You can run away with me, anytime you want.

Have y'all seen how fucking fast My chemical romance sold out their two UK shows? That had to be like what 50 000 tickets per show? Woah. I mean I never saw this coming. I wonder if should they ever tour EU (jesus christ please announce dates already and put me out of my misery) I will even get tickets. I think I'd just die if finally FINALLY my time to see them comes and I can't get tickets. Either way I know I just did a review the other day, and that there were posts about them in the past but today it's still another one... Sorry, that's just how it is, you're gonna have to deal with it. This one is about my FAVOURITE album so excuse my excitment.

 

Danger Days: The true lives of the fabulous Killjoys. Like what can I tell you about this one? It's amazing. Everything is amazing. The story, the videos, the music, the vibe, the feelings, the emotion, the tension, the ride, everything. Spot on. I don't know who wrote it, might of been Rolling stones that My chemical romance are so sad they could make your cold goth heart bleed. Well I mean, the dark clothes, the dead men, the cancer, the blood and misery…I get the point but also not really, it's not all dark and bleek in their music also.

And then you get Danger Days. Spoiler alert I always wanted to dress up as Party Poison, I mean full on, clothes, props, the whole deal. Never got to it though. But it would make up for a great photoshooting. Anyways, Danger Days comes out, Gee dyes his hair this crazy perfect bright red which (don't kill me) was my favourite look on him. Red is just such a Gerard Way colour. It's pretty stabby you know? And this album isn't sad, this album is more than anything pissed off, and vibrant, just like Gee's hair.

Also what's hugely different is his voice. Gee sounds way cleaner and more polished on this album. I know that was actually an issue for some fans who prefered the rougher, edgier style of ''Three cheers for sweet revenge'' so then this energetic power pop aproach was a bit of a let down. To me though, comparing albums is stupid, a band can grow and develop their sound and it can sound different. Sometimes better sometimes worse but that's why experimenting is important. Nobody wants the same thing over and over and over again. Like Bon Jovi, singing the same songs for 20 years. Don't get me wrong they're great songs, better than any new one, but for real, can you not? For MCR this album is definately a better sounding experience. Which doesn't mean that this album is better than say the Black parade but simply that it's an amazing album on its own.

Basically what Danger Days is is an idea. If you watch music videos to Na Na Na and Sing, they're a story. Set in the future a band of outlaws fights an evil corporation called Better living industries. The video looks almost apocalyptic and what is just really fucking brilliant is that if you pay attention you can see it written on a god damn battery ''California 2019''. When did the band reunite? 2019 and where was the first reunion show? California. Like, I can't. Everything these cryptic assholes do has a meaning, and suddenly it's two AM and you're reading about Salem witch trials and the summer and winter solstace and how that could be incorporated in their state of mind. Don't look at me funny, I'm on to something here. Also of course in case you don't know in 2013 Gee published a comic that continiues the story from the album. And you know what? I never got to read it. Sigh.

Oh my god you guys! You know what literally hit me just now? Danger Days is now set in the past no longer the future. Oh my god.... Right the album. So it starts off with ''Look alive, Sunshine'' and you know what? I handpainted this entire thing to a back of one of my tshirts once? With really annoying tiny letters that took me ages to perfect. What you hear in Look alive, is an old radio transmission and a message from the ''host'' Dr. Death Defying. Most of what he says can actually mean a lot of things or nothing at all, the part that I love most is obviously ''listen up, the future is bulletproof, the aftermath is secondary, it's time to do it now and do it loud, Killjoys, make some noise''. Seems like such a powerful message really, this is a band we grew up with and though this is not a new album the message still stands if you ask me, it's our time, we should make some fucking noise.

Look alive fades into ''Na Na Na Na'' and the fact that there's anyone who hasn't heard this song at least once is crazy to me. It was the first single, it's catchy, it's fun, it makes you sing along. And that bloody car! I mean I always wanted one of those and then they put it in their video? Painted like that! I find that personally offensive. This song is probably what sets the entire albums mood. It shows you that this will be a different ride than any of the previous were and also that it's going to be a fun one.

Then there's ''Bulletproof heart'' which is a total pop punk kinda song, fun, cheery, perfect. It's a bit extravagant, a bit dramatic and most importantly an escape from some undefined restrictive presence, some demons if you will, and shit can't we relate? We're all just trying to get away from our demons.

''Sing'' is next, which is part two of Na Na Na Na. The car is back, the boys are back and so are the ''pigs''. First of all how dare you shoot Gee like that? And also who looks that bloody hot while being shot? Defys laws of nature if you ask me. But the song is easily one of my favourites, the easy begining which slowly builds up to one of the best choruses ever. So sing along boys and girls, ''sing it for the boys, sing it for the girls, sing it for the world''.

''Planetary GO!'' UH yes please. It's like what hope sounds like you know. It's what I feel hope would be should it be recorded, in those very lines ''I can't slow down, I'm undefeatable''. Perfection.

Things then calm down with ''The only hope for me is you''.  It's a beautiful love song don't you think? It's something very personal, it's Gee basically putting his heart on a sleeve, honestly telling the world what's his only hope ''you'', meaning ''her'' in this case, and just so we're clear, his marriage is probably one of the cutest things out there, right next to whiskers on kittens and unicorns. Don't fight me on this, you can't win.

''Summertime'' is actually my favourite on this album. Actually they all are but maybe this one is my top one. Vocals are soft and tender and completely clean, the chorus is a flying melody that feels like it holds the power to fly you away where ever you want to be and that that ''you can run away with me, anytime you want''. Oh my god. It's like a punch in the heart in a good way. I love this song, and yes I would indeed run away with him anytime he'd want. Fun fact. The line starts with ''you can write it on your arm''. So on a gig once Gee had ''run away with me'' written on his neck with a sharpie and his wife had ''anytime you want'' written on her arm. Believe me my heart exploded into rainbows. How cute is that? Where can I find me a guy who would be this silly cute with me? Ugh.

Y'all know what follows next right? Fucking ''Destroya'' which to this day I always say ''great song, you are just cowards''. True story. Destroya is a great song, the whole pounding drum thing and sneering vocals, blow away any trace of slow ballads, with Gee singing he only believes in the enemy. Kinda makes sense doesn't it? Lovers will let you down, as well as family, friends, but you can count on your enemies always hating you. This song is like, another Rocket queen. The moaning! You guys I die. It was so funny people expecting the song on the reunion and that big question ''will Gee moan on stage during Destroya'' lol, Gee is no coward, how could you even doubt him? And it sounded every bit as sexy as it did years back. Like for real, listening to this song is like HOT.

''Goodnite, Dr. Death'' is a sign off from the radio host, who sends us off with a cheery warning telling us that we're basically all going to die. Lovely. ''That big ball of radiation we call the sun will burst you into flames if you stay in one place too long, that is if the static don't get you first''. What does that mean? Like fly into the sun (Icarus much?) and risk getting burned or do nothing and you're fucked anyways? I think it's a metaphore for everything you do really, that you should take chances and risk something, else you really are doomed. Doomed in the same wicked ways, addiction, wrong partner, wrong job…whatever else is haunting you. The message ends with the strains of ''The star spangled banner'' and you know how weird that is when the album plays in your family who doesn't like the US one bit. ''What the fuck are you listening the anthem for?'' really, I'm not, it's just MCR being MCR.

The album ends with ''Vampire money'' which is Gee pissed off at everyone. At fame, at people, junkies, Hollywood, and mostly himself for being this famous. And aparently rich and famous acording to Gee drive ''Volvo cars''. Hah. what's more important here, to this great song, is the intro, and what's even more important that on the reunion show for the first time ever when Gee asked ''How about you Frank?'' Frank replied ''Oh I'm there baby'' and I died. Like dead on the ground. You sneaky Italian rat you. You know exactly what you're doing don't you?

Other songs featured on here are ''Jet Star and the Kobra Kid/ Traffic report'', ''Party poison'', ''Save yourself I'll hold them back'' and ''S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W'', well that first one isn't a song but a ''traffic report'' the rest are all songs, great songs just like the rest of the album and if I go on about how great, amazing, perfect this album is, then this post will never be done, and let's face it, I have a life to get back to (she said while typing around a fat cat on her lap and a jar of Nutella with a spoon jammed in it). You guys put this record on, live it and love it because it deserves nothing less. You know I do….

Trick or Treat?

Today is a big important holiday in this country I call home. I suppose I'm not much of a patriot after all, I was never bothered by it. October 31st is important to me because of Halloween. What did you excpect after all? Of course a ''holiday'' like this will be right down my alley. Día de Muertos even more so, it would literally be a dream come true for me to be in Mexico for this event at least once. But enough about that. Back to Halloween. I feel like I haven't complained enough over this country and Halloween traditions or lack of them for that matter. I get it, it's an ''imported'' holiday, since it's big in the States but honestly, looking at the origins should it really be imported? Halloween also known as All Hallows Eve or All Saints eve is a celebration observed by a number of different countries all over the world. It is believed that many if not most traditions originate from Celtic harvest festivals, which may have pagan roots. Halloween was supposed to be Christianized from a Gaelic festival called Samhain, which was a festival marking the end of the harvest season and the begining of winter or as they called it ''the darker half'' or the year. Samhain is believed to have Celtic and pagan origins since there is evidence that the very date October 31st was an important one in ancient times. It was the date the cattle was brought back down from summer pastures, livestock was slaughtered for the winter, they lit fires which they believed had protective and cleansing powers. They believed that on Samhain the barrier between our world and the other side was down, making it easier for the spirits to come into our world. The souls of the dead were believed to be revisiting their homes, and places at the table on their feasts were left empty for them. As part of the festival people were actually going door to door in disguise, reciting verses in exchange for food. Disguises were meant as a way to scaring away the so called Aos Si or the nature spirits. In medieval Britain, “supplicants moved from door to door asking for food in return for a prayer for the dead,” and they would carry “hollowed-out turnip lanterns, whose candle connoted a soul trapped in purgatory.” (Halloween—From Pagan Ritual to Party Night). But I think unfortunally we can all agree that lately it's more of a commercial celebration, just like Christmas, shopping malls and people ruined the charm of both holidays. Nothing upsets me more the when I see Christmas decorations in stores before Halloween. And this is not because of my love for Halloween. This is because it's stupid. Christmas lights, trees, god damn Santa all in the middle of October? What for? So the stores sell more? Idiotic. The whole point of the holiday is lost. It's supposed to be a family holiday after all. Not about the presents not about celebration but about spending your time with your family. Even if you shouldn't really need a holiday to take time for your family but let's leave that right now.

In some places of the world Halloween is more important then here, there's things like trick or treating, costume parties, pumpkin carving, bonfires, pranks, haunted houses, scary stories and movies...so on and so on. What I find funny though is how some, not all but some religious people preach about Halloween being evil, a satanic holiday due to it's pagan roots. Of course we all know how Christians tend to flinch each time you say ''pagan'' or ''atheist'' but calling a holiday satanic is really far fetched. The only ''evil'' part of it is the golrifiying vampires, witches, ghosts, satan or whatever else you chose to dress up in. Calling it satanic is just as silly as saying black cats are evil. You know where that comes from anyways? Christianity of course, after church stole Samhain and named it All Hallows eve, people believed in witches and black cats were supposed to be witches companions they believed a witch can actually turn into a cat. You do know what a black cat crossing your way means right? No? I'll tell you. It means that the animal is headed somewhere.

Then you've got the pumpkins, I think everyone when somone says Halloween thinks about the States and the pumpkins. That's a tradition that I actually love. It's fun, it's creative and it's artistic. But where did it come from? There's evidence that the roots of pumpkin carving or Jack o lanterns if you will actually comes from Europe. They were supposedly invented to scare away the evil spirits from homes that left them on their door steps on Halloween night. Others believe it's used as a light to guide back the spirits. Some believe it's from a legend about a man who played a game with the devil who prevented him entering heaven or hell and was condemned to wander the earth forever, a Jack o lantern to light his way, but the truth is the tradition was brought to America by British and Irish immigrants, though they were carving turnips at the time and people later decided that a pumpkin is much easier.

And the colors orange and black? It could be as simple as orange representing autum or pumpkins and black as the short days, the darker colder part of the year. Let's be honest though, black is mysterious, dark, a little scary too I suppose. Nobody wants to read about the ''mystical powers'' of orange right?

Then you've got spiders and bats. Any Halloween party you walk into you are sure to see spider webs, spiders, bats,...Now I'm not sure about spiders, should they have a meaning beyond they're creepy and they fit into the whole idea of Halloween but bats are a different story...they are creatures of the night so that's obviously a plus but what it is back in the time of Samhain they had big bonfires which would attract moths and bats, they were most likely pretty common and that's why they stuck with the new version. Not to mention the vampire folklore, vampires can turn into bats and all that, and the fact that there are actually bats that feed only on blood? They are probably most hardcore Halloween stuff there is.

Theres plenty of these symbols, like skelletons, skulls, ghosts, representing the dead, and the costumes, people would dress up to hide from the evil spirits and such. To me Halloween holds precious memories, good times spent with people that are no longer in my life and most important getting to dress up into something I'm not. Someone I'm not. Sometimes it gets really hard to be in my skin so being someone else is a welcome vacation. So there you go, Happy Halloween if you celebrate and if not then enjoy your day none the less.

You know what they say about the crazy ones...