Photo: Wenn
Gerard Way has discussed how the general public considered his former band My Chemical Romance a "death cult".
He told Kerrang that while happy with his new role as a solo artist he wanted to clear up some misconceptions about the band.
"I'm incredibly proud of My Chemical Romance and I'm so happy with what we accomplished, but a lot of what My Chemical Romance was about was coming from a place of aggression and youth and anger and frustration," he said. "That attracts an energy, and you carry that energy with you all over the world."
Way continued: "I remember touring on the [MCR album] 'The Black Parade' and everywhere we went... the combative energy that would surround the band was big. Not within the band, but from external things, like people you'd run into in the street who thought we were a death cult. It attracted a lot of aggression. I think it was an important band that changed things, but it attracted a certain thing. I think now I'm not carrying around damage. I don't think these songs are written from a place of damage. It feels lighter, everything feels more free."
Despite being one of the biggest biggest American alt-rock exports of his generation, Way's artistic spirit was influenced by that of Britpop. Gigwise recently talked to him about why Arctic Monkeys resonate so strongly, what Blur have in common with MCR, the aspirational fashion of 90s Britain, and why he dedicated his youth to Britpop instead of grunge.
Below: Gerard Way on Britpop, Blur and Arctic Monkeys
"It was kind of a mundane existance growing up in New Jersey, and I never really let go of that," Way told Gigwise. "There seemed to be no limits to Britpop. It felt like, say you could have a band like Pulp with these dance or disco elements to them. It had romanticism and glam in bands like Suede, it pure pop in bands like Blur and working class rock like Oasis - it felt like it could be anything.
Watch our full interview above.
Hesitant Alien by Gerard Way is out now. The complete dates for Gerard Way's tour are below. For tickets click here.
Tue January 20 2015 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Wed January 21 2015 - SOUTHAMPTON O2 Guildhall
Fri January 23 2015 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
