Written by Amy Showell.

MCR broke the hearts of emos across the world when the announcement came that they were calling it a day. The break-up date of March 22nd becoming a date spoken and comiserated about for years to come by fans. Many were shocked, confused, and simply sad to see the end of an era. This was a band with an intensely loyal fanbase who’s shock departure left fans with a hole in their lives.

That was until Halloween 2019, a whole six years later. In a run of cryptic social media messages and video, eagerly digested and analysed by fans, they announced a one off show at the shrine in LA.

The shrine sold out almost instantly, with many devastated they could not attend. Rumours were rife with what this held for my chemical romances future and if it meant more from the band to come. The show was a roaring success, with fans camping out overnight to gain the best spots of the venue. All the band members even came out and distributed blankets to fans to keep them warm and meet them after such a long hiatus.

The show reignited many fans love of the band, slipping back into their hearts and lives easily. Live streams from the show became legendary in the fandom and it’s still spoken about as one of the most emotional shows to have attended.

This lead to two appearances at when we were young festival alongside their swarm world tour and many other festival dates. With such a long run of shows spanning almost two years the fandom was ablaze again bringing new fans along for the ride.

Now today in 2025, My chemical romance are back and about to embark on their new North America tour. Their first stadium tour spanning across 10 cities with Mexico City just added to the dates. With the first date quickly approaching, we thought it would be great to take a look back at the moment the band made their shock return in 2019 and what it meant to the fans.

To many in the fandom, this was more than just simply a band, more than just music they grew up with. It was community, friendships, and lyrics that spoke to people experiences. We asked the fandom on instagram, and they responded in droves. Here is a selection of their words.

Emogoth_claudia:
“Hope. Something I can look forward to. Something that comforts me in the world full of hate and chaos”

Maryrichards:
“It meant not being alone anymore”

Kellycg:
“It meant finding my place in this world again”

xoxo_plague:
“It meant hope to keep moving forward
in life and to get back up again after
falling down”

The unanimous response of hope is truly moving for a band who always stood up for the lost, the lonely, those who never fit in, as well as marginalised groups. With the world crashing and burning around us politically, rights being taken away almost daily, a band who meant so much to people can give back that hope of a better tomorrow, and that’s truly magical.

milesmustd1e:
“It gives me will to live and feel safer
because i know they support LGBTQ
people like me”

The return and subsequent swarm tour was much more than a nostalgia run of a 2000’s emo band. It did, however, bring many of us back to those days when we felt authenticically ourselves. It brought us back to our roots and proved that it was never a phase (mom).

shannon_wryly:
“Not to be dramatic but it changed my
life. It brought me back to a time in my
life when I was truly myself.”

yk._.c.r:
“Re awakening of my “emo phase” when
I was 14 now they’re one of my biggest
comforts and fav bands”

At any My Chemical Romance show, you will see fans holding signs stating the band saved their life. There was something truly inspiring and motivating about a band that was so open about their own struggles and encouraged fans to ‘carry on’. As fans, we felt seen, understood, and forged firm friendships with others who felt the same way, something that’s still going on to this day. Many can look back and appreciate the band now with new eyes from a better place and others can seek that same comfort and understanding.

leah.coney:
“To get to feel better and scream those
songs live and be proud of myself for
making it!!”

dailyfrankieroiwannadance:
“mcr helped me push through a ton of
stuff mental health wise. I’m grateful I’m
still here.”

tatzattack_:
“New hopes, new motivaton, new reason
to live.”

My Chemical Romance’s fan base never died. It endured and carried on. Many fan accounts kept it alive during their hiatus. Fuelled by fan theory’s of a day they would eventually return, there was always an online space to find the mcr community, the mcrmy was still in force.

Today, the fanbase has only increased in size, with hoards of new fans joining post breakup and even more during the return era. Many parents who loved the band in their teens now bring their children into the fandom, new teens are finding the band and their message, and it proves how timeless this band really is.

reefshark_mama:
“l’ve been going to their shows since 04.
Now, I get to do that with my kid! MCR
transcends generations!”

snapchathack3435:
“as a new fan, it meant getting to
experience something I once felt was
lost in time”

My chemical romance truly are giants in the emo and alternative world. They have proved their place and status time and time again, and I truly hope it continues.

Long live the black parade.

My chemical romance are currently embarking on a north America tour. Tickets can be found via ticketmaster and livenation.

Thank you to endlessnightmcr and their followers for giving the fans a voice. You can find them at Endlessnightmcr and across all social media under the same handle.