Gerard Way makes unannounced first live solo appearance

Gerard Way is having quite the day. First he’s on the cover of DIY (an obvious career high point there - Ed), then he makes a surprise first live appearance.

Showing up for an unannounced appearance at label Warner Bros. HQ in Burbank for their Summer Sessions concert Series, the pre-Reading and Leeds performance was kept under wraps until the very last moment, but photos and video are starting to appear online now. You can check out some of the first, including a couple of clips from a debut outing for album opener ‘Bureau’ and one from forthcoming single ‘No Shows’, at the bottom of the page.

Speaking to DIY about his first solo album, ‘Hesitant Alien’, Gerard explains: “This time, I was very conscious in my influences and I chased them down very hard. I started to make the record that I wanted to hear, that I wanted to go into a store and buy. It was important for me to bring fuzz pedals back into music. I had a mission this time and it was a sonic one.”

“I think it’ll get a fair shake,” he continues. “I definitely feel like somebody will go, ‘Alright, well I’ll try this dude out and see how it goes.’”