Gerard Way says his first My Chemical Romance show felt like “a really great” car accident.
The musician is the lead vocalist and co-founder of the alternative rock band from New Jersey.
The 34-year-old star has recalled the group’s first live performance, insisting he will never forget the “magical” experience.
“Afterwards I felt like I had been in a car accident – but a really great one,” he told Kerrang! magazine.
“It was really magical. We couldn’t play the songs without getting intense; we’d sound check and injure ourselves. We had to get by on the performance and the music – we had nothing else.”
Gerard previously struggled with alcoholism and prescription drug addiction, but has been sober since 2004. The singer admits drinking was a way to pass time when he was on the road.
“Alcohol was a coping tool. There were just so many hours to kill. And the music was so intense; it was about a lot of dark, f**ked up things and I had to live through them every time we played,” he explained.
Mikey Way, who is a bassist in the band, also turned to alcohol. The guitar player says drinking numbed his anxieties.
“I missed home and I was nervous to get onstage,” he revealed. “It was a means to an end. I don’t remember enjoying it.”
