As an original "Emo Kid'' and member of the MCRmy (yes, that was the original fanbase, not Killjoys) I'd like to welcome you as a member of the best group of fans you could stumble upon. While there have been a few drummers throughout the years, we're going to focus on the original four members of the band; Gerard Way, Frank Iero, Mikey Way and Ray Toro and their role in the world outside of MCR.
If you aren't already aware, the band took a hiatus from March 22, 2013 until December 20, 2019, and a lot of us had lost hope over the years for a reunion after so many whispers and let downs. You had best believe I pulled out the black eyeliner and tour shirts like I was a teenager again the day that reunion tour was announced and bought tickets for 2020, which has obviously been postponed until 2021.
Together, as a band, they have made some incredible music over the last 20 years, but did you know they have all had incredible side projects throughout the duration as well? I want to take you on the journey that so many of us have been on all of these years so that you can feel at peace with the rest of us.
Let's face it, us outcasts have to join together and look out for one another.
1. Gerard Way is the Lead Vocalist.
Gerard first began singing in elementary school in a production of "Peter Pan" and later formed "My Chemical Romance" after witnessing the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center from his office as an intern at Cartoon Network in New York City. Throughout the younger years of the band, Gerard struggled with addiction and became a symbol of hope for the fans when he got sober in 2007.
In 2007, he also married Lindsey Ballato, known as Lyn-Z, of Mindless Self Indulgence backstage after their final show on the Projekt Revolution tour. In addition to being the lead vocalist of My Chemical Romance, Gerard, our sass filled boa wearing leader, has also gone on to release solo albums, has a comic book deal with Dark Horse and guest wrote for multiple Spider-Verse comics.
He has a Netflix deal and is an executive producer for The Umbrella Academy based on his comic series with Gabriel Bá and has created a character for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He has guest performed with many other bands including (but not limited to) Thursday, The Oval Portrait, Kyosuke Himuro, Deadmau5 and Euringer, who is also the lead singer of Mindless Self Indulgence with Lyn-Z.
2. Ray Toro is the Lead Guitarist and Backing Vocalist.
Ray "The Hair" Toro was the next original member to join the band after Gerard and former drummer Matt Pelissier. While Toro never planned to be in a touring band, going to school for film, he is also linked to a previous band called "The Rodneys,'' which released a solo album in 1994.
He is known as the 'dad figure' of the group trying to keep everyone else in line on tours. He was married to his wife, Crista, in between the band's third and fourth studio albums in 2008. Besides being a part of MCR, Ray has also been a part of the band "Reggie And The Full Effect" and released a solo album in 2016. He is a skilled producer and worked on projects for MCR as well as Frank's solo project, Frank Iero and the Future Violents.
3. Mikey Way is the Bassist.
Mikey, who is Gerard's younger brother, joined the band next, after Ray. He is credited for naming the band after seeing the phrase "Chemical Romance" on the back of a book while working at a Barnes & Nobles before the band was formed. He later worked for Eyeball Records, which went on to sign My Chemical Romance and release their first studio record.
If you have been around for a while you've been able to witness Mikey progress from a shy member of the band, who had a tendency to stick to the background, to a solid performer who demands attention on stage. In 2016, Mikey went on to marry his wife, Kristin, and is an avid LA Dodgers fan.
Mikey has been a part of another band, Electric Century, and co-created a comic series with DC Comics and Z2 Comics for an illustrational version of the upcoming Electric Century album. Mikey has collaborated with other bands including Andy Black and his close friends, Waterparks.
4. Frank Iero is the Rhythm Guitarist and Backup Vocalist.
Frank was the last member to join the band by chance after meeting the rest of the members through parties at their record label, Eyeball Records, while he was the frontman for another band called Pencey Prep. He grew up playing in punk bands as young as 11 and mentions in the band's original video diary that he got the tattoo on his neck as a symbol believing in My Chemical Romance and their future as a band.
Frank had a tendency in his younger tour days to get hurt at almost every show they played. These injuries not only hurt himself but on multiple occasions he managed to extend the pain to one of the other band members as well. He married his wife, Jamia, in 2007, and in 2016 he had a life changing experience after an accident on tour in Australia in which he was hit and drug by a passenger bus while unloading for a show.
Frank is a busy man outside of MCR and has created quite a few solo projects throughout the years including Leathermouth, frnk iero and the cellabration, Frank Iero and the Patience, Death Spells and most recently Frank Iero and the Future Violents. In addition to creating so many band projects, he has also covered a Green Day song for Kerrang! and released a song specifically written for his wife.
5. The Full Band.
As a whole, the band has put out six studio albums along with compilations of other songs, including a cover of "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and a song for the children's show Yo Gabba Gabba. I personally recommend checking out their 2006 documentary "Life on the Murder Scene" to get to know the guys a little more personally and the final performance on their Black Parade tour that they filmed in Mexico, correctly naming "The Black Parade Is Dead!" for a closer look into the theatrical skill of the band.
If you are more into reading over watching, there's a great book by Tom Bryant called "The True Lives of My Chemical Romance: The Definitive Biography" that will hold your attention until the very end.
