By Anna P. Dimerin, Contributor
INQUIRER.net

AH, chemistry. The overwhelming response at the My Chemical Romance concert on January 25 only goes to show that chemistry is not limited to that between two people; it can also spark a reaction between an American rock quintet and thousands of people who just want good music.

When I found out that My Chemical Romance will be performing at the Fort Bonifacio Open Field, I immediately devised a plan to ensure I would see the concert. By hook or by crook, I had to go see MCR live. Much gratitude goes out to a dear friend who supplied me a ticket (without coercion or violence). I was all set to go.

The concert is part of the Asian leg of their Black Parade tour. I arrived at the venue 30 minutes before 8 p.m., the time it was scheduled to start. I don’t know why I bother showing up to concerts early since they hardly ever start on time. But this was MCR, and so I let it slide easily. An hour later, opening act Pop Shuvit came onstage. The band is reminiscent of a Malaysian version of Linkin Park on speed. Pulsating with energy, Pop Shuvit gave audiences a taste of their rap-rock tunes, with a vocalist occasionally singing through a megaphone, and a band member controlling turntables right in the middle of the stage. At one point, Slapshock frontman Jamir Garcia came up the stage for a vocal fusion with the band. Garcia’s piercing vocals complemented Pop Shuvit vocalist Moot’s rapping. The band’s mixture of music is not mainstream yet, and it was a pleasure listening to something fresh. Despite that, their tunes are quite a far cry from MCR’s style, which is what the audience came to hear.

Finally at 9: 30 p.m., the lights dimmed, and as a banner with the band’s name emblazoned on it lowered itself against the backdrop, the audience rose from their seats and erupted in deafening roars. We were greeted with “This Is How I Disappear” as the opening number. MCR vocalist Gerard Way seemed to enjoy watching and interacting with the audience, occasionally requesting for the spotlight to shine on the audience, who, from my standpoint, appeared as a sea of black, much like participants of a black parade. I would twitch whenever Gerard dropped the F-bomb not because of my innocent ears (dear Lord, definitely not because of that), but because of the overwhelming number of children I saw watching with their parents. The band performed “Welcome to the Black Parade” off their third album The Black Parade, and Gerard requested the people to sing along and provide the vocals instead. He was not met with disappointment. Soon after, he’d pump his fists up in the air, and the audience would be quick to follow; such a fine and amusing act of puppetry. It didn’t take long before he exercised his newfound power over the people, and everyone willingly obliged. Indeed, the night was an entertaining interaction between performer and audience.

What I find most attractive about the band is its theatrics. Musically, they sound like Queen and Green Day rolled into one, with an anatomy supplied with powerful orchestrations, the overwhelming twang of guitars as well as the complementary melodic support of a full orchestra (which would have been sweet had there been one in the concert), and the pounding effect of their drum beats. Given the band’s rebellious nature, their songs dominate the “Anti-depressants” playlist on my iPod for a reason. Seeing them live though is a hundred times the experience of listening to them merely through an MP3 player. The concert was also a theatrical experience in terms of mood, reflecting much of what their songs are about — a strange curiosity and fixation with darkness but, at the same time, the glory of rising against any opposing force. The lineup began with upbeat songs in the beginning with bright lights shining against the band, to a more mellow “Cancer” and “Desert Song” toward the end — complete with Gerard’s dramatics of lying on the stage floor, to be capped off with the explosive “Famous Last Words” as the encore.

The concert was nothing short of explosive. The band, despite appealing to a certain niche, pulled off connecting with the audience, male or female, young or old. Indeed, MCR’s energy was contagious as they successfully satisfied their fans in Manila.