Gig Review - My Chemical Romance - 10th July 2026

As a birthday present from me, I got tickets for myself, my husband and my favourite gig buddy Carmen to go to Wembley Stadium and see MCR. For me, it was the first time in 19 years since I saw them live back in 2007 when I took Sean's cousin Ashley, who didn't have anyone to go with him, so I went with him. Wasn't going to have the lad miss out on seeing his favourite band.

So, on a very hot Friday in London, after Sean and I stuffed ourselves on all-you-can-eat buffet a WJ Buffet, we made our way to Wembley Stadium and was met up a massive sea of people. As we walked up, I was preying that they weren't in our queue as it was going down one side of the ramp and up the other with a never ending end. Lucky enough, it was the front standing queue and we were looking for terns tile P in the red zone. That queue was much shorter so we were a lot happier hahaha.

Got through the turnstile and made our way up to he top floor and out into the stadium to find our seats. Now, I have never been to Wembley Stadium, never ever at all. So, when we finally made it up to our seats and I turned round, I had a funny turn seeing how high up we were. I have never held onto a rail so tight in my whole life. Everytime I stood up, either for a dance or to move out of the way of people getting in and out of their seats, I made sure I was either holding the back of the seat, the rail or Sean. It was seriously that step that I think I would crashed and rolled my way all the way down to the bottom if I had lost my step.

Joan Jet And The Black Hearts were amazing! She was doing a mixture of your own songs as well as some covers but she was just amazing. Unfortunately, I missed 2 songs because I was getting seriously hot and needed a cold drink so ducked out to the bar for a strawberry daiquiri, the heat was unreal. I loved that she did I Love Rock N Roll and Crimson & Clover. Even though we were sat to the left side of the stage and high up, the sound was brilliant. 

Setlist
Rebel Girl (Bikini Kill tape)
Victim of Circumstance
Cherry Bomb (The Runaways cover)
Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) (Gary Glitter cover)
You Drive Me Wild (The Runaways cover)
(Make the Music Go) Boom
Fake Friends
Lie to Me
Everyday People (Sly & the Family Stone cover)
I Love Rock 'n' Roll (The Arrows cover)
Crimson & Clover (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
I Hate Myself for Loving You
Bad Reputation [1]

My Chemical Romance were absolutely OUTSTANDING!!! I didn't know every single song but I had the best time screaming the words to the ones I did know and felt like I was part of something much bigger when I heard everyone else in the stadium singing along as well. 

The best moment for me was hearing that first piano key for Black Parade and everyone in the stadium stood up for it. I don't think there was a single person sitting down for that track and we were all singing at the top of our lungs. It was quite magical.

I knew it was coming but I cried my eyes out when they played Cancer. I haven't been able to listen to the song since my dad passed away and it just always makes me think of him in the hospice and it breaks my heart. It was a brilliant performance of the song, it was done perfectly but I just held onto my phone to film it and cried my eyes out.

We left during Ghost Of You as I started to get worried about leaving at the same time as everyone else and ending up in a big sea of people. I'd had so many issues being in big crowds at Download that I knew going through it again to get out the studium was going to stress me out. It did mean that when the huge fire-works display went off at the end, we had the perfect view of it on the hill near our car.

Setlist
The End
Dead
This Is How I Disappear
The Sharpest Lives
Welcome to The Black Parade
I Don't Love You
House Of Wolves
Cancer
Mama
Sleep
Teenagers
Disenchanted
Famous Last Words
The End (Reprised)
Blood
-----Stage change-----
Not
Okay
To The End
My Way Home Is Through You
Summertime
Nananana
Ghost Of You
Zero Percent
Scarecrow
Helena
Demolition Lovers

Download Day 3 - Sunday

Kublai Khan TX
I wasn’t planning on seeing this band, I got to Download a bit earlier than I thought I would and got to check them out.

Setlist
Darwinism Supreme Ruler
Low Tech
Antpile
Boomslang
The Hammer
The Mountain of Corsicana
Antpile 2
Self-Destruct
Mud
Swan Song
Theory of Mind

Rory
Love Rory so much. She did an absolutely awesome set showing everyone what a beautiful, strong minded woman in her 40s can do when she puts her mind to it. There is nothing she can’t do. We need more women like Rory in the music industry to remind people that music isn't always about the younger crowd, the older ones can kick just as much ass and look fucking fantastic doing it.

I nearly cried 3 times listening to her speak to the crowd about her life and how she turned it around. Everything that she has been through and look at her now, she is such a wonderful inspiration.

Setlist
Anti-Repressant
Dead Girl Walking
if pain could talk, what would it say?
Uncomplication
Alternative
Kids these days
Degradation
Strange
Sorry I’m late
Blossom

Bloodywood
I have been waiting too long to see this band live but I am so glad that I finally have seen them. Their set was so much fun, everyone around me was dancing and there was just this super amazing atmosphere.

Setlist
Dana Dan
Aaj
Nu Delhi
Gaddaar
Bekhauf
Halla Bol
Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot)

Skindred
As soon as I saw the post about the secret band being Skindred, I knew that I was going to miss whoever else was on at the same time because there was no way that I wouldn’t be seeing Skindred. I missed them once at Download before for another band and I have regretted it ever since, so I promised to myself that every chance I get, I WILL see Skindred.

The tented stage was absolutely packed but I managed to be in the crowd actually in the tent. As usual there were taller people in front of me so I had to use my phone a few times to be able to see the band.

As usual, the crowd was roaring to go before the band came on stage and as soon as Benji strutted onto the stage, the crowd went bat shit crazy.

The set was only 5 songs long, which was disappointing, but they put on such an amazing set that getting that high-feel-good energy boost was enough to set me up for the rest of the day.

Setlist
Set Fazers
You Got This
Nobody
Gimme That Boom
Warning

Ice Nine Kills
OM-FUCKING-G! The band that I was waiting all weekend to see, and they did not disappoint. I loved every second of the set. They played most of my favourites including The Laugh Track, Ex-Mortis, Hip To Be Scared and The Great Unknown.

One thing that I really loved about seeing INK is the theatre dramatics for each song. The 2 police officers being snuck up on and their throats ripped out for Meat & Greet, Art the Clown burning and then lassoing a toy baby for A Work Of Art, Ghost Face stalking the members of the band and then killing Hannah Hermione Greenwood for Twisting The Knife. If you don’t get into screaming the lyrics to the songs, you will soon get into the performance going on while the band is playing.

Setlist
Meat & Greet
Wurst Vacation
Ex-Mørtis
The Great Unknown
Funeral Derangements
The Laugh Track
The Shower Scene
Linoleum - (NOFX cover)
Welcome to Horrorwood
Hip to Be Scared
Twisting the Knife - (with Hannah Hermione Greenwood)
The American Nightmare
A Work of Art

Scooter
Not going to lie, I only really wanted to see Scooter for The Logical Song and Jumping All Over The World and I left as soon as I had heard them. By this point, I was tired and thinking about bed, showing my age now.

But Scooter did put on an awesome set, pyros, sexy stage dancers, lasers, a flaming guitar and pumping tunes.

Setlist (That I saw)
Rave From Outer Space
Weekend!
We Love Hardcore
Techno Is Back
Heart Attack
Maria (I Like It Loud)
No Rewind
Fire
God Save the Rave
Jumping All Over the World
How Much Is the Fish?
Ramp! (The Logical Song)

Linkin Park
I will be totally honest, I missed the very beginning of the set as I was seeing Scooter but I also didn’t last long into the set. I saw Linkin Park back in the day a few times when Chester was alive and I do get that the band want to move on musically, but I can’t get on with Emily’s voice. It’s not because she isn’t Chester, it’s because I’m not into her voice. The rest of the band like her and a lot of the fans do so good luck to them.

Download Day 2 - Saturday

Landmvrks

I've only been listening to Landmvrks for a few months, I got onto them when one of my friends started playing them for me in his car. They were on early in the day but they still had a great crowd come out to see them and sang along to every song. It was a brilliant atmosphere and I had such a great time watching them. I’d love to see them again.

Setlist

Creature

Death

Blistering

A Line in the Dust

Sulfur

La valse du temps

Lost in a Wave

Blood Red

Self made black hole

Black Veil Brides

I will be very honest, I don’t know many BVB songs as I’ve not really listened to them before but I will admit that they put on a bloody amazing set. I totally dug their music and the reactions from the crowd.

Setlist

Knives and Pens

Bleeders

Hallelujah

Vindicate

Certainty

Rebel Love Song

Revenger

Faithless

The Legacy

Fallen Angels

Babymetal

Another band I got to see for the first time at this Download, I was very excited to get to see them and they put on an awesome set. They opened with “BABYMETAL DEATH”, the band set an immediate tone of ritualistic drama before diving into a fast‑paced run of fan favourites including “Distortion,” “PA PA YA,” “RATATATA,” “Gimme Chocolate!!” and “Road of Resistance.” 

Just like Electric Callboy the day before, when they performed Ratatata they had their counterparts, Electric Callboy, on the screens to sing their parts while Babyetal were on stage.

Setlist

BABYMETAL DEATH

from me to u

Distortion

PA PA YA!!

Song 3

METALI!!

RATATATA

Gimme Chocolate!!

Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!

Road of Resistance

Behemoth

We were wandering around and decided to get a good place for Architects and got to check out Behemoth. I haven’t listened to them before I saw them and I really got into their set. I loved the dark theatric music, make-up and performance. I found it so fascinating to watch.

Setlist

The Shadow Elite

Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer

Thy Becoming Eternal

Conquer All

The Shit ov God

Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica

Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel

Nomen Barbarvm

Bartzabel

The Return of Darkness and Evil (Bathory cover)

Ov Fire and the Void

The Deathless Sun

Architects

Even though their set had a lot of interruptions by security, which not only irritated the band but the crowd too, Architects put on an outstanding set. They came out on stage to a very eager crowd who erupted into cheering and screaming the second they were spotted by their fans.

I made the mistake of going to the toilet at the beginning of the set. I tried to get back to my friend Carmen but I couldn’t find her in the sea of fans but I did get adopted by 3 people who I got talking to. I loved standing with them because they were huge Architects fans and it was great to hear them singing along to every song.

I only knew a few of the songs but I had an awesome time watching their set and feeding off the amazing energy from the band. I was so happy when they got to play their whole set, They were meant to finish at 9pm but kept going to make up the time I thought they were going to lose because of the interruptions.

During their song "Braindead," Florent Salfati, the singer from Landmvrks came out on stage to sing together and I’m not joking when I say everyone lost their shit hahaha. It was brilliant, everyone loved it, I wish he’d done another song with them but it was just the one song. 

Setlist

Elegy

Whiplash

Doomsday

Black Lungs

Gravedigger

Blackhole

Impermanence

deep fake

Curse

Broken Mirror

Brain Dead (with Florent Salfati)

A Match Made in Heaven

When we were young 

Everything Ends

Seeing Red

Animals

Guns n Roses

I missed most of the set seeing as I was watching Architects, what I did see was while I was walking to the Apex Stage from the Opex Stage and I didn’t like what I was hearing. The music sounded good but Axle Rose just doesn’t have the same voice anymore. It’s not surprising because of how old he is and being a singer for so many years, it’s taken a toll on his voice. Which is why I decided to not stay and watch.

I saw them back in 2002 and would rather keep those memories than have ones of a bad performance.