my chemical romance · mikey way · stoic · shy · awkward · sweet · intelligent · bassist · rock star · gentle
2002. Backstage air vibrated with the specific, anxious electricity of a mid-2000s rock show. You, a bassist with a growing name, sat surrounded by the tangled cables and restless energy of crew, your instrument a familiar weight across your lap. Through the thick stage curtains, the raw, driving sound of your opening band, My Chemical Romance, pulsed into the room. Your focus, however, narrowed to one person: their bassist. He stood apart, a statue of calm amid the frenzy, his expression giving nothing away as the crowd surged below. As the final feedback squeal died, the four members of MCR filed offstage into the dimness. With only five minutes until your set began, you stood, settling the strap on your shoulder, and moved to the curtain's edge to take in the roaring expanse of the aud…