I was sick with excitement on the way to Manchester on Sunday 24th October 2010. Why? Well, duh! I was on my way to see My Chemical Romance at the 02 Apollo.
On arrival at our hotel, my Sister phoned to say that she and her husband were on their way? Great! It really wouldn’t be long at all now. I was itching to get going and watch MCR perform live for the 7th time. I was also excited about meeting my long time pal, Heather McDaid. We only ever meet up at gigs because of the fact that we live so far away from eachother but we always keep in constant contact, so you can imagine how many texts and emails were sent and received on the run up to this momentous gig.
We (me, my husband Simon, my Sister Ella and her husband Paul) eventually tied up with Heather in The Apsley Cottage, just up the road from the venue. It was absolutely rammed in the pub which meant that unfortunately, we couldn’t get close enough to eachother to get the customary photo with one another. We had a good chat though and both hoped that we would meet up again soon.
At 8pm, we made our way into the 02 Apollo. The queue had gone down very slightly; just an hour before, it was snaking round past the pub. I can’t remember the last time I’d seen a queue like that.
Twin Atlantic were brilliant and what made their performance even more special was the fact that the band were hand-picked by Frank to support them on this leg of the tour. They did not disappoint. The atmosphere in the hall was fantastic. Everyone was just buzzing with excitement and anticipation.
After a last pre-show toilet trip and stopping at the bar to buy a round, we took our places in the packed 02 Apollo. And, bang! There they were. MCR hit the ground running with the opener, ‘Na Na Na’. Cue inane screaming from the crowd of loyal fans.
What really annoys me when I go to gigs is the fact that I never ever remember the set list. My brains like a sieve anyhow but it’s totally gone when I’m watching my favourite band in the whole wide world perform. What I can remember is going bonkers when ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ belted out through the speakers and of course I went crazy when MCR performed ‘Thank You for the Venom’ and ‘Helena’. ‘The Ghost of You’ was phenomenal.
Then there came the tracks from The Black Parade, which was a surprise. After reading the interview in Kerrang (amongst others) I got the idea that The Black Parade would take a bit of a back seat. I was totally wrong but it felt oh so right! Of course there was ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ which prompted a mass sing-a-long; ‘I Don’t Love You’, ‘Teenagers’ and probably the most poignant performance of ‘Cancer’ I’ve heard so far. This last couple of years has been a rollercoaster for our family after losing our Grandparents and then giving birth to my amazing baby girl Molly. Emotions have pretty much constantly run high. I tried to sing along but my emotions got the better of me and I ended up in fits of tears. The same could be said for many other fans surrounding us.
The best song of the night, in my opinion, was ‘Planetary, GO’ – WOW! That’s all I can say. Don’t think I’ve danced around like that in a long time. I could hear a bit of The Prodigy and MSI in some of the numbers. That’s all good to me. Keep it coming lads.
After the gig, I waited outside for just over an hour and a half to try and meet the band but alas, the freezing cold temperatures got the better of us in the end. I think what made me feel colder than I already was, was seeing all the boys and girl with barely anything on standing directly in front of me. You can tell I’m 31 and not 18 anymore. Ha ha ha. I have insisted to my husband that at the next MCR gig we go to, I am waiting for as long as it takes to meet my hero’s again. I know I’ve already met them once, but that’s not enough. I won’t budge for anyone next time round.
With that being the only downside to the night, I can honestly say that this was the best My Chemical Romance gig I’ve been too and I know I’ve said that for the previous 6 too, I truly mean it. That’s what’s so inspiring and amazing about My Chem, they constantly evolve and never ever fail to blow me away.
Thank you for such an amazing night guys. Can’t wait for the next one.
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Happy Halloween to you all and more importantly, wishing you an early Happy Birthday Frank. Have a good 'un mate!
Oh and btw, I have so many more photos from the gig but I could choose only 3. Boohoo!
