“This is how I disappear”: My Chemical Romance has not, and reunites for the first time in 6 years

BY JULIA SAFRIN

My Chemical Romance (MCR) was right when they sang, “I’m not dead, I only dress that way” in their 2012 song “Boy Division.” To many fans’ delight, MCR isn’t dead and the band members are reuniting after a 6-year split. 

On Halloween of this year, MCR announced a reunion show after their 2013 split. The show is called “Return” and is being held in the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles on December 20. Tickets sold out in minutes after dropping on November 1, which took the band by surprise. They were not expecting such a warm welcome back and took to Instagram to thank their fans. 

The emo quartet broke up in 2013 after being together for 12 years. The spilt came on March 22, 2013, a month after the release of their last single in their collection of singles released over a five-month period, titled “Conventional Weapons.”

During their hiatus, the band members pursued solo projects. Aside from the Netflix adaptation of his comic “The Umbrella Academy,” lead singer and co-founder Gerard Way dropped a collection of solo songs, which included “Getting Down the Germs” (2018) and “Baby You’re a Haunted House” (2018). Way also released his first and only solo album, “Hesitant Alien,” in 2014.

During their hiatus, the band members pursued solo projects.

The rest of the band members also pursued solo projects similar to Way. Guitarist Frank Lero released two solo albums, bassist Mikey Way formed a new band called “Electric Century” and guitarist Ray Toro toured with keyboardist James Dewess. 

According to Way in an interview with The Guardian, the band split because creating music as a band was not fun anymore.

“… Everybody had an opinion about what MCR should be. So it made it difficult to figure out what direction to take next,” Way said. “You get caught up in this trap of ‘Is it ever gonna be good enough?’ It wasn’t fun to make stuff anymore. I think breaking up the band broke us out of that machine.”

Rumors about a reunion started to fly in 2016.

Rumors about a reunion started to fly in 2016 after a mysterious video was posted on the band’s Instagram account. However, the video was not announcing a reunion but rather the reissue of their 2006 album, “Welcome to the Black Parade,” to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of its initial release. 

The band’s reunion did not catch all fans by surprise, though. Joe Jonas leaked in an interview with KISS FM that My Chemical Romance was supposedly rehearsing next door to the Jonas Brothers in New York. Some fans were skeptical of Jonas’ claim, however, because Way had previously dismissed any potential of MCR reuniting.

“We definitely get offers regularly to reunite—it’s a constant thing,” Way said. “It’s flattering, it’s really nice of people… I miss playing with the guys, but I don’t think so.”

No one knows for sure if MCR is back solely for a reunion show or if this is the start of something more for the group. If the band does not reunite for good, fans will surely be singing “I’m Not Okay (I Promise).” 

Photo courtesy of My Chemical Romance