My Chemical Romance (MCR) performed their Long Live The Black Parade 20th Anniversary Tour at Wembley Stadium, delivering a theatrical experience that included flamethrowers, a rigged execution vote, and a man running across the stage literally on fire. The show, which spanned over two hours, combined a full album rendition with a second set of deep cuts, leaving fans speechless.
A Theatrical Spectacle Beyond Nostalgia
The concept of the show is simple: MCR performs as their alter-ego, the Black Parade, resurrected from the original tour, attempting to appease the Grand Immortal Dictator of the fictional country Draag. Fans were instructed to stand for the Draag national anthem before the show began, indoctrinating them from the start. At one point, the audience voted for the execution of four people who lost a game, eagerly raising cards reading ‘yay’ or ‘nay’. The rigged election culminated in a huge explosion with deafening pyrotechnics.
Mirroring the original 2000s tour, this is a full theatrical rendition of the album from front to back, beginning with The End. Those first notes sent the crowd into a chorus of screams, belting along to every word like it was 2006. For this revamp, there are added intros, extended outros, and a whole Dagger section featuring a duet with Australian opera singer Charlotte Kelso.
Flamethrowers and Fire: A Blazing Performance
Later in the set, giant flamethrowers heated up Wembley Stadium as a man ran across the stage literally on fire. Mama was turned into a blazing spectacle. By the end, the ominous clown daggers frontman Gerard Way in the heart before he pulls the trigger on his suicide bomber vest as the show closes to the hidden track Blood. Initially, the inclusion attracted some criticism, particularly for potential dates in Manchester; however, with the context of the show, it didn’t feel in poor taste or out of place.
After the cheers died down, cellist Clarice Jensen performed a calming intermission, with fans heading to top up drinks and use the loo. After around 10 minutes, MCR returned, walking through the crowd to the smaller, circular B stage in the centre of front standing.
A Second Gig: Deep Cuts and Heavy Hitters
The band played a further nine tracks, including deep cuts like Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us, which had not been played live since 2010. Gerard Way walked out looking like Liam Gallagher in a parka with the hood up, while his brother Mikey opted for an Oasis football shirt. Here, the band loosened up, dropped the Draag personas and really seemed to have fun with the crowd.
Fans were just as in it as the band, with phones few and far between for most of the show. In the age of social media, it was a rare sight of screen-less arms in the air. From their handful of UK shows, only I’m Not Okay (I Promise), Na Na Na, and Helena seem to be a guarantee.
Verdict: Ageing Like Fine Wine
As a final closing three-song run for the first Wembley show, it was, to quote Liam Gallagher, ‘biblical’. Both the teenage version of me and the 28-year-old music journalist were left utterly speechless and pleasantly surprised by how on form the band were. I’ll admit, I had a slight fear this would be nostalgia-bait and half-arsed, but My Chemical Romance proved what I’ve always known, they’re still a force to be reckoned with. This really is a gig of two halves; you might come to revel in the nostalgia of the Black Parade, but you’ll stay for deep cuts you never knew you needed to hear. Behind the high concept show, My Chemical Romance are ageing like fine wine.
