Lizzie Wright talks us through the major music news, and our inner punks are coming out.
If you ever felt alone. Rejected. Confused. Lost. Anxious. Wrong(ed). Feel that no more. After announcing their breakup to heartbroken fans in 2013, My Chemical Romance’s long-awaited reunion was announced on Halloween night with a statement saying ‘Like Phantoms Forever…’ alongside details of their comeback gig on December 20th in Los Angeles. Their first show since 2012, it’s yet unconfirmed as to whether new material will be performed, however fans who were lucky enough to get tickets will undoubtedly be far from disappointed.
The band’s reunion was nearly spoiled by Joe Jonas, who confessed in a June interview with KISS FM that MCR ‘were apparently rehearsing next to [the Jonas Brothers] in New York recently’. People were obviously sceptical to believe the claims – after all Frank Iero denied the claims shortly after, and the band had sparked rumours of a return in 2016 only to let fans down by releasing a special reissue of The Black Parade.
But are My Chemical Romance still relevant in 2019? Judging by the way in which streams of their music jumped by 10% after the announcement, the answer is yes. Emo-pop has evolved in recent years with the rise of sad-girl pop artists like Billie Eilish, and while both Fall Out Boy and Paramore have shifted their style to reflect modern pop influences, the legacy of albums like Three Cheers to Sweet Revenge and The Black Parade still hangs heavy in the air. No one can do what My Chemical Romance did, but it will be interesting to see the direction in which their music goes in the next year.
Their reunion concert in Los Angeles sold out in under an hour, however fans were disappointed by ticket prices – at $150 per ticket it almost seems more of a capitalist money-grab rather than a return to the people that loved them so dearly. Australian, Japanese, and New Zealand fans were luckier, with the band announcing headline appearances in March 2020 at Download festival in Melbourne, Sydney, and Japan, alongside a headline show in Auckland, supported by Jimmy Eat World. With the 2020 UK Download festival announcement already declaring Kiss, System of a Down, and Iron Maiden as their headliners, it seems unlikely that MCR will make their Donington return, hopefully favouring Reading and Leeds where they were regular attendees before their breakup.
Thankfully, it seems that with the extra tour dates being added, My Chemical Romance are back for good. The return of everyone’s 14 year old attempt-at-goth phase is a welcome one in 2019, and after a hot-girl-summer, I’m happy to say I’m looking forward to a emo 2020 with new music and a tour on the horizon.