History:
"Months prior to the interview we have been trying to get an interview with My Chemical Romance because they are an important band in the social area. The message they are trying to get across comes from the heart. The day before we were leaving for Cologne the record label had declined our request by sending us an email with the subject "Interview cannot happen." As a final attempt, and as the feeling of fear overtook me, I had made a sign saying, "Do an interview with Taste It TV." I know it's not very professional but desperate times ask for desperate measures. I just had to try it, just one shot. Security had requested to take down the signs after 30 seconds. Then the unthinkable happened. Gerard Way stopped singing and started talking to me in front of 5000 people (video). He said, "You're the girl who's been at all the shows, even the ones in the USA and who takes awesome pictures right?" He continued "We can do the interview after the show." Then he started screaming, "You got the job Honey. Honey you've got the fucking job." I don't think there are any words that can describe what kind of emotions that were rushing through me. Work hard, never give up and take a chance, even a small chance (even if that means doing something crazy), it can lead to incredible things. After the performance I was brought backstage to Gerard. And this is the interview."
Oh okay so you caught me at a bad time.
Yeah,
I wasn't really prepared. Thanks you very much for that one.
You had a sign.
Yeah.
Oh you meant in the future and not mean right now?
No, no but it's okay, I'm already happy that we can do this. I've been trying long and hard.
Well you know you'd be amazed with some of the people that actually do get to interview us. So go ahead.
Really?
Yeah. Like I'm surprised you've hard a hard time that that's what my point yeah so go ahead.
Yeah I wanted to do a more personal interview. Because Taste It TV tries to focus on why people listen to music and especially your music. Because it's all about emotion. So maybe I'll ask you some personal questions. If you don't want to answer them, just don't and I promise you there will be nothing in there.
Thank you. Yeah I don't usually get too personal it depends on what you ask so.
Well it's mostly about, well I mean you've been an inspiration for so many kids and not only for kids but also for me because with Taste It TV and stuff. You inspired people and what is so great about the way that you do it is - I mean you just say to people be yourself and for you how difficult is it to be yourself?
You know honestly it used to be very difficult when I was in High school or Middle school. It was extremely difficult being yourself and they actually kind of almost beat it out of me not physically but there was a time where I definitely tried to fit in for no reason like or because I felt like I didn't want to struggle anymore. And I went through that about I'd say in middle school very briefly and then I said you know what this isn't me, I'm not happy, I'm gonna wear what I wanna wear, hang out with who I wanna hang out with, I'm not a bad kid, I'm not like stealing bikes or taking drugs. I'm just like a kid who likes having manners and there's nothing wrong with that. And then in high school the same thing I was just myself and everybody as soon as punk broke all of a sudden anybody like me, which is maybe like five people in the whole school became really cool. And they would be just like why you know why did you get into this stuff and I just liked what I liked. I was myself and all of a sudden that made you cool and I don't know if that's cool anymore it was when I was in high school eventually so and it's not about being cool. I actually didn't give a shit when you know when all the jocks or whatever finally accepted me. I really didn't even hang out with them at all, I didn't have any care to hang out with because actually be cool is one of the worst things in the world. I actually thrive against fitting in and being cool. I think it's lame, I think it's whack, I think it's an empty hollow pursuit, I think you can spend your time doing so many more great things you can create, you know. But anyway suddenly it's with the band and the people often ask why we got big so fast and the honest basic answer is because we were ourselves. Yeah and it was easy. We were just ourselves immediately and the fucking... we just got lots of fans and because and because we didn't take any shit and we were ourselves and the minute we stop doing that and try to fit is the minute the band will suck. So we don't do that.
If you had to describe yourself what would you say?
I don't know I mean I'm genuinely a mellow guy. I don't do good under stress. I do good under stress and pressure on stage and whenever I have to deliver kind of with the band but off stage I have a hard time dealing with stress. I'm quiet I'm completely normal I like to sit and draw a lot, I like to watch movies, I like to read comics, I like to read actual books, I like to hang out with my guys in the band and I only have three best friends besides them in the whole world. And they are the same best friends I have since before the band. So yeah uhm you know I'm genuinely a simple guy.
Yeah?
Yeah.
You don't seem it. I mean if I had to describe you I would say someone who wants to change the world, am I mistaking in that?
No I mean we all did. We all still do wanna change the world. But I think you could still kind of be simple and do it. I think you just gotta be who you are. Assert yourself creatively like I don't think I'm completely normal and average creatively I think. That is where we kind of shine as people. And I think we're very bold, and very assertive and very aggressive with our vision. And so I think in that way we're not kinda opted to sit around.
If you could change the world, just imagine that you have all the power in the world what would you change?
That's so tough. I mean like you know I think honestly like we've always been about more interested in how people treat each other than politics. And you still see a lot of ramped problems and I think it's one of the reasons we started our band because we wanted to create an environment where there wasn't racism or sexism or homophobia. Because in the scene that we came from we still saw that and we decided again to not fit in and we decided to detach ourselves from that scene which is why we are so opposed to the "emo" term and we're so opposed to really a lot of those terms. You know 'cause weren't a part of it. We declined, we politely declined very early to be a part of that stuff we wanted fuck it create our own shows. It's our show we don't care what happens, 5 kids, 500, 5000 whatever. So that is what I would change really change intolerance how people treat each other I think all of our real problems strum from how people treat each other and misunderstanding each other. That's the reason why there's wars, there's killings and so much obviously there's a ton of problems but I think they all strum from that.
Why do you think people treat each other like that? Do you have an explanation for that?
I think people are fearful of what they don't understand. That's the main thing. I think they are animalistic and tribal in nature so if there's a gang mentality it's very dangerous. You can see the dangers of gang mentality at things like festivals you know what I mean? And lots of people get hurt, some people get killed, you see it at a soccer games, you see it in America. Gang mentality is what can push kids into shooting other kids. And that is not any means condoning what those kids do. Kids that shoot other kids are awful awful people. I think sometimes they are a product of gang mentality and misunderstanding and I'd feel that... You know so yeah that's a dangerous thing. You get a lot of people together and all of a sudden the IQ drops. So at our show we, we are very confident that the IQ stays very high in our shows. That's right. You get a vibe; I've seen fights occasionally. In the six years we've been a band whether if it's just our shows. We've played other people's shows where there's fights but just at our shows I think I've seen four fights. And that's an honest answer. And that's not a lot for playing like thousands of shows.
You're correct because normally the fans are really nice to each other and they take care of each other.
Right.
Sometimes they don't but most of the time they do.
Sometimes I see people get too excited. So anyways why people to get back to why people mistreat each other? I think they don't understand and are afraid of that and they are animalistic and they only know how to lash out. They don't wanna love and they don't want to accept so.
You've just said to me that you're like a normal guy but do you still think that? You see so many people with this gang mentality and with this fear and following each other and you're not.
I see what your point is you would say that I'm not normal 'cause they're normal and that's what a normal person does. I mean everyone that I know and that's in my life is not like that. So I think a normal... it's hard to say I put myself in a weird predicament here with my answers (laughs). Maybe we're normal, maybe we're not normal and maybe our fans aren't normal... Maybe we're the exception to the rule. I always like to think that our fans are the exception to the rule.
Yeah I think so too. I think I'm not normal so.
(laughs) But you are right we're all like... I use the term normal loosely to say that I like a cup of tee just like anybody else and I like sitting around drinking coffee and smoke a cigarette just like anybody else. That's what I mean by normal I don't like pay myself in red paint naked and run around.
No?
I don't do anything like that. That's my point. I'm a little bit strange I guess I'm normal in my tastes.
Maybe something funny also because I mean if life ain't a joke then why are we laughing? So I think we should laugh a bit too.
(laughs)
So what's the... no let me think because you caught me off guard here. Well in Oakland you said a funny thing. You said lots of "motherfucker" and "fucking" and stuff like that and that you said you had a filthy mouth and that you told the audience that you didn't know where it has been.
That was actually, a moment that I had on stage where I was just... sometimes I just completely snap out of it and break character and have these moments of clarity where I actually genuinely talk into the mic and I don't know why I curse so much. And that was what all that was 'cause me there's a lot on stage that are unplanned. And a lot of things that fit into the song that I do show to show basis, that just fits to me and I love doing them, crying at the end of Mama for example isn't always going to happen but it's fun to me doesn't change it up. I mean I was cursing a lot. I was like man I'm cursing a lot. And then I was like thinking out loud and sometimes that happens on stage. Some of my favorite shows are where I'm thinking out loud.
Yeah cool. But yeah, what are the things that you think about. What keeps you awake at night?
Luckily of our schedule nothing keeps me awake at night. (laughs) I lay down in that bunk when I'm tired and I go to bed right away. But if I had to pick something that has I mean I don't have a lot of fears anymore in terms of like accomplishment. Accomplishment used to keep me up at night. I was always afraid I wasn't going to mount anything. Because that's what me and the guys were told, not by our parents or anything but by our teachers not all of them but generally and by kids at school who thought we were different, telling us we were nothing significant or treated like we were invisible. So you know that's why there's this line in the end that says I don't wanna be anything at all. It's kind of like a fuck you to all that. Fuck you to all those people who said we were going to be nothing anyway. So, the question was though?
Well What keeps you awake at night?/
Yeah I used to be obsessed with accomplishing something with myself you know.
I completely understand.
Right. That keeps you up. You know you want not even a career not even a mark but you want to create, read, listen to or watch. I've always wanted to create. So that used to keep me up.
Well I'm going to be honest with you and yesterday I got an e-mail and I've been trying to get this interview for over six months. And yesterday I got an e-mail saying "Interview can not happen" And at that moment I just wanted to chuck everything away.
And we don't have a lot of control over that the funny thing about that is that I got two interviews today that were fucking awful and I don't even know how they got into the building. Probably because they are from a radio station and it's like just because someone has a radio station the questions I was asked were not worth leaving the dressing room where I was writing. You know and that upsets you to find that just because someone has some airtime they can ask you the most ridiculous things in the world. When somebody, that's why... when I saw your sign tonight you wanted an interview you know what I guarantee that this interview is going to be better than I've given all week. So this is the interview I'm gonna do because I wanna do it. And it's been fucking awesome. So and that's the point there's a lot of stuff we don't have control over. And we've been so overworked lately we've cut a lot of press but here we are anyway so. Sometimes hopefully this can happen.
Is it worth it?
Is what?
The interview? Be careful what you say. (laughs)
Yeah I was just backstage before I came in to do it and they were like "Are you really going to do it?" Yeah because I feel screwed out of my interviews today. And I just wasted an hour of my life that I'll never get back, giving shitty interviews, when I actually could be giving a good one and it's probably going to be more interesting than anything I've said all week. So any of the guys would've done this interview too.
Well I wanted to talk to you because you write the songs.
No we all do actually.
You all?
Yeah. We all write the songs that's an unfortunate misconception amongst not you but all of the bigger press sometimes that we do. It's a big misconception that they completely centralize around me. And it's extremely aggravating. Because I'm in a band with four guys that bust their ass just as much.
Well Gerard I want to thank you very much for this interview and you've made my day.
I'm glad.
And I don't know do you have anything else that you wanna send out into this world? Keep our viewers watch this with their hearts. And lots of them are depressed and have lots of problems but they can also have fun. So what would you wanna say to them?
I mean honestly like you know as far as things about depression and things like that I've always said that it's more important to keep yourself alive. There's nothing worth even hurting yourself over. I'm a person that goes through a lot of depressions and stress and things like that. I'm generally happy these days. It's normal it's completely normal to be depressed so. I think it's good to have a support group. It's good to have people you can call. It's good to talk to talk to you folks. I think it's just important that you keep yourself to stay fighting 'cause it actually isn't that bad. I mean we started this band thinking this world was extremely ugly and now we realize it's more beautiful that we thought. And I think that our music is now reflective of that. So if anything you can take it from a guy who used to think that everything was shit. And we found that it's not all shit.
Have you changed?
Yeah I have and I'm very happy with how we've changed. We've all changed. Like I can find real beauty in things and I was never able to do that. Everything disgusted me. And I was a very angry little dude. And I don't feel so angry anymore. I just wanna kind of give the world something special.
Well you know what, stop smoking. (laughs)
(laughs) Yeah.
Because that's bad for your health.
I know.
We don't want to lose you and thanks again.
Thank you very much.
Okay thank you.
Thank you, bye bye.
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