My Chemical Romance - London Carling Academy Brixton - 12/11/06
4/5
By: Hannah Thomas
The atmosphere at a My Chemical Romance concert is always one unlike any other, but tonight it was for some reason especially charged. The audience was one more mixed in background than expected, though there were the omnipresent sombrely dressed teenage contingent, some a little the worse for wear from drinking, there was away from the very front where the aforementioned bunch had all assembled an audience comprised of a surprisingly broad spectrum of ages. That's mainstream success for you.
As soon as support slots had been and gone and anticipation for the top billing the place erupted, furious chants of 'MCR, MCR!' filling Brixton Academy. The level of passion and expectation their fans pump into any concert is truly something to behold, and it's hard not to get caught up in its almost religious fervour, but this was nothing in comparison to what followed. The set started with the strains of 'The End' emanating from behind the black curtain, explosively revealing the band replete in their now customary Black Parade military jackets. Gerard Way was thrown a bouquet of red roses which he collected and ripped straight into 'Dead!', then 'How I Disappear'. It seemed at this point that they might play the whole of the new record straight through, which is something they've indicated they'd be tempted to do, yet it was followed by some old favourites including 'I'm Not Okay', from 'Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge'.
This band has a new found confidence and level of showmanship that shows they're more than ready for the likes of Wembley Arena which they'll be returning to play in March of next year. Having seen their Hammersmith Palais gig in August, where they introduced 'The Black Parade' to an audience for the first time and were conspicuously nervous and a little stiff, tonight really showed that they're totally comfortable performing their new material, and as every song, new and old, was sung along to ferociously word for word, it's a confidence that's justified. Way himself is becoming a truly great frontman, more self-assured, relaxed and flamboyant than ever, he rallies a crowd in a way that brings to mind Freddie Mercury in his prime.
All but a few of the steps of 'The Black Parade' were demonstrated, including huge crowd pleasers 'Mama' and 'Famous Last Words', but it was a set that still included their best old live numbers including great renditions of 'Thank You For the Venom' and 'Prison', as well as encore renditions of 'Cancer' and 'Helena'. As fans left the building they began to congregate at the stage door, as they always do, to get their ticket stubs and anything else to hand signed by the band as they headed for their tour bus. London shows have always been special for MCR, a band who have a ferocious following here, and regardless of one's opinion as to their music tonight will have put any doubters as to the quality of their live set very firmly in their place.
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