The now and then of a certain My Chemical Romance
Created | Updated Feb 12, 2007
Well since this is the one thing I know most about. The band origanaly consisted of; Gerard Way (vocals), Mikey Way (bass guitar), Frank Iero (Frankie, guitar and backing vocals), Ray Toro (guitar and backing vocals) and last but not least Matt Pelissier (drums). They were all from New Jersey.
It all started when at school, they were todays normal nerds, however Gerard loved to draw and found solace at the local comic book store. Gerard wanted to leave his old self behind in fourth grade ( I'm pretty sure), so he changed schools. He then joined a drama club. The disaster came to the school production. He was chosen to Peter Pan. His Grandma Elana Lee Rush was exited and made him a costume with everything, including green tights. He hit the spot on all of the songs, but his reputation was ruined. He gave up on singing.
But he hadn't given up on music. He taught himself guitar from an old acoustic him and his brother Mikey Way, had at home. He joined his first band at the age of 15, but was kicked out because he couldn't play Lynryrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama. "I really sucked." He says. But we must all thank the older boy Gerard once went to play Dungeons and Dragons with, this boy recomended that Gerard listened to Iron Maiden (Gerard "happened" to be wearing a Poison shirt).
Meanwhile Ray Toro Ortiz was sharing a room with his two brothers. When he was 13 he would watch his older brother play guitar to Jimmy Hendrix. He became obbsessed with the guitar. Even though he was obbsessed his first love was the film industry. "I wanted to be an editor- that was my focus." He explains so Kerrang!.
Frank Iero, has never been the healthiest of kids, as a child he suffered from Bronchitis and ear infections. Then he developed a stomach illness and Epstein Barr Virus, both of which he still suffers from. At school he had about 3 friends, was bullied a lot, and all he'd really do would be getting high. He discovered punk after hearing Nirivana for the first time. He has always loved music and wanted to leave his mark.
Back with Gerard and Mikey, there were huge parties held by Geoff Rickly, Gerard would never come though. Mikey seemed a little out of control however Gerard seemed severly depressed. When Geoff and Gerard did meet they formed and instant bond, Geoff inviting Gerard to do some Thursday merchendise.
But on the well known day of Spetember 11th 2001 Gerards life was changed. Until then he had been working as an intern at Cartoon Network on a show called 'Sheep In The Big City'. While there one of his ideas 'The Breakfast Monkey' was beggining to excite some of the networks producers. One day heading to work he looked up at the Twin Towers. "I was in Hoboken, which is right across the Hudson river," he recalls, "There were 400 people and me. Right in vfront of us, those buildings went down. It was likethe biggest neutron bomb of mental anguish you've ever felt.People around me were just freaking out, crying, screaming, cursing and yelling about the Devil." He decided he was wasting his time on cartoons and decided to start something. From then on he was sitting in a basement in his pajamas surronded by notebooks. Thats when he wrote Turnstiles and Skylines [about the 9/11].
Then he got the band together, Mikey saw what was happeneing and dropped out of college to learn to play bass. It was all working until they realised that they would need another guitar if they were to play all of Ray's ideas live. Frank Iero had been playing with Prency Prep, but now they had almost split up, so one day Frank got a call asking if he would like to join. He was amazed, because he loved the My Chemical Romance. The name had been Mikey's finding. One day he found a stack of Irvine welsh books. One called 'Ecstacy - Three tales of a Chemical Romance.'And the band was born.
As they went into the studio to record Vampires Will Never Hurt You, Gerard got paralysing toothache and had to have his wisdom teeth removed. He was in such pain that he couldn't sing. Then one of the label boss's came up to him, hugged him and punched him in the mouth. He was definatly angry so he went up to the microphone ... and nailed it!
Suddenly in the recording of Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, Gerard and Mikey's grandmother [Elana Lee Rush] who had taught them to sing and play, died. The pair were crushed. Gerard delt with his grief by drinking and taking anti-depresents.
Bob Bryar [future drummer for the band] was My Chemical Romance's soundman. He saw that the band couldn't look at each other on stage, they were at the point of splitting up. The problem was, one of the band members was breaking up. Gerard says "I had done so much coke I was out of my mind. I was suicidal." On the plane home from England he started going through withdrawl symptons. When he left the airport he hugged eacch of the band members, unsure wether he would ever see them again. Gerard got help and has now given up both drugs and achohol.
Meanwhile they knew something had to be done about the drummer. It wasn't working. They sacked Matt. They then invited Bob Bryar, not even hearing him play, to join.
Before recording the Black Parade Mikey Way, started to get depressed. He would retreat to his bunk after shows and wouldn't move around during shows. Then they moved into a haunted house to record The Black Parade. Mikey was sleeping on supposidly the most haunted floor, and often retreated to Gerards room due to nightmares. The guys saw he wouldn't make it and they sent him home to see a thearapist. Slowly Mikey got better, taking daytrips out to see the rest of the band and to add his parts to the songs. After a while he rejoined them. This is why he got surgery so he didn't need his glasses and he dyed his hair black to show a new and improved person.
Then while recording Famous Last Words Gerard realised that he needed to end his six-year relationship. The line "I am not afraid to walk this world alone." Bought home a reality to him. He had to go and get his things. "It was brutal." he says sadly. He enjoyed the feeling at first then realised that no one misses you like a girlfriend. On the Europeon tour he would go out for walks at night thinking "Well this is intersting..." Or he would just sit staring at a wall.
Well, more stuff will happen to them but so far That is all I have heard about and all they have shared with fans and the press. Thanks for reading.
It all started when at school, they were todays normal nerds, however Gerard loved to draw and found solace at the local comic book store. Gerard wanted to leave his old self behind in fourth grade ( I'm pretty sure), so he changed schools. He then joined a drama club. The disaster came to the school production. He was chosen to Peter Pan. His Grandma Elana Lee Rush was exited and made him a costume with everything, including green tights. He hit the spot on all of the songs, but his reputation was ruined. He gave up on singing.
But he hadn't given up on music. He taught himself guitar from an old acoustic him and his brother Mikey Way, had at home. He joined his first band at the age of 15, but was kicked out because he couldn't play Lynryrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama. "I really sucked." He says. But we must all thank the older boy Gerard once went to play Dungeons and Dragons with, this boy recomended that Gerard listened to Iron Maiden (Gerard "happened" to be wearing a Poison shirt).
Meanwhile Ray Toro Ortiz was sharing a room with his two brothers. When he was 13 he would watch his older brother play guitar to Jimmy Hendrix. He became obbsessed with the guitar. Even though he was obbsessed his first love was the film industry. "I wanted to be an editor- that was my focus." He explains so Kerrang!.
Frank Iero, has never been the healthiest of kids, as a child he suffered from Bronchitis and ear infections. Then he developed a stomach illness and Epstein Barr Virus, both of which he still suffers from. At school he had about 3 friends, was bullied a lot, and all he'd really do would be getting high. He discovered punk after hearing Nirivana for the first time. He has always loved music and wanted to leave his mark.
Back with Gerard and Mikey, there were huge parties held by Geoff Rickly, Gerard would never come though. Mikey seemed a little out of control however Gerard seemed severly depressed. When Geoff and Gerard did meet they formed and instant bond, Geoff inviting Gerard to do some Thursday merchendise.
But on the well known day of Spetember 11th 2001 Gerards life was changed. Until then he had been working as an intern at Cartoon Network on a show called 'Sheep In The Big City'. While there one of his ideas 'The Breakfast Monkey' was beggining to excite some of the networks producers. One day heading to work he looked up at the Twin Towers. "I was in Hoboken, which is right across the Hudson river," he recalls, "There were 400 people and me. Right in vfront of us, those buildings went down. It was likethe biggest neutron bomb of mental anguish you've ever felt.People around me were just freaking out, crying, screaming, cursing and yelling about the Devil." He decided he was wasting his time on cartoons and decided to start something. From then on he was sitting in a basement in his pajamas surronded by notebooks. Thats when he wrote Turnstiles and Skylines [about the 9/11].
Then he got the band together, Mikey saw what was happeneing and dropped out of college to learn to play bass. It was all working until they realised that they would need another guitar if they were to play all of Ray's ideas live. Frank Iero had been playing with Prency Prep, but now they had almost split up, so one day Frank got a call asking if he would like to join. He was amazed, because he loved the My Chemical Romance. The name had been Mikey's finding. One day he found a stack of Irvine welsh books. One called 'Ecstacy - Three tales of a Chemical Romance.'And the band was born.
As they went into the studio to record Vampires Will Never Hurt You, Gerard got paralysing toothache and had to have his wisdom teeth removed. He was in such pain that he couldn't sing. Then one of the label boss's came up to him, hugged him and punched him in the mouth. He was definatly angry so he went up to the microphone ... and nailed it!
Suddenly in the recording of Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, Gerard and Mikey's grandmother [Elana Lee Rush] who had taught them to sing and play, died. The pair were crushed. Gerard delt with his grief by drinking and taking anti-depresents.
Bob Bryar [future drummer for the band] was My Chemical Romance's soundman. He saw that the band couldn't look at each other on stage, they were at the point of splitting up. The problem was, one of the band members was breaking up. Gerard says "I had done so much coke I was out of my mind. I was suicidal." On the plane home from England he started going through withdrawl symptons. When he left the airport he hugged eacch of the band members, unsure wether he would ever see them again. Gerard got help and has now given up both drugs and achohol.
Meanwhile they knew something had to be done about the drummer. It wasn't working. They sacked Matt. They then invited Bob Bryar, not even hearing him play, to join.
Before recording the Black Parade Mikey Way, started to get depressed. He would retreat to his bunk after shows and wouldn't move around during shows. Then they moved into a haunted house to record The Black Parade. Mikey was sleeping on supposidly the most haunted floor, and often retreated to Gerards room due to nightmares. The guys saw he wouldn't make it and they sent him home to see a thearapist. Slowly Mikey got better, taking daytrips out to see the rest of the band and to add his parts to the songs. After a while he rejoined them. This is why he got surgery so he didn't need his glasses and he dyed his hair black to show a new and improved person.
Then while recording Famous Last Words Gerard realised that he needed to end his six-year relationship. The line "I am not afraid to walk this world alone." Bought home a reality to him. He had to go and get his things. "It was brutal." he says sadly. He enjoyed the feeling at first then realised that no one misses you like a girlfriend. On the Europeon tour he would go out for walks at night thinking "Well this is intersting..." Or he would just sit staring at a wall.
Well, more stuff will happen to them but so far That is all I have heard about and all they have shared with fans and the press. Thanks for reading.
