7 things you probably didn’t know about Frank Iero

From a childhood obsession with monster movies to a phobia of other folks’ feet, we delve deep into the mind of My Chemical Romance guitarist and vocalist Frank Iero…

“Before music I was a cashier at a supermarket and also pumped gas at a petrol station. Neither job really worked for me, and they taught me just how disgusting people can be! There were these ladies who’d always come up to my till at the supermarket, and they would hand me bank notes they had in their undergarments. They’d be all wet, which was just horrible…”

“My grandfather was such an early inspiration to me. He was a drummer and one of the greatest people I’ve ever met. He had his own refrigeration business, where, if there was a deli or a restaurant, his brother – an architect – would draw up plans and they’d install walk-in boxes and freezers. He was unbelievable: the boss of everything and everyone.”

“When I was a little kid, I dreamt of doing two things: being in a band and getting to make monster movies. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that if you are in a band as I have been, you can convince people to give you money to make the monster movies! I’ve finally gotten to make them in music videos like [2014’s] Weighted. That was like a dream come true!”

“I think people should know not to wear flip-flops to an airport. It’s disgusting. They should understand that they’re going to have to take them off in the airport and on the plane and put their toes on things. We should be inclusive of all sorts of things that make people who they are, yes… but don’t be barefoot. Just don’t do that!”

“They’re my friends, but I still find myself getting starstruck to the point where I can struggle to have a conversation with them! It’s extra weird because Pete [Steinkopf, guitar] and I played in a Cure cover band for a while, and Bryan [Kienlen, bass] has tattooed me a bunch. They were all at my wedding. I just love them so much that I just want everything good in the world for them, and sometimes you can get a little uneasy in that…”

“[Frank Iero And The Future Violents] were on tour in the British countryside, and I saw one walking down the road. I stuck my head out of the bus window and yelled ‘KA-KAW’ at it and it just turned round to me and yelled right back. I don’t think we’ve got a lot in common, though. Sure, I’ve tried talking to other animals before, but this was the first time it actually worked…”

“I think people should have regrets – many of them. People should get hurt and have scars and hurt people and feel bad about it. That’s the only way you can grow as a person. I sit up long at night thinking about things that I’ve said or done – it could be something as silly as not putting a song out when I could have, or yelling at one of my kids when I could’ve been a little nicer about it. You’re able to learn from every one…”