Emo has risen. My Chemical Romance welcomed fans back to the Black Parade on Monday (May 16) with the kick-off performance of their long-awaited reunion tour at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England.
The legendary band debuted a live performance of their newest single, “The Foundations of Decay,” the first of their music since their 2013 breakup. Fan-captured footage from the show reveals that they also delivered two surprise debut performances of other older songs “Surrender the Night” and “Boy Division” from their 2013 compilation album Conventional Weapons.
MCR also killed it, according to fan reactions on social media, with other favorite hits and classics like “Helena,” “This Is How I Disappear,” “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na),” “Teenagers,” “I Don’t Love You,” and “Sleep.” The band never seemed to have lost the edge that captured the hearts of emo kids in the early part of the new millennium.
They closed the concert with a three-song encore with “Boy Division,” “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” and “The Kids From Yesterday.”
Merch was flying around the venue with shirts printed with the text “SWARM” over an insect fly design. Could this possibly tease an upcoming album? Because if so, new and old fans would definitely swarm through. Speculation about an impending full album has reached a fever pitch.
Lead singer Gerard Way concluded the concert with a heartfelt statement. “This is a really special and amazing night for us,” he told the audience. “I hope it was for you too.”
My Chemical Romance announced their reunion tour in fall 2019 and played a one-off show in Los Angeles that December, but the COVIDS-19 pandemic forced them to postpone their plans. Tour dates were rescheduled in 2021 but were pushed back again due to ongoing pandemic concerns. The emo band is expected to perform in several cities in the United Kingdom and Europe until mid-June, and their North American tour is expected to hit the scene from August through October. They are also scheduled to perform in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. All current tour dates and tickets can be found on their website.