How Michael Buble could teach Gerard Way a thing or two
This entry was posted on December 7, 2007
In November I saw My Chemical Romance (MCR) at a show in London, and then on Tuesday I saw Michael Buble at a show, also in London (though at a different venue). I massively enjoyed both shows, but for two very different reasons. Michael Buble and MCR are about as different as you can get, but they do have the same goal: to entertain the audience to which they are performing.
MCR were two members (out of five) down when I saw them. The drummer was sick, and one of the guitarists had a family emergency. However, in true showman style, “the show must go on”, which it did. They belted through each of their songs with the same enthusiasm, barely stopping to take a breath. As Gerard Way (the lead singer and band frontman) described it, they played “fast and hard”, partly because they were two members down. Talking to the crowd was minimal, and the focus was all on performing the songs the best they could, given the circumstances.
The Michael Buble show was the last of his UK tour, and as he described it, “if you came to one of the earlier shows, you were ripped off. I wasn’t even trying. Tonight I’m gonna try really hard.” He belted the songs out in the inimitable style he has, and there was a much more relaxed feel to the show.
So what could Gerard Way learn from Michael Buble?
He could learn how to better interact with his audience. Michael jumped off stage and headed into the crowd, making time for hugs and kisses and pictures. However, there’s one very important reason why Gerard wouldn’t be able to do this : MCR crowds are crazy. If Gerard came into the crowd, there would be bloodshed.
However, just like there is more than one way to skin a cat, there is more than one way to work a crowd. Not only did Michael get up close and personal with his audience, he interacted with them a lot from his stage. He told jokes, and mocked himself (”oh that Michael’s such a good boy… no I’m not - I’m badass”), introduced each member of his 12-piece band and had banter with them, and much more.
That’s why, even though I’m a massive MCR fan, I preferred Michael’s live show. To me, a live show shouldn’t just be about the music. After all, I own the CD’s, I have them on my iPod, I’ve seen the music videos - I know the music! I go to live shows for a “complete experience”, and for me that involves more than just hearing / seeing the music played live. It’s about the complete package of the band, which involves banter as well as music.
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My favorite band are Turin Brakes, and I’ve been to see them about 4 times, I think… My favorite show I went to was with my brother in Birmingham and just eye contact from one of the guys was enough to make my night. They like to keep everything small and intimate, which just makes the whole experience really.
I want to see him badly! But I think his show might be sold out, and that it went on sale before I got home. Which sucks. And, if I leave again, I might not get a chance until the end of 2008! Oh, woe is me.
But you gotta love the Canadian boys. I’ll probably end up marrying one. They’re nice. And one that can sing to me would be fantastic.
It depends on the band for me. If the band is great live I actually prefer less banter, because I just want to get involved with the songs (for lack of a better way to put that). If they have very little stage presence, I’d welcome more chat.
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Mari said:
I really agree with that last paragraph - which is why I was disappointed when I saw The Killers live. No communication with the audience what so ever. The music sounded exactly the same as on the CD.
As for MCR, I’ve actually been lucky enough to see them with all five members, and Gerard did interact quite a bit with the audience. Mostly in a very mean but still charming way, if there is such a thing.