Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > The Final Concert
The Final Concert
8 reviewsMy Chemical Romance's final concert... who will take it harder? The fans? Or the band?
0TrainWreck
The Last Concert
I could hear the screams and cheers as we set up Kerri’s keyboard, “we” being Christian and me. Kerri was at the back of the stage, helping Christian’s brother, Ray, set up his beloved drumset. As I picked up my lucky mic and Christian and our bass player, Adrian, tuned their guitars, I looked back on how we had arrived in the House of Blues, with an adoring audience waiting for us.
It had always been a dream of Kerri’s- to be famous, to stop the bullies that plagued our generation, to change the world. Kerri had become a sister to me through sixth grade, and we’d remained close throughout the years. Now we were all out of college, and our little high school garage band was taking off. Sure, we faced some horrid people, and the tabloids were constantly ranting about Kerri and Christian’s ‘relationship,’ but none of that mattered now. We were the opening act, and the band that had inspired us waited backstage.
My Chemical Romance had been an up-and-coming, rebellion-starting, morale-boosting band ever since they had first been established. Now, they were all getting too old to play their music anymore. It was devastating, both to the fans and to the musicians themselves. However, despite the wishes of the band and the MCRmy, this was to be their last show, even if the crowd didn’t know it yet. It was Gerard’s 47th birthday, and he was getting ready to retire from the tour.
I looked around, waiting for the go-ahead from my fellow and members. As the curtain rose, I stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight and began to spin slowly. The curtain disappeared overhead and I began to pick up speed, my black gown flowing out behind me. I was soon twirling rapidly, my arms held out to my sides. The stage around me blurred and the screams increased sevenfold. A feeling of elation came over me as my heart took flight and my nerves escaped. My pulse raced, my heart soared. I was ready.
I froze, facing away from the crowd. The entire hall fell silent.
“Good afternoon, Chicago…” I whispered into the mic, slowly turning to face the audience, one arm held stationary beside my head. My newly dyed and straightened black hair blew around me haphazardly, flicking the bow at the small of my back.
“I hear you’re here to see your favorite group of amazing, lifesaving, all-around fantastic musicians, My Chemical Romance!” I yelled. The crowd erupted into cheers. “Well, they’ll be with you soon- as soon as Gerard finds his eyeliner.” The crowd began to laugh hysterically as I glanced backstage in mock concern.
“Since we have a bit of… technical difficulties with Gerard’s searching abilities, we will be opening for them tonight. Back there on the keyboard is my sister-from-another-mister, Kerri, who hails from Hidden Valley, Indiana. The black haired guy beside her is Christian, and he will be playing the guitar tonight. Both him and his brother Ray, who is on the drums, come from Aurora, Indiana. The cutie on the bass guitar is my good friend Adrian, who resides in Milan, Indiana. I come from Greendale in, you guessed it, Indiana, leaving this band Indiana-5, Everywhere else-0!
“We’re here tonight to show you that no matter where you come from, no matter what your background, no matter what people say or do to make you conform, you CAN make a difference. You CAN change the world. You CAN be yourselves and you CAN be the hope! We’re kind of new, so please go easy on us, and give a warm welcome to the newest small-town band, The Forgotten! And remember, even though you may me the forgotten, there’s always a way to make yourself remembered.”
With that, I raised both arms above my head and threw my head back. This was the band’s cue to start the music. My intro began, with Christian already fired up and turning circles as he rocked out, and I returned my gaze to the audience. Their cheers fell down to a dull roar as I began to sing, and they evaluated this band of new college graduates sitting before them.
“Have you forgotten all these tears? The ones we’ve cried all these years? What goes around shall come again. So fear not, it is not the end! What is and what ceases to be are blocked by your concept of humanity…”
A huge guitar rift tore from Christian’s familiar as I shot my hand into the air and poured my heart into the chorus.
“WE ARE THE FORGOTTEN! WE ARE THE UNLOVED! AND SOME DAY, SOME WAY, WE’LL COME TOGETHER AS ONE!!”
The song slowed back to its mournful, crooning lullaby as I began to strut across the stage, walking around to bang out the chords with Kerri, still singing, and grabbing Adrian by the tie as he smiled up at me, his fingers flying over the most complicated part that I’ve ever seen a bass play. As I broke into the chorus again, the crowd belted it out with me, clearly loving the feel of the music.
I finished out the song with a beautiful ending, hitting the notes perfectly-
“So take care of the way you say the things that you say. We may just fight tonight for our self-earned right!”
Christian and Kerri hit a beautiful harmonious chord that symbolized the end of the song, and the crowd went wild, jumping up and down and screaming our name. I was sure that we were going to be remembered, if not for being the openers, but for our impact on the crowd. They were going to tell people. Word would get out that a new group was in town and ready to rock.
I glanced backstage and shouted into the mic, “Hey Gee? You find that eyeliner?”
In answer, a beautiful voice rang out clear and angelic, “Not ye- FRANK YOU GIVE ME THAT! YOU LITTLE-“
I laughed heartily, the entire crowd laughing at Gerard and Frank’s wild backstage antics. I shook my head at how childish two middle-age men could be and raised the mic to my lips.
“Well, since Gerard obviously needs a few more moments to compose himself, finally having found the eyeliner thief, I want to say a few words about the band that you are about to meet, some of you for the first time in person, some of you, it is a re-acquaintance. My Chem. has been there for all of us, through the hard times and the best times, without even realizing how much of an impact they have on our lives. So many of us here tonight can truthfully say, “My Chemical Romance saved my life.” I know they did mine.
“This band has been together since just after the Twin Towers fell. They have changed the world with their way of life, with their music, and with their demeanor. They love all of their fans, no matter how fan girl-y we tend to be. Girls, you can all admit to that. I do on a daily basis.
“My Chemical Romance has been a major factor in the founding of The Forgotten. I remember, in sixth grade, sitting down in my house, crying my eyes out. I had had the second worst day of my life, the worst being the day I almost killed myself, and I didn’t know what to do. I got onto Facebook and found a message from Kerri, my sister,” I touched my hand to my heart and extended it in her direction, “telling me to look up a band tat she had discovered. I was definitely NOT into anything more heavy than Carrie Underwood at the time, so I wasn’t sure about looking up some random punk/rock band that Kerri had gotten hooked on.
“Days passed, each horrid and depressing, each making me borderline suicidal. I finally decided to listen to Kerri and look up My Chemical Romance. The song that she recommended was called Famous Last Words. I listened, and was stunned. I was in tears by the end of the song. Though the music itself, at the time, did not interest me, the lyrics touched my heart in ways you would not even imagine. I instantly became a devoted member of the MCRmy.
“When my sister came to stay the night at my house, we set up a plan. One day, we were going to be famous, too. We were going to change the world, spread the message, so that our Last Words could be just as Famous- ‘I am not afraid to keep on living. I am not afraid to walk this world alone.’ We were one day going to meet the band that made such an impact on our lives, and inspired my love of good, meaningful music. Tonight, that dream is coming true. Sitting backstage are some of the most wonderful people who we will likely have the pleasure of meeting. They will be playing for you tonight, all you Black Parade Marchers, all you Killjoys. We will be right there with you, screaming it to the heavens, singing it to the world. I want you to give you biggest MCRmy welcome to my saviors, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE!”
With those last words, they stepped onto the stage. My heart gave a leap, my stomach, a flop. For standing before me were Gerard Way, Frank Iero, Mikey Way, and Ray Toro. My heart caught in my throat. Gerard was walking towards me.
As if acting of its own accord, I threw my arms around Gerard’s neck, my mic hanging around my neck, tears pouring down my face. Though he was forty-seven tonight, Gerard didn’t look, or act a day over twenty- nine. He wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug, holding me as I cried from the overwhelming, indescribable feeling of finally having our dreams fulfilled.
“Thank you,” I whispered, deaf to the crowd as they screamed impatiently for me to stop holding up the stage.
Gerard pulled back and held me at arms length. I was trembling with suppressed sobs, of… what? Happiness? Memories? I wasn’t sure.
“Last song,” he told me, making sure his beautiful voice was not picked up by the microphone, “is Helena. Can you bring the band out to play with us?”
I nodded, tears still streaming down my face. “It would be our honor.”
He smiled and hugged me one last time before he nodded towards backstage. I complied, walking back to where the rest of the band was sitting on an old amp. Kerri had matching tears on her cheeks, and we fell into each others arms, crying and laughing and being all-around amazed. I felt weak and drained, and I wasn’t sure what to do.
I relayed to the band what Gerard had requested, and Kerri squealed with delight as Gerard set about with his opening line-
“Well, FUCK, just LOOK at all the PEOPLE!! You guys are fucking AMAZING, did I mention that before? I did? Oh, well. I want you to scream until you can’t scream anymore, people! We will be up here until my voice gives out or Mikey’s fingers fall off, so I want you to… Sing it out…” he broke into song, and we began to sing along too, tears still falling. By the third song, which was Demolition Lovers, we had calmed down and had managed to wrestle our way offstage- not quite into the crowd, but down where we could see them from a concert goer’s point of view. We sang along with them, and the night began to blur. Adrenaline raced through my veins as I had the most amazing, perfect experience of my life…
“When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city to see a marching band…”
“Is this our destiny? This world is after me, after you…”
“Ladies and gentlemen, TRUTH is now acceptable, FAME is now injectible, PROCESS THE PROGRESS!”
“Can I be the only hope for you? Because you’re the only hope for me. And if we can’t find where we belong, we’ll have to work it on our own, face all the pain and take it on, because the only hope for me is you alone…”
“It ain’t the money and it sure as hell ain’t just for the fame…”
“I am not afraid to keep on living! I am not afraid to walk this world alone! Honey if you stay, I’ll be forgiving! Nothing you can stay can stop me going home!”
I realized with a jolt that they had gone through every song that they had, from Teenagers to Blood to We Don’t Need Another Song About California. I rounded up the band members as Gerard announced the news that would send many a fan, including us and My Chem., home crying tonight.
As we made it backstage and grabbed our instruments, we got ready just in time for Gerard’s final speech.
“People, in a minute you may hate me. You may have thought that it would last forever, but this is our last song of the night. In fact, this is our last concert. After tonight, me and the guys are retiring.”
The crowd went into shock. Many people began to sob loudly, screaming out their sorrow to the heavens.
“Believe me when I say that retirement is the last thing we want. But all of us are too old to be up on stage anymore. Today is my birthday, as many of you know. I am forty-seven today, and though I don’t look it, I can feel it. I feel it in the way that my bones creak when I step onto stage, in the fact that after one song I feel as exhausted as if I had sang all night. I feel it in the fact that standing up here right now, I am old enough to be a father to most all of you. I don’t want to leave, and I most definitely don’t want to leave you all behind. We love you all, and I want to be there for you. I want to become a fucking vampire who buys from the blood bank just so I could live forever and constantly remind you all how amazing and fucking perfect you all are. But I can’t do that, no matter how perfect it would be. My little girl, Bandit, is fourteen now. She’s old enough that I constantly have to worry about some boy trying to snatch her away from me, and as you parents out there know, that’s hard to live with. I’m getting old, as is Mikey, and Ray, and yes, even Frank, the baby of the group. I love you all so much, and I-“ his voice cracked, and a tear rolled down his face. “I didn’t ever want this to end. Leaving Ray at the gas stations, having Frank tackle me, never knowing who was going to be our new drummer, sleeping in the bus. I had hoped it could last forever. But tonight I have to come down to reality and realize that not all things last forever. No matter how much they mean to you. This was eminent when my grandmother, Elena Lee Rush, passed away. In her memory, and in the realization that nothing is forever, I dedicate this last song, Helena. Sing it out, all you people, no matter how hard the tears flow. Sing it out to the sky, to the kids who are mean to you. Sing it to the ones you love, and never, NEVER let someone tell you who you gotta be. Never take anyone’s shit, and never let them take you alive.”
With that, the music began. The crowd was sobbing and cheering all at once as My Chemical Romance began the last live song that they would ever perform.
“Long ago, just like the hearse you die to get in again… We are… so far from you…”
I stepped out onto the stage, the lyrics pouring from me like the tears that poured down, clogging my throat but not obstructing my voice.
“Burning on, just like a match you strike to incinerate the lives of everyone you know!”
The crowd began to cheer, louder than they ever had before, their screams echoing off the vaulted ceiling and making the entire concert hall shake with noise.
“And what’s the worst you take from every heart you break? And like the blade you stain, well I’ve been holding on, tonight!” we sang together, sharing Gee’s microphone.
We began the chorus, and the music flooded into my soul. I let it take over as the words soared, creating a wall of defiance, love, and strength between the people who had been neglected and forgotten for so long. As I sang, I noticed my family, my band, rocking with the other members- Kerri with Mikey beside her, Frank running in circles around Adrian and Christian as they played so fast that their fingers bled, Ray and.. Ray in the back, with Christian’s brother taking over for the fill-in drummer the band had been using. Much too soon, the song was coming to and end. I sang out, at the top of my lungs, as did Gerard, the final line to the final song, of the final concert.
“SO LONG AND GOODNIGHT!!”
The chord was struck, and it was over.
I was suddenly aware of how bright and blinding the lights were; how deafening the cheers and sobs; how hot the floodlights were. I looked up at Gerard, my idol, only to find him crying. Outright crying. The tears feel faster down my face as he breathlessly took the microphone and spoke to the crowd.
“No matter what, always remember, I love you. All of you. I’d call you each by name if I could. I love you all. I love you all…” his voice broke off there as he bowed, his theatrics perfect down to the end, and the curtain fell.
I could hear the screams and cheers as we set up Kerri’s keyboard, “we” being Christian and me. Kerri was at the back of the stage, helping Christian’s brother, Ray, set up his beloved drumset. As I picked up my lucky mic and Christian and our bass player, Adrian, tuned their guitars, I looked back on how we had arrived in the House of Blues, with an adoring audience waiting for us.
It had always been a dream of Kerri’s- to be famous, to stop the bullies that plagued our generation, to change the world. Kerri had become a sister to me through sixth grade, and we’d remained close throughout the years. Now we were all out of college, and our little high school garage band was taking off. Sure, we faced some horrid people, and the tabloids were constantly ranting about Kerri and Christian’s ‘relationship,’ but none of that mattered now. We were the opening act, and the band that had inspired us waited backstage.
My Chemical Romance had been an up-and-coming, rebellion-starting, morale-boosting band ever since they had first been established. Now, they were all getting too old to play their music anymore. It was devastating, both to the fans and to the musicians themselves. However, despite the wishes of the band and the MCRmy, this was to be their last show, even if the crowd didn’t know it yet. It was Gerard’s 47th birthday, and he was getting ready to retire from the tour.
I looked around, waiting for the go-ahead from my fellow and members. As the curtain rose, I stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight and began to spin slowly. The curtain disappeared overhead and I began to pick up speed, my black gown flowing out behind me. I was soon twirling rapidly, my arms held out to my sides. The stage around me blurred and the screams increased sevenfold. A feeling of elation came over me as my heart took flight and my nerves escaped. My pulse raced, my heart soared. I was ready.
I froze, facing away from the crowd. The entire hall fell silent.
“Good afternoon, Chicago…” I whispered into the mic, slowly turning to face the audience, one arm held stationary beside my head. My newly dyed and straightened black hair blew around me haphazardly, flicking the bow at the small of my back.
“I hear you’re here to see your favorite group of amazing, lifesaving, all-around fantastic musicians, My Chemical Romance!” I yelled. The crowd erupted into cheers. “Well, they’ll be with you soon- as soon as Gerard finds his eyeliner.” The crowd began to laugh hysterically as I glanced backstage in mock concern.
“Since we have a bit of… technical difficulties with Gerard’s searching abilities, we will be opening for them tonight. Back there on the keyboard is my sister-from-another-mister, Kerri, who hails from Hidden Valley, Indiana. The black haired guy beside her is Christian, and he will be playing the guitar tonight. Both him and his brother Ray, who is on the drums, come from Aurora, Indiana. The cutie on the bass guitar is my good friend Adrian, who resides in Milan, Indiana. I come from Greendale in, you guessed it, Indiana, leaving this band Indiana-5, Everywhere else-0!
“We’re here tonight to show you that no matter where you come from, no matter what your background, no matter what people say or do to make you conform, you CAN make a difference. You CAN change the world. You CAN be yourselves and you CAN be the hope! We’re kind of new, so please go easy on us, and give a warm welcome to the newest small-town band, The Forgotten! And remember, even though you may me the forgotten, there’s always a way to make yourself remembered.”
With that, I raised both arms above my head and threw my head back. This was the band’s cue to start the music. My intro began, with Christian already fired up and turning circles as he rocked out, and I returned my gaze to the audience. Their cheers fell down to a dull roar as I began to sing, and they evaluated this band of new college graduates sitting before them.
“Have you forgotten all these tears? The ones we’ve cried all these years? What goes around shall come again. So fear not, it is not the end! What is and what ceases to be are blocked by your concept of humanity…”
A huge guitar rift tore from Christian’s familiar as I shot my hand into the air and poured my heart into the chorus.
“WE ARE THE FORGOTTEN! WE ARE THE UNLOVED! AND SOME DAY, SOME WAY, WE’LL COME TOGETHER AS ONE!!”
The song slowed back to its mournful, crooning lullaby as I began to strut across the stage, walking around to bang out the chords with Kerri, still singing, and grabbing Adrian by the tie as he smiled up at me, his fingers flying over the most complicated part that I’ve ever seen a bass play. As I broke into the chorus again, the crowd belted it out with me, clearly loving the feel of the music.
I finished out the song with a beautiful ending, hitting the notes perfectly-
“So take care of the way you say the things that you say. We may just fight tonight for our self-earned right!”
Christian and Kerri hit a beautiful harmonious chord that symbolized the end of the song, and the crowd went wild, jumping up and down and screaming our name. I was sure that we were going to be remembered, if not for being the openers, but for our impact on the crowd. They were going to tell people. Word would get out that a new group was in town and ready to rock.
I glanced backstage and shouted into the mic, “Hey Gee? You find that eyeliner?”
In answer, a beautiful voice rang out clear and angelic, “Not ye- FRANK YOU GIVE ME THAT! YOU LITTLE-“
I laughed heartily, the entire crowd laughing at Gerard and Frank’s wild backstage antics. I shook my head at how childish two middle-age men could be and raised the mic to my lips.
“Well, since Gerard obviously needs a few more moments to compose himself, finally having found the eyeliner thief, I want to say a few words about the band that you are about to meet, some of you for the first time in person, some of you, it is a re-acquaintance. My Chem. has been there for all of us, through the hard times and the best times, without even realizing how much of an impact they have on our lives. So many of us here tonight can truthfully say, “My Chemical Romance saved my life.” I know they did mine.
“This band has been together since just after the Twin Towers fell. They have changed the world with their way of life, with their music, and with their demeanor. They love all of their fans, no matter how fan girl-y we tend to be. Girls, you can all admit to that. I do on a daily basis.
“My Chemical Romance has been a major factor in the founding of The Forgotten. I remember, in sixth grade, sitting down in my house, crying my eyes out. I had had the second worst day of my life, the worst being the day I almost killed myself, and I didn’t know what to do. I got onto Facebook and found a message from Kerri, my sister,” I touched my hand to my heart and extended it in her direction, “telling me to look up a band tat she had discovered. I was definitely NOT into anything more heavy than Carrie Underwood at the time, so I wasn’t sure about looking up some random punk/rock band that Kerri had gotten hooked on.
“Days passed, each horrid and depressing, each making me borderline suicidal. I finally decided to listen to Kerri and look up My Chemical Romance. The song that she recommended was called Famous Last Words. I listened, and was stunned. I was in tears by the end of the song. Though the music itself, at the time, did not interest me, the lyrics touched my heart in ways you would not even imagine. I instantly became a devoted member of the MCRmy.
“When my sister came to stay the night at my house, we set up a plan. One day, we were going to be famous, too. We were going to change the world, spread the message, so that our Last Words could be just as Famous- ‘I am not afraid to keep on living. I am not afraid to walk this world alone.’ We were one day going to meet the band that made such an impact on our lives, and inspired my love of good, meaningful music. Tonight, that dream is coming true. Sitting backstage are some of the most wonderful people who we will likely have the pleasure of meeting. They will be playing for you tonight, all you Black Parade Marchers, all you Killjoys. We will be right there with you, screaming it to the heavens, singing it to the world. I want you to give you biggest MCRmy welcome to my saviors, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE!”
With those last words, they stepped onto the stage. My heart gave a leap, my stomach, a flop. For standing before me were Gerard Way, Frank Iero, Mikey Way, and Ray Toro. My heart caught in my throat. Gerard was walking towards me.
As if acting of its own accord, I threw my arms around Gerard’s neck, my mic hanging around my neck, tears pouring down my face. Though he was forty-seven tonight, Gerard didn’t look, or act a day over twenty- nine. He wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug, holding me as I cried from the overwhelming, indescribable feeling of finally having our dreams fulfilled.
“Thank you,” I whispered, deaf to the crowd as they screamed impatiently for me to stop holding up the stage.
Gerard pulled back and held me at arms length. I was trembling with suppressed sobs, of… what? Happiness? Memories? I wasn’t sure.
“Last song,” he told me, making sure his beautiful voice was not picked up by the microphone, “is Helena. Can you bring the band out to play with us?”
I nodded, tears still streaming down my face. “It would be our honor.”
He smiled and hugged me one last time before he nodded towards backstage. I complied, walking back to where the rest of the band was sitting on an old amp. Kerri had matching tears on her cheeks, and we fell into each others arms, crying and laughing and being all-around amazed. I felt weak and drained, and I wasn’t sure what to do.
I relayed to the band what Gerard had requested, and Kerri squealed with delight as Gerard set about with his opening line-
“Well, FUCK, just LOOK at all the PEOPLE!! You guys are fucking AMAZING, did I mention that before? I did? Oh, well. I want you to scream until you can’t scream anymore, people! We will be up here until my voice gives out or Mikey’s fingers fall off, so I want you to… Sing it out…” he broke into song, and we began to sing along too, tears still falling. By the third song, which was Demolition Lovers, we had calmed down and had managed to wrestle our way offstage- not quite into the crowd, but down where we could see them from a concert goer’s point of view. We sang along with them, and the night began to blur. Adrenaline raced through my veins as I had the most amazing, perfect experience of my life…
“When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city to see a marching band…”
“Is this our destiny? This world is after me, after you…”
“Ladies and gentlemen, TRUTH is now acceptable, FAME is now injectible, PROCESS THE PROGRESS!”
“Can I be the only hope for you? Because you’re the only hope for me. And if we can’t find where we belong, we’ll have to work it on our own, face all the pain and take it on, because the only hope for me is you alone…”
“It ain’t the money and it sure as hell ain’t just for the fame…”
“I am not afraid to keep on living! I am not afraid to walk this world alone! Honey if you stay, I’ll be forgiving! Nothing you can stay can stop me going home!”
I realized with a jolt that they had gone through every song that they had, from Teenagers to Blood to We Don’t Need Another Song About California. I rounded up the band members as Gerard announced the news that would send many a fan, including us and My Chem., home crying tonight.
As we made it backstage and grabbed our instruments, we got ready just in time for Gerard’s final speech.
“People, in a minute you may hate me. You may have thought that it would last forever, but this is our last song of the night. In fact, this is our last concert. After tonight, me and the guys are retiring.”
The crowd went into shock. Many people began to sob loudly, screaming out their sorrow to the heavens.
“Believe me when I say that retirement is the last thing we want. But all of us are too old to be up on stage anymore. Today is my birthday, as many of you know. I am forty-seven today, and though I don’t look it, I can feel it. I feel it in the way that my bones creak when I step onto stage, in the fact that after one song I feel as exhausted as if I had sang all night. I feel it in the fact that standing up here right now, I am old enough to be a father to most all of you. I don’t want to leave, and I most definitely don’t want to leave you all behind. We love you all, and I want to be there for you. I want to become a fucking vampire who buys from the blood bank just so I could live forever and constantly remind you all how amazing and fucking perfect you all are. But I can’t do that, no matter how perfect it would be. My little girl, Bandit, is fourteen now. She’s old enough that I constantly have to worry about some boy trying to snatch her away from me, and as you parents out there know, that’s hard to live with. I’m getting old, as is Mikey, and Ray, and yes, even Frank, the baby of the group. I love you all so much, and I-“ his voice cracked, and a tear rolled down his face. “I didn’t ever want this to end. Leaving Ray at the gas stations, having Frank tackle me, never knowing who was going to be our new drummer, sleeping in the bus. I had hoped it could last forever. But tonight I have to come down to reality and realize that not all things last forever. No matter how much they mean to you. This was eminent when my grandmother, Elena Lee Rush, passed away. In her memory, and in the realization that nothing is forever, I dedicate this last song, Helena. Sing it out, all you people, no matter how hard the tears flow. Sing it out to the sky, to the kids who are mean to you. Sing it to the ones you love, and never, NEVER let someone tell you who you gotta be. Never take anyone’s shit, and never let them take you alive.”
With that, the music began. The crowd was sobbing and cheering all at once as My Chemical Romance began the last live song that they would ever perform.
“Long ago, just like the hearse you die to get in again… We are… so far from you…”
I stepped out onto the stage, the lyrics pouring from me like the tears that poured down, clogging my throat but not obstructing my voice.
“Burning on, just like a match you strike to incinerate the lives of everyone you know!”
The crowd began to cheer, louder than they ever had before, their screams echoing off the vaulted ceiling and making the entire concert hall shake with noise.
“And what’s the worst you take from every heart you break? And like the blade you stain, well I’ve been holding on, tonight!” we sang together, sharing Gee’s microphone.
We began the chorus, and the music flooded into my soul. I let it take over as the words soared, creating a wall of defiance, love, and strength between the people who had been neglected and forgotten for so long. As I sang, I noticed my family, my band, rocking with the other members- Kerri with Mikey beside her, Frank running in circles around Adrian and Christian as they played so fast that their fingers bled, Ray and.. Ray in the back, with Christian’s brother taking over for the fill-in drummer the band had been using. Much too soon, the song was coming to and end. I sang out, at the top of my lungs, as did Gerard, the final line to the final song, of the final concert.
“SO LONG AND GOODNIGHT!!”
The chord was struck, and it was over.
I was suddenly aware of how bright and blinding the lights were; how deafening the cheers and sobs; how hot the floodlights were. I looked up at Gerard, my idol, only to find him crying. Outright crying. The tears feel faster down my face as he breathlessly took the microphone and spoke to the crowd.
“No matter what, always remember, I love you. All of you. I’d call you each by name if I could. I love you all. I love you all…” his voice broke off there as he bowed, his theatrics perfect down to the end, and the curtain fell.
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