My Chemical Romance

“Did you miss us?” asks fresh-faced vocalist Gerard Way looking suave without his usual war paint; the riotous screams celebrating the band's backdrop alone answered that question. It's fair to assume – with respect to the numerous appetiser bands – My Chemical Romance are the reason most people came today.
Headlining the two-day ‘Give It A Name' festival is by their own admission the emo darlings' biggest show to date and my god they've prepared for it, physically and mentally.
They roll through a disciplined set of their absolute best with regular intervals for self-promotion, a nod to the preceding acts and genuine all-round gratitude. The sound is massive and the vibe is mildly venomous, with pantomime rants and middle fingers raised but the fans are not the target. There's one huge embrace happening here and Gerard pats his chest ingesting the affection.
The five New Jerseyans are a real mix of unique styles but work extremely well together. Spunky guitarist Frank is a compelling bowl of chaos, sticksman Bob makes every smashing beat look effortless and wild-haired Ray provides solid backing vocals while leading on guitar. Bassist Mikey Way maintains a subtle presence but mentions of his name by big brother Gerard evoke much attention.
With no sign of sibling rivalry Way Senior is naturally the ideal frontman blessed with a face for bedroom walls. He delivers a terrific vocal performance and, dragging his charisma round every inch of the stage, never neglects his brood: “It's going to be okay babies, Daddy's here!”
There's a comfortable mood about the place as “MCR” prove they can really deliver as live. The kids seemed to expect it; their parents however are pleasantly surprised. Of course the safety net of a clichéd setlist means nothing new crops up but with all the fiendish favourites thrown in no one's leaving empty-handed.
Lighters and mobiles are held aloft for the calm of ‘The Ghost of You' before the storm of chaotic number ‘Our Lady of Sorrows'. “Is moshing allowed?” mocks Gerard in a Middle England accent. Despite spitting out most of his lyrics he does find time for humour and likes to camp things up. His little kicks and wiggles sprinkle some sugar over the otherwise fairly intense show.
It's disappointing the band are forced to race through the last quarter when reminded of the curfew. Gerard sympathises requesting the musicians don't bother tuning anymore to save time! Penultimate song ‘Helena' sees teenage girls off at the side emulating the dance from the promo video. And finally, ‘I'm Not Okay (I Promise)' just completely brings the house down. There's no encore after a prompt exit but those forty sweet minutes were satisfying.
To the audience this set was the ultimate climax they waited all afternoon for; to the support bands looking on this was the ultimate example of how to do it exquisitely.