Emo band My Chemical Romance surprised fans with a theatrical performance to open up their tour in Seattle. However, not everyone was thrilled with the political commentary
My Chemical Romance, who previously laid down a few rules for tour, took the stage in Seattle with a daring political message.
During the show, lead singer Gerard Way paaused for an “experiment,” which he called a “practice of democracy.” The rock fans, when they arrived to the stadium, were handed signs which said “yea” or “nay” on each side. “What we are going to do here is have an election,” Gerard explained to his adorers. He then cast the crowd’s attention to a circle in the center where four “candidates” stood.
After conducting a vote to decide if the masked individuals should stay in office, Gerard indicated it was time for the next move. The on-stage actors were seemingly shot execution style as they collapsed into a puff of smoke as individuals dressed up in militant gear stood by. “Thank you so very much for participating in democracy,” the My Chemical Romance singer said.
READ MORE: ESPN announcers brutally sum up Wimbledon women’s final during 57-minute demolitionREAD MORE: Tourist mauled by tiger while trying to snap selfie at notorious zoo
However, fans weren’t universally thrilled to see the band go “woke” as they immediately began fighting about the emo group online. “Weird demonic shit!” a fan on Facebook said. Another added, “People are just fkn twisted!”
The political undertones and commentary on modern democracy prompted some fan to sell their tickets, opting out of the band’s tour. Plus, online, some fans explained that they were only “casual” listeners of the band’s music, leaving them stunned when they witnessed the stunt live.
In response, die hard fans rolled their eyes, disappointed to see the public wasn’t aware of just how political MCR really was. After all, the band was formed due to Gerard’s reaction to witnessing 9/11 in person.
A fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, “The amount of people who went to the first stop for my chemical romance complaining that they’ve become woke and the show was propaganda. Hi, you new here? Have you not listened to the black parade album? The lore and their theatrical shows?”
Another said, “In utterly fascinating news, old white people are selling their tickets to My Chemical Romance because they are TOO WOKE. I am literally gesturing to everything they’ve done in confusion.”
“If youre shocked of My Chemical Romance doing political stuff, have you EVER listen to Danger Days,” a band said, referencing MCR’s fourth studio album. Like much of their music, the album takes a theatrical approach. It’s considered a rock opera which is set in apocalyptic California and explores the concept of corporate corruption.
The band’s previous, and perhaps most famous, album, The Black Parade, similarly held a lore trope running through it. The album, which explores the story of a man dying from cancer, largely is renowned for its impact on alternative music. The Black Parade was played in entirety at the Seattle show as is the expectation for the rest of the tour.
Moving forward, fans online are generally excited to see if this political messaging keeps up, speculating on how the lore could develop. One fan wrote, “i think if mcr keep doing the ‘execution’ act at other shows, with people adjusting their votes based on the last show it’s gonna end up being used to show that in a dictatorship you might have the illusion of democracy sometimes but in the end the rulers do what they want.”
Leave a Reply