You know how you hear about those unfriendly, self-absorbed musicians who ignore their fans? Here's one band that you will never hear that about: My Chemical Romance. This band, who earned the privilege of playing on the Main Stage at Vans Warped Tour this year, is full of awesome guys who really do know how to have fun. Staying on topic, on the other hand, does not seem to be one of their strong suits, but honestly, who cares? How many other bands do you know of that would even think of interview the interviewer?
RM: How do you guys like the Warped Tour?
Gerard: We love it.
Frank: Yeah, it’s really good... it’s really hard to get into with the "I want to play a show now at 11:30." It's unlike any other show you've ever been on, you know what I mean? Uh, it's really cool. It's weird. It doesn't feel like you're on tour. It feels like you're a carnie and you're in some sort of circus.
Gerard: But in a good way.
Frank: You feel kinda weird.
Gerard: Yeah, you kind of feel like a traveling show. It's what you are. It's like a big fucking traveling show. It's definitely everything I thought it would be, but there's lots of surprises. Like a lot of things you find out everyday, like, "Where am I gonna take a shower?"
Frank: Yeah, sometimes you just give up on it.
Gerard: Yeah, I gave up for a whole week.

RM: How do you guys like the Gorge?
Frank: It's amazing. If I had a ticket for Warped Tour, I’d just be like WOW... Warped Tour is really cool and all, but this is just amazing. I would just stand on the edge and watch.

RM: You guys went to Boise last night?
Frank: Yeah yeah yeah. It’s really dusty.

RM: In five words, how would you guys describe your type of music? How would you guys describe yourselves?
Frank: Five words? Violently beautiful?
Gerard: Oh shit, that’s tight.
Frank: Ooh, chaotic?
Gerard: We do it with heart.
Frank: Heart. Heart. Does that work?
Gerard: Yeah. Spicy, I like that.

RM: What’s one of the most random questions you guys have ever been asked?
Gerard: Some bullshit about the exploding camel.
Frank: Yeah, that’s fucked up. But the best question we’ve ever been asked was the 8-bit Nintendo game.
Gerard: Oh yeah, the best random question was if you could tour with an 8-bit Nintendo game, what would it be, and we answered Ice Climbers.

RM: What’s your favorite songs from your past few records?
Gerard: Of them all? Or pick one each, or?
RM: Off both.
Frank: Off both.
Gerard: That means our favorite song we’ve ever written.
Frank: I’m actually going to have to go with uh, "I Never Told You What I Do For A Living."

RM: Who’s your favorite band to tour with?
Frank: Favorite band to tour with? Ooh.
Gerard: Who do we have like, reactions with. The Used are really fun.
Frank: They were. It’s weird because we have lots of fun with different bands but certain bands just become family.

RM: Okay, so what bands did you guys become family with?
Frank: Avenged Sevenfold. Very funny.
Gerard: Story of the Year.
Frank: Moments In Grace.
Gerard: The Used, for sure.
Frank: The Used, definitely. Thrice. I feel close to many bands. A lot of bands.
Gerard: It’s not that many, I mean like as far as like...
Frank: Yeah, I mean as far as like... oh my God.

RM: The number of guys you’re with?
Frank: Yeah. Like we’ll walking towards our bus right now and...
Gerard: They’ll be like four more bands that are like family.
Frank: We’d go into our bus right now and there’d be members of those bands just in our bus hanging out. They’re there more than we are, hanging out with each other.

RM: So with Redefine Magazine, every month we have a different color and next month’s is orange, so what does orange remind you of?
Frank: Halloween.
Gerard: PCP. Can I say PCP?
RM: Yeah, you can.
Gerard: Yeah, cause the windows I jumped out of... the plate glass window of the fourth floor? Orange.

RM: Favorite beverage.
Gerard: Rebel Monarch.
Frank: Uh, I don’t even know if they make them anymore. Ecto Cooler? I think?
Gerard: I hear you with that. I’m gonna put vodka in that one.
Frank: Oh god, that would be amazing.
Gerard: A little Hi-C carton with Slimer on it.
Frank: Green. It was good.
Gerard: It was on the shelf long after Ghost Busters was not even around.
Frank: Yeah, cause it was such a good drink. I like diner coffee.
Gerard: Diner coffee's great.
RM: But coffee tastes different at each diner you go to.
Frank: New Jersey diner coffee.
Gerard: New Jersey diner coffee is basically hot water and crap.

RM: So how is New Jersey?
Gerard: Amazing.
Frank: Amazing.
RM: Yeah, I’ve never been. West coast only for me.
Frank: I’m sorry.
Gerard: It’s sticky and beautiful and full of nature. Full of adventure and...
Frank: There’s so many adventures, really.
Gerard: So many earth tones in the setting. You know, in the sky, in the ground...

RM: What about the Kevin Smith movies? You know, Jay and Silent Bob?
Frank: They’re near Red Bank which is kinda far from us. We’re more actually towards New York City.
RM: Can you relate to them?
Gerard: A little bit.
Frank: A little bit. That neurotic bickering...

(In the background, you can hear sounds of an encore... the room they provided for us to do interviews in was kind of crappy; it was just a thin tent and it was really hard hearing through the sounds of the background music.)

Frank: Someone’s getting an encore. Bad Religion. I don’t really know if I relate to it as much as I think it’s funny. Cause we know these people. I guess we do relate to it like that. Dude, we know Ian. That guy.
Gerard: We know a lot of people that read comic books, hang out, hang around cd and video stores.
Frank: Yeah. In that way.
Gerard: Jersey is a very easy place to lose yourself.

(In the background, Bouncing Souls takes the stage.)

Frank: My favorite band. One of my favorite bands.
RM: I'll ask a couple more quick questions.
Gerard: Naw, take your time.

RM: Well, now we’re going to go into a little random stuff. If you guys could be a color Skittle, which color would you be? You can be a new one also.
Frank: Whoa. Can I make my own?
RM: Yeah, you can make your own.
Frank: Mauve.
RM: Why mauve?
Frank: Why not?
Gerard: Mauve’s his favorite color. Red sour Skittles.

RM: I guess I can’t really ask this cause I probably can’t know the answer, but, name your favorite groupie and why?
Gerard: Naw, we don’t have groupies.
Frank: Now, here’s the thing. Groupies are just creepy, creepy people.
RM: They kind of stalk you?
Frank: Yeah, and we don’t have favorites of those. We don’t like them. But we have friends. Favorite friends, gee, we have lots of favorite friends. Angela, Missy.
Gerard: Missy’s awesome; she’s my favorite. She did touring for Reggie and the Full Effect. Anthony.
Frank: Anthony, definitely. He used to actually do merchandising but now he drives. Yeah, we have this bucket of tour friends.
RM: You guys have a lot of tour friends. That's kind of funny.
Frank: It's awesome.
Gerard: That’s what happens, I mean kinda like...
RM: I mean, you guys are with them for what, two and a half months?
Gerard: And if you’re in a tour, people pick up on that and you meet other like-minded people. And then you have the people who are into it for rock reasons and don’t associate with you. That’s fine. It’s better that way.

RM: What kind of questions would you guys ask yourselves if you were in my place?
Frank: I got asked a question today about [Gerard].
Gerard: What?
Frank: I got asked if you were as crazy in person as you are onstage. I said it’s more endearing.
Gerard: Woo! In person, I don’t know, you’d have to ask Mikey.
Frank: Yeah, but it’s more endearing. You’re definitely... not... normal. But... good. Alright, alright, what would you ask yourself?
Gerard: Um... I got it. What kind of western civilization, part one or two?
Frank: What?
Gerard: What kind of western civilization, part one or two? And my answer would be two. You see that?
Frank: That’ll work. That's good... I think. That's just kind of like out there. Wait, wait, wait, 86’ Mets? Or 87’?
Gerard: 86’.
Frank: Mookie Blaylock?
Gerard: Gary Carter.
Frank: Alright, Gary Carter.

RM: Are you guys going to Portland? Cause that’s where I’m from.
Frank: Yeah, tomorrow. Then we go up to Canada.
RM: Vancouver.
Gerard: It’s incredible.
Frank: We’ve got a good crowd. You like our band?
RM: Oh, yeah, I love it.
Frank: If you could describe our band in three words, what would it be?
RM: You guys are definitely chaotic. So... you're interviewing me, huh? Seems like you guys kind of have a love for your music, you know?
Frank: Yeah, so is it love, or music?
RM: Love, love, it would be love. Chaotic love type of thing.
Gerard: Chaotic love, I like that.
Frank: Got one more. Is it handsome? Is it?
Gerard: No.
Frank: Aw, fuck.

- zachary semerikov







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