Given the aftermath of Black Parade, is there anything you wish you’d done differently?
Gerard: The only thing I wish I’d done differently was paying attention at all to the reaction to the album. I beat myself up about doing that, but it was really hard to ignore.
Frank: That’s the thing, when it’s in your face every day and people are telling you about it and asking if you feel responsible. It’s like, fuck, man. You’ve got me in a cage and you’re just poking me with a stick at that point. And no, I don’t feel responsible, it’s not my responsibility. But it’s hard when that’s all you see. You’re in the bus, in a venue, in the bus, in a venue, in a bus, in a venue and that’s what people are telling you is going on, and damning you for it. When really all you’ve done is travelled to the next city and performed. That’s all you’ve done. And people are telling you that millions of miles away some kid got beat up for loving your band. That’s fucked up.
Gerard: That happened a lot. I remember getting to Australia, turning on the TV and they were talking about kids at Big Day Out getting beat up and it’s like, what the fuck, man.
I think it’s a different thing this time, though. I don’t expect to turn on the TV and see much of that. Not that I’d care this time. I can’t in order to keep doing it. I can’t care about that any more. Like, the aftermath really has to be a secondary thing that I can’t give a shit about. I think that’s kept the art pure, I think that’s why it’s so vibrant and fuck you and awesome and fearless, and the music sounds just like it looks, and the visual promises you so much danger and excitement, and the record delivers that. I think that doesn’t happen very often.
But to put the bad stuff in perspective, you just have to Google ‘My Chemical Romance saved my life’…
Gerard: Yeah I know! But that’s a hard thing too. Because well… Frank, the way he puts it about them: they did that, not us.
Frank: They don’t give themselves enough credit. I think it’s great to inspire that, and to be the record that helps you get through something, but that’s all it is. It helps you to do that; you’re the one who actually did it. Our kids are really strong. They like to give us the accolades, but in fact it really is them. They’re the heroes.
