A Tribute, Part 3 of 3
OMG, DONE. BEHOLD.
Technically, I knew of bandslash way before jpop/kpop lured me, but I resisted for a long while. I read my first My Chemical Romance fic a couple years ago when one of my favorite popslash writers switched fandoms but never really got into it. Then it exploded while I was busy discovering my awesome boys from Asia and I stayed far, far away because the sparkly boys were eating up enough of my time as is. Then, bored, I decided to click on a fic in my del.icio.us network that had the description "angst! kidfic! hugging!" and got completely sucked in. It wasn't the first piece of bandslash I'd read, but I guess I'm just a sucker for angst and kidfic and hugging. Especially the hugging.
It started with these boys, my bandslash gateway drug:
My Chemical Romance, from left to right:
Ray "man with a plan" Toro: guitarist of the classic rock variety [RAY 1 | RAY 2]
Bob "takes no shit" Bryar: drummer, replaced Matt Pelisser [BOB 1 | BOB 2]
Gerard "slightly off-center leader-genius" Way: lead singer, went to art school [GERARD 1 | GERARD 2]
Frank "pot giggle" Iero: guitarist of the punk variety [FRANK 1 | FRANK 2]
Mikey "spiritual adviser" Way: bassist, younger brother of Gerard Way [MIKEY 1 | MIKEY 2]
(and one more because the Way brothers are a special brand of love.)
The best canon source about these boys is their DVD-CD set called "Life on the Murder Scene" which chronicles their birth (as a band) and follows them up to the very beginnings of their writing songs for "Welcome to the Black Parade." It's a whole lot of fun with a lot of touring life and clips from concerts and behind the scene stuff. But it also never talks about Matt (their old drummer) except to say Bob's new and the bit about Gerard suffering from alcholism and becoming suicidal and then sobering up is really really (really) painful to watch. Still very fascinating stuff, though.
Highlights from the DVD include: Bob smacking every single camera that comes into his line of sight (Mikey: Who's that sexy beast? Bob Bryar. [camera pans] Bob: *smacks camera*) and Gerard hugging his Christmas gift, going "OMG, this is for the hamster I'm going to buy! This is so perfect!" and Frank's reflecting on their celebrity: Ghostbuster famous."
So, here's the first 8 minutes of the DVD, A Self-Introduction.
(If you want to watch the rest: see here.)
See, the thing about all these boys is that they really believe in what they're doing. They're not in it for the fame or the money, they just want to do something meaningful and they honestly believe that MCR can save lives (literally or figuratively, it's all the same). Their music is awesome, but this is what really makes me fangirl these boys. They are completely unpretentious despite the fame and stuff, just very sincere and eager and some of the most unabashed dorks ever. But really, let's just let the boys speak for themselves because they're interesting and funny and creative and surprisingly really very eloquent (moreso than me at least).
The Vid-Intro
Okay, let me just get the Frank bit out of the way because this boy, totally steals the show for me. Frank is a vegan, and he also had big ideas about making a difference. And why else do we love Frank? He's pocket-sized and has the most infectious giggle this side of Junsu and he's totally in touch with his inner-child but still a little bit dirty. And so I kind of think some of his tattoos are ugly, but whatever because they having meaning (see here and here) so who cares why I think. Okay, moving on now...
Mikey is equally awesome. See, Mikey may be quiet, but he's loved. Neither Ray nor Mikey speak enough, but they totally should because Ray's totally smart and Mikey's totally hilarious. See them in another interview, so not a fluke. Boys, speak more (if Gerard will let you)!
And Bob, too, Bob is made of awesome [LINK]: he's shy but sweet and cool and awesome. The interviewer is kind of awkward and the questions are kind of weird, but it's still a rocking interview and how much do I love Gerard's description of Bob. A LOT, I love it a lot. And Gerard being described as the most "overconfident, self-conscious person alive" is spot-on. But back to Bob because, you know, Bob is the one member not from New Jersey (he's from Chicago) and he replaced their old drummer, Matt, but he's awesome.
So, see how Bob becomes a part of MCR [LINK]: his drummer skills > his ability to be in front of a camera, by like a lot. Bonus: hot-manager Brian Schechter, aka the dude in a red t-shirt in the studio. (This is a clip from the Life on the Murder Scene DVD.)
Gerard, Frank and Bob get interviewed in this red room [LINK]: talking about their favorite and least favorite superheroes, the nicest thing someone has ever said to them, and what they want to do before they die. Features both nerd!Gerard and bashful!Gerard with a healthy does of that special Bob-and-Frank interaction. WATCH THIS, PLEASE. There is nothing in this video that I do not love. NOTHING. WATCH IT. GO. CLICKIE CLICKIE.
Bob and Gerard, a radio interview [LINK]: I love when Bob starts affirming how shy Gerard is, that he doodles dragons when girls try to talk to him and so he won't ever be Justin Timberlake. OH, BOYS.
Bob + Drums = OTP for life [LINK]: seriously, this is amazing. Bob actually looks comfortable in an interview for once and even though he looks kind of nervous as he starts playing the drums for "The Black Parade" he totally settles in and rocks this shit out. (Sidenote: I don't think I could ever be a drummer. Rhythm issues aside, I'd be completely lost without the melody.)
This hilarious radio interview where Frank gets philosophical and then Mikey feels bad from not being so deep [LINK]: if you can't really tell their voices apart, Mikey's the one one says "Eye of the Tiger" and "the big slab of meat" and "ABBA...Mamma Mia!" and Frank talks about Starbucks and Rihanna's Umbrella. (sidenote: I want to hear MCR cover the Fugees). So, yeah, you have to download this but it is so completely worth it. Because, to me, this is quintessential Mikey. DOWNLOAD THIS. STUPID MIKEY AND HIS TAB REQUEST AND LITTLE FRANK AND HIS SRS ARACHNOPHOBIA, I ♥ THESE BOYS.
And that bit where Frank talks about doing a cover of Rihanna's Umbrella during a concert? [LINK]: it's totally awesome. Like, seriously, I'm in love, it combines my love for ridiculous covers and concert sing-a-longs.
Speaking of ridiculous covers, here's another [LINK]: a bit of MCR doing The Carpenters' Close to You, plus some dirty Gerard.
Quite possibly my favorite Frank and Gerard interview [LINK]: because the boy is a performer and he knows it. How much do I love that Gerard watches himself on monitors and admits it completely unashamedly. He opens his eyes to emote more! He fixes his own angles! He thinks to himself "a smile would be really nice right about now" and smiles! THIS BOY. There are no words. I think Frank gets paired with Gerard in interviews so much because he's the only that can hold is own against the Gerard-babble (and also knows Gerard well-enough to know his pants and stick a mic in his crotch. Also, I love how Frank is constantly professing his love for Cancer and the way he guessed that Gerard would pick Mikey and knows about grape jelly and gloomy bear. GLOOMY BEAR!
Another Frank and Gerard interview, answering fan questions on Steve's Untitled Rock Show (SURS) [LINK]: boys got food poisoning, Frank does some product placement, discussing the video for Famous Last Words ("brutal" but oh so beautiful), "he told me it had to be that way" (LOL!), and Frank and Gerard being psyched about playing in Budokan.
Frank and Gerard interviewed again, this time in England [LINK]: boys SO EAGER, talking about their gay fans since "two of the boys we spoke to want to sleep with you" [insert Frank's pot giggle here], and Frank's "for trees!" when they talk about Gerard turning 30.
One last Frank and Gerard interview, this one in Japan (but in English!) [LINK: PT. 1, PT. 2, PT. 3]: oh, boys. So earnest and adorable. And Gerard's pimp cane? Tore a bunch of ligaments in his foot during the filming of the Famous Last Words music video (the same one where Bob, too, got hurt: 2nd/3rd degree burns on his leg which got infected (staph infection) and it was bad and people need to force Bob to go to a hospital when, you know, his life is in danger).
MCR always has good interviews with SURS [LINK]: talking about illness (Frank's got Epstein-Barr), Bert and The Used, and Frank climbing Bob like a five-year-old...or a monkey.
Another really good interview, but just Gerard [LINK: PT. 1, PT. 2, PT. 3]: this interview is kind of like MCR's interviews with SURS, where they both seem really comfortable and genuinely like each other. This interviewer though is British and goes on fewer tangents so they talk about the music more and what MCR means to the boys and to their fans, so the interview is a lot more serious than MCR on SURS. But my favorite bit is in Part 3 when they start talking about cheese and Gerard's face (!) when the interviewer starts going on this special little recipe. (Technical issue: part 3 actually ends half-way through and then for some reason the interview starts up again.) And I love the little shout-out to Brian, their manager.
All the boys talking about their phobias and what turns them on [LINK]: I love Gerard's little gleeful clap-giggle after the patient says "I'm dead." And then their responses to the latter question? Gerard: Ben-gay, Mikey: coke zero, Ray: sleep, Bob: slippers, and then some adorable Frank at the end going "I'm getting presents now!" because his answer? His fiancee. (TOO CUTE TO BE REAL.)
All the boys on Rage [LINK]: ostensibly talking about music videos they like, they get a little bit off-track. My favorite bit? Frank: I think a metal wolf would be a motorcycle. MCR: [silence]. Me: LMAO.
Quickest MCR interview ever [LINK]: basically the boys answer "this or that" questions...to hilarious effect. Frank's all over the place as usual, Mikey's the only one that prefers a wild night out, and Bob stops paying attention half-way through.
The Music and the Vids
So this little musical tour is going to be done primarily through music videos because MCR makes amazing, beautiful, aweomse music video.
Their first album is I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, but it was released on the indie label Eyeball Records before they got big so frankly I don't know what the 'singles' off this album are. They made, I think, two music videos off this album, but um, I'm not sure. Basically, I don't really know much about this album so instead of me making shit up, let's just move on, k?
Their second album is Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge: I'm Not Okay (I Promise) [MUSIC VIDEO 1, MUSIC VIDEO 2 | MAKING OF (2nd Version): PT. 1, PT. 2, PT. 3 | LIVE VERSION], Helena [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF: PT. 1, PT. 2 | LIVE VERSION], The Ghost of You [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF: PT. 1, PT. 2 | LIVE VERSION] with some live performances of You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison [LINK] and Cemetery Drive [LINK].
Their third and latest album is The Black Parade: Welcome to the Black Parade [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF: PT. 1, PT. 2, PT. 3 | LIVE VERSION], Famous Last Words [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF | LIVE VERSION], I Don't Love You [MUSIC VIDEO | LIVE VERSION], Teenagers [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF: PT. 1, PT. 2 | LIVE VERSION], and some live performances of Mama [LINK] and Cancer [LINK], aka Frank's favorite song. Ever.
Bonus: they had this little conference thing when The Black Parade came out where they answered a bunch of fan questions. Check it out: PART I, PART II, PART III.
The one thing, though, that creeps me out about bandslash (as in not just MCR but most of the bands in this fandom) is that the boys are very aware of the fic. Some boys enjoy it, read it over breakfast apparently and get mad because they didn't get to top, other boys are not so much into it. I stand very firmly by my man Frank's stance: "I don't read it because (1) it's creepy to read about myself and (2) I bet they [the authors] would think it's creepy too." YES, fourth wall = good.
But then, a tiny part of me wants to console Mikey Way's traumatizing first experience with bandslash (via Waycest, that poor boy) and tell him that fanfiction isn't always like this. And this brings me to my next section...
The Fanfic
So most MCR fic tends to be the Frank/Gerard variety. And with good reason: WITNESS. (According to Rolling Stone, Gerard was just feeling it after Frank cut his finger and wiped the blood on Gerard's face.) And for more stagegay antics, check out this three-part picpsam: Part I, Part II (my personal favorite), and Part III.
Still, all the boys are seriously involved (with girls!) so that can kind of a touchy issue*. Mikey got married first. Then Gerard got married too. And I'm pretty Ray's engaged and so is Frank, but he's been with his girl since before the band so they're pretty solid even without a ring. And Bob's got a long-time girlfriend too. But it's pretty hard to be jealous when it's pretty obvious how smitten each boy is and when ridiculously cute pictures of said boy with said girl appear on the internet and the only thing that comes to mind is "awwwwww."
Also, MCR fic is prone to crossovers with Fall Out Boy and their ilk (i.e. their labelmates), especially in AUs for reasons that are, as far as I know, more fanon-based than canon-based**. But we're just sticking to straight-up MCR fics here:
- Forever, Now by harriet_vane (gen), Gerard and Mikey have lost their parents, but they've found Brian. This is the one that, for me, started it all (kid!fic! angst! hugging!). So completely AU, but so totally awesome. For understanding purposes (or not), Brian is MCR's manager and is generally awesome and really kind of hot (in the I'm Not Okay video, he's the guy wearing the school mascot costume).
- I'm Not Sleeping (Trust Me) by dsudis (frank/gerard), they didn't get any sleep while they were making the video. A story of Frank/Gerard during the shooting of the I'm Not Okay music video, aka the time in the band's history when Gerard was getting sober and Bob was not even their for-sure drummer when Matt left. Really quiet and beautiful.
- An Inexplicable Occurrence of Angels by stele3 (frank/gerard), the most awesome wing!fic this fandom has ever produced. A bit of an AU, this story works off the premise that Gerard didn't get sober, MCR crashed and burned, and they've all returned to Jersey. Oh, and Frank never was, but now he is: an angel who seems like he's made for Gerard.
- Hey Mr. DJ by stereomer (frank/gerard), the late night DJ AU! An AU that hits all my fluff-kinks.
- The Sky-High City by sevenfists (frank/gerard), this is a story about something that could maybe happen to Frank Iero after his band breaks up. This fic has one of my favorite lines in a fic ever: "The thing about life is that it keeps going, good or bad, until it stops. Frank isn't ready to stop yet. It hurts and it's terrible and wonderful and difficult, and he doesn't want it to stop."
- One Day It Wil Please Us To Remember Even This: Part 1, Part 2 by justlikeheroin (frank/gerard), one of the most interesting genderswitch stories I've read. Not only does Gerard become a girl, but everyone outside of the band has always known him as Geraldine: are they in an alternate reality or are they crazy? After reading this, it made me very think-y about gender and media but the author's take on Frank/Gerard is brilliant.
- Gerard and Rapunzel by dsudis (frank/gerard/bob, ray/mikey), he is Gerard, and she is also Rapunzel. Fascinating and haunting and beautiful, a fairy tale AU that reads like a real fairy tale. No Disney here, folks.
- Learned Your Name Without Words by ficbyzee (bob/frank), wherein Frank and Bob both have crushes on each other but every time they get together Bob forgets. I love fic that goes from crack to heart-wrenching and this does it beautifully.
- from the corner to the block by stereomer (frank/mikey), saccharine sweet bike messenger AU. So, yeah, you've read the summary and that's about it. I like my AUs fluffy and random.
- Breathless for Blindsides by queeniegalore (bob/mikey), Mikey confuses Bob. It's short and cute and sweet and funny. There is a serious lack of good Mikey fic, but this is good.
- Absence Sort of Does Make the Heart by cimorene (bob/ray), Bob goes up to Jersey in the gap between tours to check out the scene. This whole series (Nesty-verse) is about shaking up and getting together. I love the cameraderie and uncertainty here, the two sequels are awesome too (one is Bob/Ray, the other is Frank/Gerard).
- Figure You Out by missmollyetc (bob/gerard), Bob suddenly gets psychic powers. Not just a great Bob/Gerard fic, but just really great characterizations from the entire band. Bob is really stellar here too because he's that guy in the back, watching and figuring things out, but now he can't help but figure things out because he can fucking read minds.
- correlation does not imply causation by belladonnalin (gerard/brian), Gerard and Brian keep missing things. Unless they don’t. Sometimes, they catch each other. A wonderfully constructed fic that's a little brittle and a lot of wonderful. (Again: Brian is MCR's manager)
I have a ton more fics in my del.icio.us account that I wanted to include but then my little list got ridiculously long and most of them were Frank/Gerard fic anyway. And so it seems like I'm a little Frank/Gerard biased. I am a little, but it's mostly because that's where the majority of MCR's good authors are. In other words, more people need to write Bob/Frank because I'd totally be all over that. Actually, more people need to write Bob/anyone, period.
* So, yeah, some people like fic to not gloss over this fact while other would prefer to ignore them. I'm more in the latter camp (hello? it's fanfiction, canon is relative here people. besides we're making all this shit up to begin with, how hard is it to make up more shit?), especially when an author name-drops a girlfriend/fiancee/wife but never addresses her presence in this big gay romance or when an author writes the g/f/w as a beard. NO. I'm also a bit squicked at bringing in non-famous people into fic purely because of the fact that they're with someone famous. Okay, end ramble.
** When MCR talks about their band friends, they're quick to name bands like Alkaline Trio and Taking Back Sunday, not Fall Out Boy or Panic! at the Disco, but there it is. Once upon a time, Gerard and Bert (of The Used) were BFF but then shit happened (Gerard got sober? I'm not sure) and now not so much. Though Bob was The Used's sound tech and is still on good terms with them (I think) and Brian (MCR's manager) introduced the two bands and was/is also good friend with The Used. Still, as far as I know Mikey seems to the connection to Fall Out Boy as he became BFF with Pete, and there's also some pic out on the net of young Mikey dancing rather suggestively with one of the guys from (I think) Cobra Starship, Gabe maybe? Oh, and Ryan in his pre-Panic! at the Disco days was an MCR fanboy and he sometimes randomly defends them up when Italian interviewers ask them about "emo" (no joke). Still, despite the fact that Taking Back Sunday fic exists (I think they call it Long Island bandslash), there are not that many crossovers with MCR's canon band-BFF. Okay, end even longer ramble.
Miscellaneous Bandslash Linkage
A Picture Chronology of Mikey's hair [ LINK]
Awesome Picspam and Primer [ LINK]
femmequixotic's bandslash primer, FOB to MCR to P!atD [ LINK]
A Gerard Way Love Manifesto (the quotes!!) [ LINK]
If any links don't work or my html is messed up or there's a typo or I've totally got some MCR history wrong, hit me and I shall fix. If you want more fic or pictures or music or info or whatever, I'll do my best to hook you up there, too.
Okay, the end to my little tribute project. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did making it, though that would be a tough call since I got to wallow in all sorts of pictures and vids and fic to pick out which ones to share and it was a huge time-suck but also immensely FUN.
Technically, I knew of bandslash way before jpop/kpop lured me, but I resisted for a long while. I read my first My Chemical Romance fic a couple years ago when one of my favorite popslash writers switched fandoms but never really got into it. Then it exploded while I was busy discovering my awesome boys from Asia and I stayed far, far away because the sparkly boys were eating up enough of my time as is. Then, bored, I decided to click on a fic in my del.icio.us network that had the description "angst! kidfic! hugging!" and got completely sucked in. It wasn't the first piece of bandslash I'd read, but I guess I'm just a sucker for angst and kidfic and hugging. Especially the hugging.
It started with these boys, my bandslash gateway drug:
My Chemical Romance, from left to right:
Ray "man with a plan" Toro: guitarist of the classic rock variety [RAY 1 | RAY 2]
Bob "takes no shit" Bryar: drummer, replaced Matt Pelisser [BOB 1 | BOB 2]
Gerard "slightly off-center leader-genius" Way: lead singer, went to art school [GERARD 1 | GERARD 2]
Frank "pot giggle" Iero: guitarist of the punk variety [FRANK 1 | FRANK 2]
Mikey "spiritual adviser" Way: bassist, younger brother of Gerard Way [MIKEY 1 | MIKEY 2]
(and one more because the Way brothers are a special brand of love.)
The best canon source about these boys is their DVD-CD set called "Life on the Murder Scene" which chronicles their birth (as a band) and follows them up to the very beginnings of their writing songs for "Welcome to the Black Parade." It's a whole lot of fun with a lot of touring life and clips from concerts and behind the scene stuff. But it also never talks about Matt (their old drummer) except to say Bob's new and the bit about Gerard suffering from alcholism and becoming suicidal and then sobering up is really really (really) painful to watch. Still very fascinating stuff, though.
Highlights from the DVD include: Bob smacking every single camera that comes into his line of sight (Mikey: Who's that sexy beast? Bob Bryar. [camera pans] Bob: *smacks camera*) and Gerard hugging his Christmas gift, going "OMG, this is for the hamster I'm going to buy! This is so perfect!" and Frank's reflecting on their celebrity: Ghostbuster famous."
So, here's the first 8 minutes of the DVD, A Self-Introduction.
(If you want to watch the rest: see here.)
See, the thing about all these boys is that they really believe in what they're doing. They're not in it for the fame or the money, they just want to do something meaningful and they honestly believe that MCR can save lives (literally or figuratively, it's all the same). Their music is awesome, but this is what really makes me fangirl these boys. They are completely unpretentious despite the fame and stuff, just very sincere and eager and some of the most unabashed dorks ever. But really, let's just let the boys speak for themselves because they're interesting and funny and creative and surprisingly really very eloquent (moreso than me at least).
The Vid-Intro
Okay, let me just get the Frank bit out of the way because this boy, totally steals the show for me. Frank is a vegan, and he also had big ideas about making a difference. And why else do we love Frank? He's pocket-sized and has the most infectious giggle this side of Junsu and he's totally in touch with his inner-child but still a little bit dirty. And so I kind of think some of his tattoos are ugly, but whatever because they having meaning (see here and here) so who cares why I think. Okay, moving on now...
Mikey is equally awesome. See, Mikey may be quiet, but he's loved. Neither Ray nor Mikey speak enough, but they totally should because Ray's totally smart and Mikey's totally hilarious. See them in another interview, so not a fluke. Boys, speak more (if Gerard will let you)!
And Bob, too, Bob is made of awesome [LINK]: he's shy but sweet and cool and awesome. The interviewer is kind of awkward and the questions are kind of weird, but it's still a rocking interview and how much do I love Gerard's description of Bob. A LOT, I love it a lot. And Gerard being described as the most "overconfident, self-conscious person alive" is spot-on. But back to Bob because, you know, Bob is the one member not from New Jersey (he's from Chicago) and he replaced their old drummer, Matt, but he's awesome.
So, see how Bob becomes a part of MCR [LINK]: his drummer skills > his ability to be in front of a camera, by like a lot. Bonus: hot-manager Brian Schechter, aka the dude in a red t-shirt in the studio. (This is a clip from the Life on the Murder Scene DVD.)
Gerard, Frank and Bob get interviewed in this red room [LINK]: talking about their favorite and least favorite superheroes, the nicest thing someone has ever said to them, and what they want to do before they die. Features both nerd!Gerard and bashful!Gerard with a healthy does of that special Bob-and-Frank interaction. WATCH THIS, PLEASE. There is nothing in this video that I do not love. NOTHING. WATCH IT. GO. CLICKIE CLICKIE.
Bob and Gerard, a radio interview [LINK]: I love when Bob starts affirming how shy Gerard is, that he doodles dragons when girls try to talk to him and so he won't ever be Justin Timberlake. OH, BOYS.
Bob + Drums = OTP for life [LINK]: seriously, this is amazing. Bob actually looks comfortable in an interview for once and even though he looks kind of nervous as he starts playing the drums for "The Black Parade" he totally settles in and rocks this shit out. (Sidenote: I don't think I could ever be a drummer. Rhythm issues aside, I'd be completely lost without the melody.)
This hilarious radio interview where Frank gets philosophical and then Mikey feels bad from not being so deep [LINK]: if you can't really tell their voices apart, Mikey's the one one says "Eye of the Tiger" and "the big slab of meat" and "ABBA...Mamma Mia!" and Frank talks about Starbucks and Rihanna's Umbrella. (sidenote: I want to hear MCR cover the Fugees). So, yeah, you have to download this but it is so completely worth it. Because, to me, this is quintessential Mikey. DOWNLOAD THIS. STUPID MIKEY AND HIS TAB REQUEST AND LITTLE FRANK AND HIS SRS ARACHNOPHOBIA, I ♥ THESE BOYS.
And that bit where Frank talks about doing a cover of Rihanna's Umbrella during a concert? [LINK]: it's totally awesome. Like, seriously, I'm in love, it combines my love for ridiculous covers and concert sing-a-longs.
Speaking of ridiculous covers, here's another [LINK]: a bit of MCR doing The Carpenters' Close to You, plus some dirty Gerard.
Quite possibly my favorite Frank and Gerard interview [LINK]: because the boy is a performer and he knows it. How much do I love that Gerard watches himself on monitors and admits it completely unashamedly. He opens his eyes to emote more! He fixes his own angles! He thinks to himself "a smile would be really nice right about now" and smiles! THIS BOY. There are no words. I think Frank gets paired with Gerard in interviews so much because he's the only that can hold is own against the Gerard-babble (and also knows Gerard well-enough to know his pants and stick a mic in his crotch. Also, I love how Frank is constantly professing his love for Cancer and the way he guessed that Gerard would pick Mikey and knows about grape jelly and gloomy bear. GLOOMY BEAR!
Another Frank and Gerard interview, answering fan questions on Steve's Untitled Rock Show (SURS) [LINK]: boys got food poisoning, Frank does some product placement, discussing the video for Famous Last Words ("brutal" but oh so beautiful), "he told me it had to be that way" (LOL!), and Frank and Gerard being psyched about playing in Budokan.
Frank and Gerard interviewed again, this time in England [LINK]: boys SO EAGER, talking about their gay fans since "two of the boys we spoke to want to sleep with you" [insert Frank's pot giggle here], and Frank's "for trees!" when they talk about Gerard turning 30.
One last Frank and Gerard interview, this one in Japan (but in English!) [LINK: PT. 1, PT. 2, PT. 3]: oh, boys. So earnest and adorable. And Gerard's pimp cane? Tore a bunch of ligaments in his foot during the filming of the Famous Last Words music video (the same one where Bob, too, got hurt: 2nd/3rd degree burns on his leg which got infected (staph infection) and it was bad and people need to force Bob to go to a hospital when, you know, his life is in danger).
MCR always has good interviews with SURS [LINK]: talking about illness (Frank's got Epstein-Barr), Bert and The Used, and Frank climbing Bob like a five-year-old...or a monkey.
Another really good interview, but just Gerard [LINK: PT. 1, PT. 2, PT. 3]: this interview is kind of like MCR's interviews with SURS, where they both seem really comfortable and genuinely like each other. This interviewer though is British and goes on fewer tangents so they talk about the music more and what MCR means to the boys and to their fans, so the interview is a lot more serious than MCR on SURS. But my favorite bit is in Part 3 when they start talking about cheese and Gerard's face (!) when the interviewer starts going on this special little recipe. (Technical issue: part 3 actually ends half-way through and then for some reason the interview starts up again.) And I love the little shout-out to Brian, their manager.
All the boys talking about their phobias and what turns them on [LINK]: I love Gerard's little gleeful clap-giggle after the patient says "I'm dead." And then their responses to the latter question? Gerard: Ben-gay, Mikey: coke zero, Ray: sleep, Bob: slippers, and then some adorable Frank at the end going "I'm getting presents now!" because his answer? His fiancee. (TOO CUTE TO BE REAL.)
All the boys on Rage [LINK]: ostensibly talking about music videos they like, they get a little bit off-track. My favorite bit? Frank: I think a metal wolf would be a motorcycle. MCR: [silence]. Me: LMAO.
Quickest MCR interview ever [LINK]: basically the boys answer "this or that" questions...to hilarious effect. Frank's all over the place as usual, Mikey's the only one that prefers a wild night out, and Bob stops paying attention half-way through.
The Music and the Vids
So this little musical tour is going to be done primarily through music videos because MCR makes amazing, beautiful, aweomse music video.
Their first album is I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, but it was released on the indie label Eyeball Records before they got big so frankly I don't know what the 'singles' off this album are. They made, I think, two music videos off this album, but um, I'm not sure. Basically, I don't really know much about this album so instead of me making shit up, let's just move on, k?
Their second album is Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge: I'm Not Okay (I Promise) [MUSIC VIDEO 1, MUSIC VIDEO 2 | MAKING OF (2nd Version): PT. 1, PT. 2, PT. 3 | LIVE VERSION], Helena [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF: PT. 1, PT. 2 | LIVE VERSION], The Ghost of You [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF: PT. 1, PT. 2 | LIVE VERSION] with some live performances of You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison [LINK] and Cemetery Drive [LINK].
Their third and latest album is The Black Parade: Welcome to the Black Parade [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF: PT. 1, PT. 2, PT. 3 | LIVE VERSION], Famous Last Words [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF | LIVE VERSION], I Don't Love You [MUSIC VIDEO | LIVE VERSION], Teenagers [MUSIC VIDEO | MAKING OF: PT. 1, PT. 2 | LIVE VERSION], and some live performances of Mama [LINK] and Cancer [LINK], aka Frank's favorite song. Ever.
Bonus: they had this little conference thing when The Black Parade came out where they answered a bunch of fan questions. Check it out: PART I, PART II, PART III.
The one thing, though, that creeps me out about bandslash (as in not just MCR but most of the bands in this fandom) is that the boys are very aware of the fic. Some boys enjoy it, read it over breakfast apparently and get mad because they didn't get to top, other boys are not so much into it. I stand very firmly by my man Frank's stance: "I don't read it because (1) it's creepy to read about myself and (2) I bet they [the authors] would think it's creepy too." YES, fourth wall = good.
But then, a tiny part of me wants to console Mikey Way's traumatizing first experience with bandslash (via Waycest, that poor boy) and tell him that fanfiction isn't always like this. And this brings me to my next section...
The Fanfic
So most MCR fic tends to be the Frank/Gerard variety. And with good reason: WITNESS. (According to Rolling Stone, Gerard was just feeling it after Frank cut his finger and wiped the blood on Gerard's face.) And for more stagegay antics, check out this three-part picpsam: Part I, Part II (my personal favorite), and Part III.
Still, all the boys are seriously involved (with girls!) so that can kind of a touchy issue*. Mikey got married first. Then Gerard got married too. And I'm pretty Ray's engaged and so is Frank, but he's been with his girl since before the band so they're pretty solid even without a ring. And Bob's got a long-time girlfriend too. But it's pretty hard to be jealous when it's pretty obvious how smitten each boy is and when ridiculously cute pictures of said boy with said girl appear on the internet and the only thing that comes to mind is "awwwwww."
Also, MCR fic is prone to crossovers with Fall Out Boy and their ilk (i.e. their labelmates), especially in AUs for reasons that are, as far as I know, more fanon-based than canon-based**. But we're just sticking to straight-up MCR fics here:
- Forever, Now by harriet_vane (gen), Gerard and Mikey have lost their parents, but they've found Brian. This is the one that, for me, started it all (kid!fic! angst! hugging!). So completely AU, but so totally awesome. For understanding purposes (or not), Brian is MCR's manager and is generally awesome and really kind of hot (in the I'm Not Okay video, he's the guy wearing the school mascot costume).
- I'm Not Sleeping (Trust Me) by dsudis (frank/gerard), they didn't get any sleep while they were making the video. A story of Frank/Gerard during the shooting of the I'm Not Okay music video, aka the time in the band's history when Gerard was getting sober and Bob was not even their for-sure drummer when Matt left. Really quiet and beautiful.
- An Inexplicable Occurrence of Angels by stele3 (frank/gerard), the most awesome wing!fic this fandom has ever produced. A bit of an AU, this story works off the premise that Gerard didn't get sober, MCR crashed and burned, and they've all returned to Jersey. Oh, and Frank never was, but now he is: an angel who seems like he's made for Gerard.
- Hey Mr. DJ by stereomer (frank/gerard), the late night DJ AU! An AU that hits all my fluff-kinks.
- The Sky-High City by sevenfists (frank/gerard), this is a story about something that could maybe happen to Frank Iero after his band breaks up. This fic has one of my favorite lines in a fic ever: "The thing about life is that it keeps going, good or bad, until it stops. Frank isn't ready to stop yet. It hurts and it's terrible and wonderful and difficult, and he doesn't want it to stop."
- One Day It Wil Please Us To Remember Even This: Part 1, Part 2 by justlikeheroin (frank/gerard), one of the most interesting genderswitch stories I've read. Not only does Gerard become a girl, but everyone outside of the band has always known him as Geraldine: are they in an alternate reality or are they crazy? After reading this, it made me very think-y about gender and media but the author's take on Frank/Gerard is brilliant.
- Gerard and Rapunzel by dsudis (frank/gerard/bob, ray/mikey), he is Gerard, and she is also Rapunzel. Fascinating and haunting and beautiful, a fairy tale AU that reads like a real fairy tale. No Disney here, folks.
- Learned Your Name Without Words by ficbyzee (bob/frank), wherein Frank and Bob both have crushes on each other but every time they get together Bob forgets. I love fic that goes from crack to heart-wrenching and this does it beautifully.
- from the corner to the block by stereomer (frank/mikey), saccharine sweet bike messenger AU. So, yeah, you've read the summary and that's about it. I like my AUs fluffy and random.
- Breathless for Blindsides by queeniegalore (bob/mikey), Mikey confuses Bob. It's short and cute and sweet and funny. There is a serious lack of good Mikey fic, but this is good.
- Absence Sort of Does Make the Heart by cimorene (bob/ray), Bob goes up to Jersey in the gap between tours to check out the scene. This whole series (Nesty-verse) is about shaking up and getting together. I love the cameraderie and uncertainty here, the two sequels are awesome too (one is Bob/Ray, the other is Frank/Gerard).
- Figure You Out by missmollyetc (bob/gerard), Bob suddenly gets psychic powers. Not just a great Bob/Gerard fic, but just really great characterizations from the entire band. Bob is really stellar here too because he's that guy in the back, watching and figuring things out, but now he can't help but figure things out because he can fucking read minds.
- correlation does not imply causation by belladonnalin (gerard/brian), Gerard and Brian keep missing things. Unless they don’t. Sometimes, they catch each other. A wonderfully constructed fic that's a little brittle and a lot of wonderful. (Again: Brian is MCR's manager)
I have a ton more fics in my del.icio.us account that I wanted to include but then my little list got ridiculously long and most of them were Frank/Gerard fic anyway. And so it seems like I'm a little Frank/Gerard biased. I am a little, but it's mostly because that's where the majority of MCR's good authors are. In other words, more people need to write Bob/Frank because I'd totally be all over that. Actually, more people need to write Bob/anyone, period.
* So, yeah, some people like fic to not gloss over this fact while other would prefer to ignore them. I'm more in the latter camp (hello? it's fanfiction, canon is relative here people. besides we're making all this shit up to begin with, how hard is it to make up more shit?), especially when an author name-drops a girlfriend/fiancee/wife but never addresses her presence in this big gay romance or when an author writes the g/f/w as a beard. NO. I'm also a bit squicked at bringing in non-famous people into fic purely because of the fact that they're with someone famous. Okay, end ramble.
** When MCR talks about their band friends, they're quick to name bands like Alkaline Trio and Taking Back Sunday, not Fall Out Boy or Panic! at the Disco, but there it is. Once upon a time, Gerard and Bert (of The Used) were BFF but then shit happened (Gerard got sober? I'm not sure) and now not so much. Though Bob was The Used's sound tech and is still on good terms with them (I think) and Brian (MCR's manager) introduced the two bands and was/is also good friend with The Used. Still, as far as I know Mikey seems to the connection to Fall Out Boy as he became BFF with Pete, and there's also some pic out on the net of young Mikey dancing rather suggestively with one of the guys from (I think) Cobra Starship, Gabe maybe? Oh, and Ryan in his pre-Panic! at the Disco days was an MCR fanboy and he sometimes randomly defends them up when Italian interviewers ask them about "emo" (no joke). Still, despite the fact that Taking Back Sunday fic exists (I think they call it Long Island bandslash), there are not that many crossovers with MCR's canon band-BFF. Okay, end even longer ramble.
Miscellaneous Bandslash Linkage
A Picture Chronology of Mikey's hair [ LINK]
Awesome Picspam and Primer [ LINK]
femmequixotic's bandslash primer, FOB to MCR to P!atD [ LINK]
A Gerard Way Love Manifesto (the quotes!!) [ LINK]
If any links don't work or my html is messed up or there's a typo or I've totally got some MCR history wrong, hit me and I shall fix. If you want more fic or pictures or music or info or whatever, I'll do my best to hook you up there, too.
Okay, the end to my little tribute project. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did making it, though that would be a tough call since I got to wallow in all sorts of pictures and vids and fic to pick out which ones to share and it was a huge time-suck but also immensely FUN.