Gerard Way Discusses Taking the Solo Way
Former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way re-emerged on the scene last year with his debut solo effort, Hesitant Alien. Though he is still relatively new to performing on his own he hasn’t forgot how to work a crowd after all those years playing to tens of thousands with My Chem, as evidenced by his performance at the 2015 Voodoo Music + Art Experience in New Orleans.
Way spoke about his solo endeavors from the Toyota Tent in conjunction with SPIN, referring to his 13 years in MCR as “some of the best times of my life,” but adds that things were getting, in his estimation, “stagnant.”
A fresh start as a solo artist proved to be the kicker that he needed to get his songwriting and creative flair back on track. As Way notes, his new music is very different from MCR, tapping into ‘90s influences he wasn’t able to bring full-on when in his former band.
Way also discusses his childhood musical influences, which include a range from Queen to Sonic Youth; as well as his excitement about playing Voodoo for the second time and trying out some new tunes on the crowd.
“I want them to take away that they can make any art that they want,” Way says of his fanbase, which he praises as an extremely creative set.
The Voodoo Music + Arts Experience took place over Halloween weekend in New Orleans’ City Park.
