Gerard Way (2014)

Hi, Gerard! So my question goes waaay back to 2008 when MCR released The Black Parade Is Dead. On the DVD of the concert at Maxwell’s, there’s a song you guys played that’s simply listed as Untitled. You said on stage it had a definite title but you weren’t gonna tell us because if you changed it we’d all bitch about it. (A smart move.) But it’s been six years and we still don’t know the title. This keeps me awake at night. Can you please tell us the title of that elusive song?

Hello, Gerard. I am Giraffebuns, a teen from a small town in North Carolina. Recently, I bought a pizza; a large 2 topping pizza from my friendly, neighborhood Domino's. Starving, I ran into the Domino's, paid for my delicious pie, and preceded to walk back to my car. On the way there I tripped and began to fall. I saw my life flash before my eyes, along with a box and various pizza toppings. After sustaining a painful blow to my knee, I glanced over only to see a horrific sight. The pizza was on the ground. I was devastated by the tragedy that laid before my eyes.

Have you ever felt such a pain, Gerard? If so, you have my most heartfelt sympathy.

hey gerard,
congratulations on hesitant alien! what a solid album, i’ve been jamming it since i woke up this morning and it’s fantastic. had a bit of a sniffle over “brother”. what a good song.
i’ve always been really inspired by your style and how you incorporate a lil bit of glam, a lil bit of femme, into your aesthetic. in fact, they way you present on stage and in music videos helped me figure out my own gender identity as a teenager. who are your style icons? what was your inspiration for messing with masculinity in the ways that you do?
thanks for everything :)

When can we expect to see the Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion? You and Gabriel create such an amazing world, I can't wait to see what comes next! By the way, I love the new album.

Do you still have the skeleton onesie?

What do you want to be for Halloween? And what is Bandit going to be dressed up as??

Do you see yourself doing collaborations with frnkiero andthe cellabration/Electric Century? Or any collaborations at all?

And may I please have a virtual hug?

Thanks for the years of great music ! You're the only musician I would stand around a bunch of screaming girls to listen to, my wife and I finally felt old going to your shows :) The new album is awesome and feels like a natural progression from your previous work.

1. Have you thought about getting into game design ? Any favorite games you play now ? Video or board.

2. Any chance of a Chicago show soon ?

3. What are your thoughts on the decendents ? I just saw them live and have been revisiting their music until your album dropped.

If you could live in any fictional universe, which one would you choose?

is this AMA haunted?

Hey Gerard!

How do you feel about the recent news of Pluto regaining its planet status? It's been eight years since the poor thing lost it. VIVA LA PLUTO!!

(Hesitant Alien is fab by the way and hugs to you and your family
(^_^)/)

What is your favorite song from Hesitant Alien?

Hi Gerard, huge fan, you're such an inspiration and I love the Killjoys comic and album. My question:

What was it like jumping from indie comic publisher Dark Horse over to Marvel in terms of creative freedom?

What scares you most about having a daughter?

As you see yourself in ten years? in all aspects

will you be meeting fans after your shows?

How do you manage to create so much (art, music, and otherwise).
How have you created an atmosphere that inspires you to be as creatively active as you are?
And do you think that others can shape their surroundings to increase creative output, even if it's not part of your daily job?
P.S. Thanks for being as badass as you are!

Hi G! How do you feel about Hesitant Alien being compared to Britpop so frequently?

What led you guys to scrap Conventional Weapons as the 4th MCR album?

What colour Power Ranger would you be?

Thanks so for doing this AMA and for all the music you've made. i've been a huge fan for the last 10 years and am looking forward to your tour here in the UK in Nov :)

Hey Gerard! Gotta say, I love the album! Especially love Drugstore Perfume, yet I don't know why...

A few questions:
1) A few weeks ago, at a show, I met Frank right after his set and we talked a bit about your album. He said, that he really digs it! What did you think of his?

2) What was it like doing a solo album compared to doing a MyChem album?

3) Finally, what is your all-time favourite Bowie album? I just gotta know!

Who would you want to portray you in a movie based on your life?

What's your favorite hair color you've ever had?

Thank you for doing an AMA! I’m a scientist, but have always enjoyed art as a creative outlet. I lost that somewhere in the mix of “life” but somehow your music reverted me back to the artist within me. What is your favorite medium to work in, and what was the most fun or most challenging? Thank you for your time and consideration, good luck with all future endeavors – Excellent job on the new album, it is one of my favorites now.

I never thought I would have the opportunity to say this to you personally, so thank you. You saved my life. I was in some really, really dark places (10/11 years ago, all the way up to probably 2011?), and the whole time your music made me want to fight back against it. You helped me find hope.

So, what would be the best way for me, and all the other people you've helped, to pay it forward?

If you could collaborate with anyone in the music industry who would it be?

What inspired Lola?

Hey, man. Love the new album. Will we ever see that photoshoot you needed a goth girl for? Thanks

Afternoon! I am obsessed with hesitant alien and even my dad taps his fingers away when I play it in the car... And that's says something! He loves the drums and the bass the most, but my favorite part are the vocals! Congrats on your solo career!! I know you can make it to top 1 on the charts!
Question- LA is so different from Jersey... Do you miss it there?

You seem like you know a thing or two about pancakes. Has a restaurant ever amazed you with its pancakes or is it best to make them at home?

Are you planning on selling "hot pants" on your merch line?

Hey, Gerard! Such a huge fan, you have inspired me in ways I cannot begin to list off. Also, Hesitant Alien is so fucking great. Congratulations, man.
I've always been a huge "concept album" nerd, so bear with me, as these questions have to deal with your MCR work and, more specifically, the stories of the albums.

1. This is something that has racked my brain for years. In the booklet that came with TBP special edition CD set, you mentioned a character called the Escape Artist. Who is that? What was their purpose in the Patient's journey? Were they ever realized through concept art or in one of the big photoshoots with all the characters?
2. Danger Days was, hands down, the most linear concept in that it had a strict narrative with a beginning, end, and comic book series. Have you ever considered revisiting themes, characters, or stories from your previous musical work? Maybe putting together more linear narratives for the other concepts in comic form?
3. Was there ever a strict "beginning to end" storyline for Bullets or Three Cheers?
4. Are you considering any concept albums for your solo work?

And, finally (unrelated to concepts)
5. I read somewhere that Drowning Lessons was your guys' least favorite song to play live and that the few times you did, something horrible happened each time. (This bums me out as it was probably my favorite song from Bullets). What bad things happened when you played it live?

Thank you so much for doing this, and I hope that one day, when I carry on through what I hope to be a professional career in the arts, our paths cross.

-- Booker Skelton, bookerskeltonwriting.tumblr.com

What's your favorite historical period?

Hi Gerard,

What made you decide to debut Hesitant Alien at the Reading Festival?

What lyric from your new album are you a specially proud of?
See you in London!

Hi Gerard, what is the inspiration behind Maya The Physic? It's my fsvorite song but I don't really understand the lyrics yet?

Tabletop questions!
What's your favorite system?
How many dice do you own?
Favorite character type?
Longest played character's name?

Hey gerard! Like you said in your interview- we know practically nothing about you! Any weird fetishes you haven't revealed yet to us?
Also- I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who hears this, but i get a Michael Jackson vibe from get the gang together towards the end. Whether intentional or unintentional, I LOVE IT!

Gerard! thanks for doing the AMA! You're a huge inspiration for me, thanks for doing what you do, man.
What's your favorite cereal?

Good evening Gerard. Is there one song that you wish you had put on the album but changed your mind at the last moment?

Thanks for the IAMA
How do you handle being a father, husband, and musician at the same time?
Do you find it's been easy or hard to do?

The saxophone solo in Get the Gang Together is just too cool.

what are you going to be for halloween??

How did you decide the cover art for your album?

If you could be in any Quentin Tarantino movie, which one would you pick?

D'you think aliens have ever visited earth without us knowing? :0

Do you think you'll be coming to more american cities? like, near the south ?

Hi Gerard!

I just wanted your opinion/thoughts on MCR's decision to boycott performing in Arizona.

Elton John performed here and was quoted with saying, "We are all very pleased to be playing in Arizona. I have read that some of the artists won't come here. They are fuckwits! Let's face it: I still play in California, and as a gay man I have no legal rights whatsoever. So what's the fuck up with these people?"

Why punish an entire state of fans because of a few dumbass politicians? Are you still boycotting for a potential Hesitant Alien tour?

What's your go-to drink on airplanes?

What's going on with Fudge Lord?

Do you care at all about commercial success of this album or is it purely about making the music that you want to?

Would you ever consider, now with the solo project, going on warped tour ever again? And I'd like to say thank you because you have been a major role model in my life with art and your music! Thank you and lots of love to you!

Should we expect a big tour from Hesitant Alien ?
Any ideas for a new album following hesitant alien? You've said with my chem you had always planned ahead any plans after HA?

Your vocal range is a lot bigger on HA. You get into head voice and even something like falsetto in some songs. We've seen this before in songs like Scarecrow but it's a lot more present in this album and with the song you did with Matt from kill Hannah in the backing vocals. What was that like? Was it a natural progression for your voice or did you do it intentionally as a specific stylistic choice? Did you seek out a vocal coach? I'm very interested to know.

edit for grammar

Where did the idea for Fudge Lord come from?

Do you have any covers planned for your live shows?

Hey Gerard! Is it weird touring without the rest of the band? Also, I'm going to see you perform at Soundwave Festival in Australia, are you looking forward to it? Anything special fans can look forward to?

What is your favorite tea?

I loved how you talked about Sleater-Kinney in your zine! Do you think you could ever collaborate with Carrie Brownstein?

Favorite Morrissey song? Or album?

Hey Gerard

I'm going to be applying to colleges soon and I've been wondering if I should try for SVA. I'm worried about the price and wether I should really go for it and take it head on or go there later in the future... What's your recommendation? Is it worth the experience to go across the US?

If you could be any Olympian god, which would you choose and why?

What's this thing about your phone being haunted? I always see stuff about it but I don't know the origin.. Also the new album is my favorite thing ever.. Sorry for spamming your @ mentions on Twitter by constantly tweeting about it lol

Hi Gerard! I loved your VyRT session. Is there any chance you'll have a VyRT concert?

What is your favorite shop to pick up comics at?

What was your biggest struggle when creating Hesitant Alien? Love it BTW!

Have you ever drawn inspiration from the B-52's? I see a lot of their influence in the aesthetics of the No Shows video.

I'm going to be a little selfish and first ask you to please come to INDIANA even though its a very boring state (I know I live here)

My question is: in starting this record did you know exactly how you wanted it to be or was it just one particular song that kind of gave you an idea as to what the rest of the album was going to be?

Hello Gerard,

We all know –for the most part I assume– that you are on your twitter quite a bit. If I may ask, why is it that you prefer twitter over other social media?

If I could also be so kinda as to say I turn fourteen in ten days and I am more excited over Hesitant Alien than I am my own birthday.

Hey Gerard, what's your favourite movie?