My Chemical Romance fans braved summer showers to attend the band's gig at Anfield on June 30, with the ECHO speaking to devotees about the enduring significance of the US alternative rock group's music. The concert, part of the Long Live The Black Parade Tour, celebrates the 2006 album The Black Parade.
Transatlantic Romance Born from Band Fandom
For Liverpool native Kieran Rooney, 35, the gig was a dream come true. He said: 'This is literally the dream for me. My favourite band and I'm a Red. This is perfect. My stomach is flipping already and I can hear them sound-checking right now. My mind is just blown.'
Kieran met his wife Nicole, 31, through their mutual love of My Chemical Romance. Nicole originally from North Carolina, moved nearly 4,000 miles to make Liverpool her home. The couple married this year. Nicole said: 'It's great, but I have good company.' She described the band's community as 'a place of belonging. It's a place of home.'
Music as a Lifeline and Community
Kieran added: 'It's a feeling of belonging with them. They express emotions more than just words. It's a sound, a feeling. If you've got a favourite band, you feel that with your favourite band. If you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't. They mean so much to us both.'
Aimee Breary, 20, traveled from Stoke-on-Trent with friends. She said: 'It's an amazing feeling to be around this many people that are just like you. People like us feel very ostracised and different from the norm. But we're all here now and all together.'
Leoni Partington, 20, from Wigan, attended with Millie Bridge and Nicole Short. She shared: 'From a young age, I lost a parent and it really brought me through a dark space so [My Chemical Romance] means a lot.'
Next Generation Connects with 20-Year-Old Album
Sisters Isobel Ramsden, 16, and Freyja Ramsden, 18, traveled from Preston on a 6:30am train to queue from 8am. Isobel said: 'Not tired just yet, I'm too excited. It's my first time seeing them. They're my favourite band and they've been my favourite band for three years.' She added: 'They give people a space to be themselves. You know that when you're with their fans, you're never going to be judged and you can be who you are. I'm probably going to cry [when the band arrive on stage].'
Freyja said: 'It's just the best day ever. Whatever you're going through, it feels like they've been through with you. There's such a good community among the fans. They feel like very real people.'
