Lessons In Marketing: What Is The Black Parade?
My Chemical Romance fans are stratching their heads due to some confusing conflicting reports about something called “The Black Parade“.
It was first reported that music video auteur Sam Bayer (who recently did The Strokes’ “You Only Live Once” video) is slated to direct the new vid for a My Chemical Romance song called “The Black Parade”. Brilliant, totally makes sense.
But then news gossipy sites like Absolute Punk and Mammoth Press reported that “The Black Parade” had been signed to Riot Squad Records, which is owned by Brian Schechter who manages MCR via his Riot Squad management company, and that “the band’s site will fully launch soon.”
TheBlackParade.com web site was registered only in June of this year by Riot Squad: A Management Company and is currently being used to hawk TBP tshirts for 7.99 bucks. And guess who’s handling your transaction? None other than Warner Brothers Records, home of bands like Head Automatica and…My Chemical Romance.
In addition to this, TBP packages have been sent out to MCRmy soldiers with a TBP sticker with “October 2006″ written on the back, with a poster and wrapped in a piece of paper that has, “XoXoXo, MCR”, scrawled on it.
And Detroit was recently snipped with TBP posters:
…and other major cities like Chicago and Philly have gotten the same treatment. Some concert-going kids are getting TBP stickers at Warped Tour.
Yet Warner Brothers Web site lists The Black Parade as one of the “bands” you can sign up for their email list.
SO WHAT IS THE BLACK PARADE? Some guesses are: MCR’s new album, MCR’s new single, a MCR side project, a musical supergroup containing members of MCR, some kind of special MCR fanclub…
Thoughs?
RELATED LINKS: Want to spy some more on TBP…no matter what is is? Check out what looks like might be the official Myspace page, their blank Purevolume page. Also check out the TBP LJ community.
I Have Had It with These Motherf—ing Snakes on My Motherf—ing Necklace!
If I had 3,900 USD to blow, I would totally spend it on purchasing one of these ridiculous gold and diamond Kathie Takowsky necklaces inspired by Snakes on a Plane!!!
[Buy it at trendy LA boutique Intuition]
Unfortunately I don’t have that kind of disposable income, but if you want to become my sugar daddy/mommy and send one to me, PLEASE DO SO! I’ll even take the 350 USD silver version. Sure it’s less flashy, but it’s really the thought that counts, right?
Talk About a Career Change: From Bassist to Skull-Collecting Stripper
Woah! I had heard on the news about a stripper from New Jersey being arrested after police found a human hand in a jar and six human skulls in her basement, but I had no idea that said stripper was one Linda Kay, former bassist of Lifetime (1992-93) until Elliot sent me this article today.
Um, now I know that Pete Wentz has said that Lifetime was a source of inspiration in creating Fall Out Boy (he’s even putting out a new record by the band on his imprint, Decaydance), but uh…let’s just hope the inspiration stops with the music. I mean, Wentz IS the bassist and all…and he might have a leg up on the stripping… so…yeah.
Hairwatch 2006: Emergency Update on Adam Lazzara
Ok, seriously, what’s going on here? First Gerard now Taking Back Sunday’s resident pretty-boy Adam Lazzara?!? Yes, that’s right, he too has bowed down to the peroxide gods and changed his brown mane to PLATINUM BLOND.
He managed to freak out fans who watched TBS on Jay Leno on Monday night as well.
I can’t even deal any more.
[SOURCE: Adam Lazzara search on Buzznet]
Hairwatch 2006: Gerard Way Rears His Platinum Blond Head at Comic-Con
On Saturday, July 22nd, My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way was out and about in San Diego, California pressing the flesh and pimping out his new comic book for Dark Horse during Comic-Con.
His new book is called Umbrella Academy and features the story of seven misfits and their “plight to protect the planet.” Guess it’s kinda like X-men meets… uh… Captain Planet? Available in 2007 and co-creator is Gabriel Ba. (Thanks to Gillian for the head’s up.)
Oh, and it’s not like Gerard just woke up one day and decided to get into the comic book biz. He’s been illustrating for a long time, and even went to SVA in the hopes of becoming a comic book artist. He drew the artwork for Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, you know. I love that he’s such a geek.
And yes kids, his hair is still that steeley platinum blond that we’ve all come to know and…love? Photo from nplove’s Flickr:
Read this girl’s account of getting Gerard to sign her Umbrella Academy card…with Frank from My Chem waiting on line behind her the entire time.
Sorta related, my friend Josh was also at Comic-Con promoting his line of Moxic Comics. He’s not in a band, but he was on the Amazing Race. Check it out!
Warning: Play This Game at Your Own Risk
I didn’t believe it, but you WILL get addicted to this Warped Tour online computer game if you start playing it. If it wasn’t for my computer shutting down my browser, I would probably still be playing this game for a consecutive 3 hours. I was totally kicking butt as Geoff from Thursday!
Think “Street Fighter II” but instead of Ryu or Ken, you can be Justin from Motion City Soundtrack, Geoff from Thursday, Fat Mike from NOFX, or Spencer from Underoath.
Preeetttyyyy awesome!
Fall Out Boy “Dolls” at Comic Con
Yes yes, I know…
Pete Wentz has taken the “anti-Gerard Way defense” and insisted that they are not “action figures” but “dolls”. Ok Pete, whatever. But please tell me why Patrick is dressed like he’s ready to defect to My Chemical Romance in his all-black with red sash outfit!!
As it just so happens, Patrick recently made a comment about his “action figure”-type face. Said Stump to Kerrang!: “I have one of those faces that’s like the basecoat for action figures. I’m what it looks like before you up the paint on. If you put a different hat on me, I look like a different guy.”
I dunno Patrick, something tells me if I took your action figure and painted over it, it would never get the Wentzface that appears on Pete’s.
Pete Wentz’s GAP Ad
::runs out and searches every gap for the posters::
What’s up with the second photo looking like he’s smelling his hand for something funky?
PS- Perez totally stole those pictures from Via Wentz Top w/out any credit. Not cool. Send your letters of complaint.
UPDATE: I was not content with those blurry little cameraphone pictures someone else posted, and also still not believing these cardboard store props existed, I headed to the GAP right by me and low and behold, the mythical Pete Wentz posters were there! I took it upon myself to take some higher-quality shots:
According to internet legend, there’s another photo in this series that’s supposed to go in the store window. It features Wentz sans shirt. Oh boy. Hopefully no one accidentally hangs it in Gap Kids.
Wait Until 2007 for More FOB: Nooooooooooooooooo!
I just listened to the the latest MTV News Podcast and it was announced that “shakeups” (aka layoffs) at their record label Island/ Def Jam will prevent Fall Out Boy from releasing a new album until 2007, but to expect at least one single by the end of the year.
Other gems of the MTV interview with Pete Wentz include him talking about his dog Hemingway doing nothing but “eat, poop, and ruin things” as well as him gushing over his new lyrical inspiration, Lil Wayne. Said Wentz, “There’s this one song ['Hit 'Em Up'] where he goes, ‘I eat up catastrophe/ Swallow the truth/ And belch reality,’ and I’m like ‘Wow.’
“Wow” indeed.
Watch Panic!’s “The Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off”
The video we’ve all been waiting for, with the members of Panic! at the Disco appearing with their heads in fishtanks, is now up on l’internet! Check it out! Warning, there is simulated tankhead carnage!
WATCH: “The Most Fun a Girl Can Have…” by Panic at the Disco
What do you guys think, upgrade or downgrade from Panic!’s previous videos. I know I know, no Daniel Isaac, so immediate downgrade–but excluding that factor, what do you reckon?
Oh, also Jon Walker admitted to LiveJournal stalking PATD communities yesterday on the Panic Journal:
i see that every time we post a journal entry that it gets posted in the livejournal communited (yeah we stalk, so what). i think its good that there is a place our family can go to talk about really anything they want. congradulations
I think someone should get Jon Walker spellcheck for Christmas.
