Following the bottoming out of Soundwave, Iero put together a makeshift tour comprising of two free in-store acoustic shows. The plan for a quick performance and meet and greet was blown out of the water when over 600 fans wrapped themselves around the block for the opportunity to meet him.
“I didn’t really have any expectations about how many people would be there or who would be excited,” Iero says. “I just knew that I was excited. So when we showed up it was shocking, it was such an overwhelmingly beautiful experience.”
Frank Iero’s not a man that’s unfamiliar with acts of fanaticism. After all, he spent over a decade playing guitar in My Chemical Romance, one of the most loved and revered bands of the mid ‘00s. Even following the group’s disbanding in 2013, hype and attention has followed the one-time band members’ every move.
Indeed, the internet experienced a small explosion on Thursday July 21 when My Chemical Romance released a teaser video featuring the opening piano notes of Welcome To The Black Parade. A wildfire of speculation followed, and eventually the band were forced to clear the air, announcing that the surprise was a tenth anniversary reissue of The Black Parade rather than a reformation.
“It probably could have been done a little bit better, to cut down on some confusion,” Iero admits. “It was a little bit shocking, but I also think there’s still a love for that band that is amazing. People get excited any time anything happens.
“[For the anniversary edition] we went through old hard drives and old recording stuff. It has a lot that got left on the cutting room floor. The songs that didn’t make the record – it doesn’t mean they’re bad songs. They just weren’t right for the record. It’s nice to have some of these songs come out.”
Now that his old band’s release has hit our shores, Iero will be landing in the country to complete a national tour with his new band, Frank Iero and The Patience, formerly known as frnkiero andthe cellabration.
Iero argues the moniker change reflects his growing sense of comfort about being his own person, no longer needing to hide behind a bandname. “I’ve learnt a lot about what it is to be a solo artist, or what it is to be a frontman,” Iero says. “I didn’t really need that distraction, thecellabration.”
The Australian tour will be the last run of dates before the release of Parachutes, Iero’s second studio album, and one that is a rapid expansion from his debut.“With the first one I wrote the songs and I had no intention of ever having anyone hearing them. I wrote them purely for myself.
“For me this is probably the most proud I’ve ever been of anything I’ve ever made. I feel like it’s very rare that you get the opportunity to make a record, or make anything, and I think that maybe this is why I was put here. This was one of those moments, and I feel very fortunate to have that.”
BY SPENCER SCOTT
