“It’s easy for me to say we had a plan, but everyone had a plan, you know what I mean?”, Way says. My Chemical Romance’s reunion show in December was the first show the band played live together after their last show in 2012, which was followed by their break-up in 2013. But just as the iconic rock band was about to start performing together again, the coronavirus put their plan on hold. “Live music isn’t going anywhere, it’s just on pause for everybody”, the bassist says, but he’s trying to not let it get to him: “I’m trying to take myself out of a selfish place. Everyone I know was about to do something.” The current situation has caused everyone to pause, not only the music scene, Way admits: “Whether you’re in a band, you’re a director, you work a retail job, you’re a gardener – you had a plan, and now it’s been disrupted.”

What are the odds that my chemical romance break up for 7 years, decide to reunite and to a world wide reunion tour only for there to be a worldwide fucking pandemic?

— whatsername (@Nia_papaya_) May 18, 2020

Whilst fans still have to wait for musical news from Way and his colleagues, they can still expect some news from their favourite bassist: His music plans with My Chemical Romance might be on hold, but his other artistic plans aren’t. In 2019, Way published his first series of comics, called Collapser, and he just announced news about releasing another graphic novel in September. His newest piece of work is inspired by and named after his other band, Electric Century, with the band’s new album coming out at the same time as a soundtrack to the novel.

Even though we must wait another year to see the iconic reunion happen in the UK, it’s still something to get excited about – and bassist Mikey Way agrees: “I feel like people are waiting with bated breath. It’s a light at the end of the tunnel and I think there’s something really cool about that.”

The musician has already released albums under the names frnkiero and the cellabration, followed by Frank Iero And The Patience, who played alongside The 1975 in his native New Jersey at the Shadow of the City in 2016. Iero made the announcement via his instagram profile, in the video clip he reveals his new artistic name by writing it on a piece of paper.  There is a hint at a Spring release date for new music in the caption: hashtag FIATFV – Spring 2019 chapter 3.

Fans took to his page to express their excitement with one fan literally unable to contain themselves stating “IM SCREAMING”, with many other fans begging Frank to go on tour and visit their hometown. Back in August 2018 Frank posted a black and white photograph of 4 people wearing the mask of a balding older man with simply “first band photo (no filter) #FIATV”. Now we know what it means!

Similarly ex My Chemical Romance’s frontman Gerard Way has also been working on his own solo projects. In 2017 he released two singles “Into The Cave We Wander” and “Pogi’s Cavern” for Record Store Day an event running for over a decade celebrating the music industry and participating stores. In 2018 we heard ‘Getting Down The Germs” and “Baby You’re A Haunted House” which being launched towards the end of 2018 gives fans an inkling that although not yet officially announced, a new album could be on its way from Way! 2019 is set to be a good year for fans of My Chemical Romance and its ex bandmates.