Oh, so that’s why he was hanging around backstage yesterday? Was it a proper wedding? Mikey: No, I wouldn’t call it proper. But our families and everyone came together.

—Was there a reason you rushed to get married? Couldn’t you have waited until you had some time off? Mikey: Hmm… You know, as you get older, you start thinking about certain things, right? Like, “Maybe this is the only time I’ll ever get to come to Las Vegas.” You know what I mean? We just wanted to officially register our marriage and check that one thing off our list. Plus, we weren’t really interested in traditional weddings or anything like that. Besides, we were practically already married before we even had the ceremony. We’d been living together for about a year and a half. I haven’t really changed at all. Not my outlook on life, my hopes, my dreams—nothing.

—Getting married means vowing to spend your whole life with one person, right? I think that’s a huge decision… Mikey: Yeah, of course it’s a big deal. You’re making a vow to one person. That’s exactly why I think everyone tries to find that kind of partner, isn’t it? Everyone wants to find the perfect match, someone to share their life with, right? A partner with whom you share a strong bond. Thanks to her, I think my life has gotten a little easier. She’s my best friend.

—She’s part of the Avenged Sevenfold crew, right? Mikey: She’s the bassist. (Editor’s note: Alicia Simmons, who serves as the guitar and bass technician on staff)

—Huh!? So you can talk about bass too? That’s amazing. Mikey: Yeah, I can. Pretty cool, huh?

—By the way, Gerard (Way, vocals) mentioned before that he wanted to move to Japan after this tour ended…? Mikey: I’d love to make an album in Japan. We all want to move to Japan.

—You too, Mikey? Mikey: Yeah, maybe I’ll end up living there for about six months someday. Japan is so calm and peaceful, and everyone’s so kind, right? That’s what I like about it. People don’t act weird, and there don’t seem to be any arrogant people. Everyone seems happy… though I’m sure they’re not always happy, of course.

—Hmm… Well, anyway, Gerard seems to be saying he wants to live in LA too, since he has so many musician friends there. Mikey: I prefer Japan, though. If it were me, I’d move to Japan before moving to LA. As for the language, we can just hire an interpreter.

—Thanks! By the way, I always think you’re very stylish, don’t you? Mikey: (breaking into a smile) Wow! Thanks. I love shopping. I bought a ton of toys in Japan… I collect toys. I buy so many—so many that I end up with several bags full. Especially Transformers!! My Transformers collection is amazing.

―I also read another interesting story about you. You got in trouble with the FBI when you were a kid, right? Mikey: Whoa!! If I tell you this story, I’ll get arrested (laughs). When I was still a kid, I used to sell pirated movie videos I’d downloaded from the internet. I didn’t think it was wrong… it was such an easy way to make money. Then one day, someone from the FBI came to my house. I was only 16 or 17 at the time, so they just scolded me and told me to stop. I wasn’t old enough to be arrested yet.

—You’re smart to be thinking about business at that age. Mikey: (laughs). I don’t know… Hmm. Looking back now, it’s a funny memory.

—You seem like you’d be good at business… Mikey: It’d be nice to launch my own brand someday. I’m way too busy right now to have the time for it (laughs).

“In the end, the most important thing is the music.” —Ray Toro

—Gerard said, “This album is too good to end with just one world tour.” So, you want to create opportunities for more people to hear this album? Ray Toro (g.): That was the idea, which is why we didn’t start a headlining tour immediately after releasing the album. Most bands release an album and start touring right away to promote it, right? We figured that people needed some time to digest the album after it was released. Plus, we actually wanted people to listen to the album before we went on tour. We were talking about touring right after we finished making the album, but playing the album from start to finish has always been a dream for all of us.

—How do you think you can get people to understand My Chemical Romance? Ray: We make sure that the visuals, the costumes, the makeup… everything fits with the music. I think there’s a risk involved with that. Some of us… including myself, were asked by the press and others when we were talking about this tour, “Will the stage be something special?” “Will you actually recreate the album?” “Will you tell a story on stage?” Of course, we could tie all of that together as a concept, using costumes and sets. But in the end, the most important thing is the music. When we sit down and really think, “What’s the most important thing about this album?” it’s not the pictures you see when you open the booklet—it’s the music.

—Where were you born? And what was your upbringing like? Ray: I was born in a hospital in upstate New Jersey and grew up in a town called Kearny. It’s a really small town, about 15 or 20 minutes from Manhattan. I… I don’t want to say they were overprotective, but my parents, especially my mom, liked to protect me. Maybe because I was the youngest.

—Are you still a mama’s boy? Ray: No way! Well, maybe since we started touring with the band. I’ve always liked staying home and didn’t go out much. I think that’s my mom’s influence. She doesn’t really like going out either. She’ll go see a movie once or twice a year, and I was like that too.

—Gerard and Mikey used to have drug and alcohol problems, right? What about you? Ray: Nah, I drink occasionally, but…

—You’ve never had problems like they did? Ray: No, I haven’t. Luckily, my family—my parents and my two older brothers—have never had addiction problems.

—So even when you were in the same band and someone else got addicted and had to go to rehab, you stayed healthy. You must be a very strong-willed person. Ray: Hmm, maybe. But to be honest, if I were the type of person at risk for that, I might say I have strong willpower. I think addiction is more about personality. People who get addicted can get addicted to anything, I guess. Alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex—whatever it is, I think it comes down to personality. People who are prone to that kind of risk need more strength and willpower than I do. Gerard and Mikey quit drinking completely. To me, they seem to have stronger willpower than I do. In my case, I don’t think it’s so much about willpower as it is just the way I live my life. Plus, we’re in an environment with a lot of temptations, aren’t we? It was really tough when Gerard first quit drinking. We never got as drunk as he did, but we’d always have a little drink before a show. But to show our support for him, we all stopped drinking for a while. It’s different now, though—he doesn’t mind if we’re drinking around him. Yeah, I guess they just have strong willpower. Even though alcohol is right there and they probably want to drink, they can still say no.

“I’ve been using a full drum set ever since I started playing drums at the age of four.” —Bob Bryar

—You also contributed ideas for the stage setup this time, right? You know, that thing you stand on top of the drums—what’s it called again? Bob Bryar (dr.): Oh, you mean the riser? I’ve been using a full drum set ever since I started playing drums at the age of four. A bass drum, a snare, and two tom-toms. When we recorded “Welcome to the Black Parade”, we ended up using a marching band snare and other things in addition to those two tom-toms. Because of that, for the past five months or so, I’ve had to use a really huge drum set on tour. But there were so many things on it that I didn’t really feel comfortable with it. So, for this tour, I decided I wanted to bring two drum sets. One set that I feel comfortable with, and a big set with all the extras. This big set is used for several songs that require all that stuff. If I wanted to use that set logically, the only way was to put it on a riser and make it spin.

—You started playing drums when you were four? Bob: Yeah. I had a Toys ‘R’ Us drum set.

—That’s cute (laughs)! Bob: I wish I still had it. I had this little Toys ‘R’ Us drum set, and when I first started playing, my mom gave me some headphones. So I’d listen to songs and play along with them, and that’s how I learned to play. Then I joined the school band and started my own band. I also took a lot of lessons.

—Did you know from the beginning that this was what you wanted to do in the future? Bob: Hmm, I guess so. I tried a lot of other things, too. Other instruments, too. I even played the trumpet in a band at one point.

—Really? Bob: Yeah. But I remember clearly when I bought the trumpet, my mom said, “You’ve bought something so expensive… You’ll probably get bored of it right away.” I told her, “Don’t be silly. I’ll definitely use it,” but in the end, she was right. Because of that, when I bought my first real drum set, she asked, “Another expensive thing… Are you really going to use it?” I said “Yeah” again, and this time I really did stick with it. I never got tired of the drums.

—By the way, aren’t your concert tickets pretty cheap? Bob: Our goal is to keep them around $30, even with the service fees. Basically, we plan to pour all the money we make on this tour right back into the shows. Putting on a show is really expensive. We’re not making any money at all on this tour, but we feel like we’re putting on a great show. That’s what’s important to us.

—I’d also like to ask you about Gerard. I mean, how do you see him? He seems to avoid being the center of attention—is that what you’d call “lead singer syndrome”? Bob: The singer in a band is also the frontman. I think a frontman is absolutely essential. Good bands usually have someone like that. And naturally, that person ends up getting all the attention. When I look at various bands, it can sometimes demotivate the other members. That’s because in those bands, the moment the frontman or lead singer gets the spotlight, they change—their attitude toward the people around them changes. But Gerard isn’t like that. For example, during a photo shoot, the photographer might say, “Gerard, you stand here, the rest of you can just stand back…” That kind of thing happens all the time. I’m sure some people would get angry if they were told that, but we never do. For us, it’s like an inside joke—we just laugh it off. To be honest, I actually like it this way. I hate photo shoots. I just don’t like having my picture taken.

“We’ve always been the underdogs.” —Frank Iero

—A lot of people say you’re the most musically knowledgeable person in the band and that you’re the central figure in songwriting. Frank Iero (g.): Hmm, everyone participates in the songwriting process. It’s true that I often write melodies that fit what Gerard says… though sometimes that’s the case for the chorus and sometimes it isn’t… But when we write songs, someone comes up with a riff or a chord progression, and then we sit down and start writing. Usually it’s me and Gerard, or sometimes Ray, sitting down and working on the song.

—Gerard used to say he was always fascinated by the concept of death, right? I feel like Mikey has that same sensibility, too. Are you fascinated by death as well? Frank: Yeah. I think concepts like this—good and evil, life and death, yin and yang—are universal concepts.

—Buddhism also has the concept of reincarnation. Frank: That’s true. But I was raised on Christian, or rather Catholic, teachings. I think that’s what led me down the path of delinquency (laughs). When I was little, I was told things like, “Christ died for your sins. We’re all going to die. When we die, we go there,” but I never really understood that way of thinking. Instead, I started thinking, “Well, then, why not just live in the moment? Of course, I think we should do good things in this world, but not because we’ll be judged in the end, but because we care about the people around us.” But as for why I’m fascinated by concepts like life and death—Mikey and Gerard were raised in Catholic homes too, right? I think that plays a big part in it. Like I said earlier, we’re constantly seeing the chaos happening in the world, aren’t we? That’s why I think young people can relate to what we sing about.

—So, what’s the reason you’re here? And what’s the reason you’re in My Chemical Romance? It’s pretty philosophical, isn’t it (laughs)? Frank: It really is philosophical. That’s why I've always felt that being in this band… writing songs, touring… I feel like those things are what keep me alive. Now, I want the songs we write to do the same for other people. It feels like we can share the pain. I think that’s what’s great about this band.

—Gerard once said that, for him, being an underdog was important. Frank: Yeah, that’s right. By being an underdog, you find someone to fight against. That’s probably true for most of the people in this band. We’ve always been the underdogs.

—Or being underestimated? Frank: That happens, yeah. People would tell us, “You’ll never make it.” Not from our families, though. The environment we grew up in… hmm… middle-class, and I think it was an environment where people didn’t really have high expectations.

—You don’t have to worry about food, do you? Frank: Yeah, but I guess you could say we’re on the lower end of the middle class. Of course, it varies depending on the member. Some grew up in the upper middle class, while others grew up on the lower end. What I remember is that when I was a kid, neither I nor my family had anything. We had a place to live, but before we moved there, my mom worked day and night. I’m grateful to my mom for doing such amazing things for us.

—What kind of work did she do? Frank: She sold accessories, cleaned people’s houses… What else did she do? She cooked lunches at schools. She held down three jobs so we could have a place to live. My parents split up when I was still little. That happens a lot in America. By the way, my father was also a musician for a long time.

—So you inherited that DNA? Frank: That’s right. But he never really made it big and couldn’t make a living from music. He works for the state, teaches drums at a school, and plays in a band at night.

—What’s your life like now? You’re married, right? Frank: We’re planning to get married. We’re engaged, and we’re getting married exactly one year from now.

—What does she do? Frank: She just graduated from beauty school. She’s a hairdresser. She also volunteers at an animal shelter. Yeah, she’s right up my alley.

—Do you do anything besides music? Frank: Just music. When I’m at home, it’s different—I take care of my dog and hang out with my fiancée. I also visit my family and read a lot. And I watch a ton of movies. I’m a total movie addict.

—Really? What kind of movies do you like? Frank: Mostly horror movies, but I’ll watch anything. Yeah, anything. I’m also in another band, and I sing in that one.

—How do you find time for both? Frank: I don’t. I don’t have any time at all (laughs).

—You must be really busy. Frank: Yeah, I’m super busy. But you know, there are times when I can take a little break, right? For example, if I have a week off, the first day I stay home and don’t talk to anyone. The next day I go see my family… On the third day I go out with friends, and on the fourth day I record with that other band… The rest of the time I just stay home.

Translator's Note: I've procrastinated on finishing this interview for so long in favour of other interviews, that it feels nice to finally get it done.

My Chemical Romance [INROCK (December 2006)]