My Chemical Romance, first performance in Korea in 18 years... 20,000 people singing along to warm up the cold

"We'll carry on, we'll carry on~" (We'll keep moving, we'll keep moving~)

On the 7th, when the American rock band My Chemical Romance (MCR) passionately performed their representative song ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ at Paradise City Culture Park in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, gasps erupted from all over the audience. The audience heated up the concert hall by singing along to the chorus of the song as if with one voice.

About 20,000 audiences gathered for My Chemical Romance's performance in Korea, which took place 18 years after its first visit in 2008. Even the cold wave in Ipdong was not an obstacle for them.

Although the weather was so cold that the breath came out, the audience continued to sing along with loud voices. From the standing seats, people enjoyed the performance by waving their hands left and right or jumping. Audience members who followed My Chemical Romance styling with eye makeup that featured dark eyeliner were also noticed everywhere.

The band also performed non-stop for two hours as if responding to the long wait.

My Chemical Romance, formed in New Jersey, USA in 2001, is considered the band that led the popularization of emo rock in the 2000s.

Emo rock is a rock genre that puts emotions at the center of music, and is characterized by honest and intense expression of personal emotions such as inner anxiety, loneliness, loss, and alienation.

The band created their own musical world by combining the musical colors of emo rock with dramatic narratives and spectacular stage production.

They showed off their emo rock charm to the fullest during this day’s performance. The performance centered on songs from the 3rd full-length album ‘The Black Parade’ released in 2006. They opened the stage with 'The End.', a rock opera-style intro, and then performed 'Dead!' and 'I Don't Love You' one after another.

This album was re-released as a deluxe edition to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, and recently reached the top of the US Billboard main album chart 'Billboard 200'.

'The Black Parade' is a concept album that revolves around the story of a man who is about to die. It is composed in a rock opera format, with individual songs forming a single narrative, providing an immersive experience as if watching a musical.

The performance was also a series of stages that you couldn't take your eyes off. Vocalist Gerard Way brought out the dramatic atmosphere of the stage by not only singing but also acting by screaming or swaying to match the mood of the song. When singing 'Cancer', he also created a unique appearance by singing with an octopus on his face.

As the performance reached its peak, spectacular special effects such as pillars of fire were displayed throughout the stage, adding to the visual enjoyment.

The audience, heavily armed with long padding, gloves, and scarves, danced and sang together as if they had forgotten the cold as the performance progressed. Even when sound problems occurred during some songs, the audience continued the performance by singing along to fill the empty space.

Gerard Way, who had been concentrating on the stage without saying much throughout the performance, only introduced the members who performed together in the second half and expressed his gratitude to the Korean fans.

He said, "There's something I really want to say. Korea is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever been to. I haven't been here in 18 years, but I still remember my first performance in Korea. It was a cold winter like today. I really love the cold weather in Korea."

He added, “I hope someday I can come back for sightseeing, not just for performances.”

My Chemical Romance drew enthusiastic responses from audiences until the end. As representative songs such as ‘I’m Not Okay’ and ‘Na Na Na’ continued, the audience once again burst out in powerful singing along.

Mr. Choi, a man in his 30s from Mapo-gu, Seoul, said, "This is my first concert in Korea in 18 years, so I never thought I would see My Chemical Romance perform live. It's a band I grew up with, so I have new emotions. I kept singing along throughout the performance, so much so that my jaw hurts. It was an unforgettable day."