LIVE: Gerard Way – O2 Academy Brixton, London 23.01.15

Rating:

Backed by his new band, The Hormones, and faced with a crowd of surprisingly screaming fans bursting with them (on a scale of one – Directioners they’re at the top end), Gerard Way took to the stage of Brixton’s O2 Academy on Thursday, following the release of his debut solo LP, Hesitant Alien

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“You fucking love me over here!” The former My Chemical Romance frontman declares, and while there is a no show of My Chem tracks, it’s immediately clear that this isn’t going to be an issue for the devoted followers. Following an extended piano intro, Way takes to the moodily-blue lit stage, bravely opening the show with not one but two unreleased tracks (‘Cheap Lights’ and ‘Kid Nothing’). While hints of his MCR roots lay beneath the majority of Hesitant Alien, there are also moments a million miles away; a sound which this crowd are happy to join him on.

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Armed with a tambourine, Way becomes Emo Gallagher during the Britpoppy ‘Millions’, giving an idea of how the Oasis frontman might turned out had he been born Stateside. During recent interviews he’s made no secret of the fact that Oasis (as well as Blur, Pulp et al) have had an influence throughout his career, but particularly on his solo work. ‘Drugstore Perfume’ follows the US flavoured Britpop theme, albeit a slowed down, jangly take on it, with fans’ hands in the air throughout, while ‘Brothers’ is dedicated to sibling and former bandmate Mikey Way, “who I miss dearly.” It’s unlikely you’ll see Liam doing something similar anytime soon…

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But if Gerard is missing Mikey (or, indeed, his other ex-band mates) it doesn’t show during his performance. Like art-centric performers Lou Reed and Alice Cooper before him, his transition from band member to solo star has been a seamless one. Regardless of the tempo or track, his position between the spotlight and The Hormones is currently his natural one. ‘Get The Gang Together’ follows suit – a murkier sing-a-long, touching on psychedelic glam rock – with repeats of “let’s get it together” seemingly a mantra for Way: “I talk about mental illness at this time of the night,” he tells his fans, “Talk to someone you can trust, you’ll find things get a little bit easier… They get harder too. Check yourself out.” With a shout out to the transgender community earlier in the evening, Way is clearly a cult hero who cares.

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‘How It’s Going To Be’ follows – possibly the highlight of the evening, with the mysterious rhythm sounding even more compressed in a live setting – before ‘No Shows’ closes the night. Returning to his pop-punk sound, the audience shout the chorus back louder than ever, while encore track ‘Action Cat’ has a similar punch, before a cover of The Jesus And Mary Chain’s ‘Snakedrive’ is offered for the second encore, showcasing a dirtier, rock-robotic sound, not unlike Placebo. A taste of what’s to come for album number two, perhaps?

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Despite informing his fans that he thought he’d die at 25 (Way is clearly comfortable and open with his followers), he lays out the foreseeable future for them: “I’m going to go to Asia, go to Australia, then I’m going to go home, make a record and come back.” It’s hardly a new concept for a recording artist, but one welcomed by his growing solo crowd, making that My Chemical Romance reunion seem less likely with each show.

 

Words:

Dan Bull

@danbull7609

Images:

www.robertgershinson.com

@robbyphotovideo

Dan Bull

Dan Bull

Reviews Editor
London. Likes: Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, Prince Charles Cinema, Duran Duran Dislikes: Soreen, All-hits setlists, "I liked them before everyone else..."