Written by Cynthia Tenicela
When My Chemical Romance announced their breakup in 2013 their army of fans were devastated. There had been rumors of the band reuniting for years but in October those rumors became reality. Unfortunately for many, tickets sold out in minutes and only six thousand fans would be able to experience The Return in person.
On Friday, December 21st the band reunited in Los Angeles to play their first show together in eight years. If any band defined the emo era of the early 2000’s it would be My Chemical Romance and this was a moment long anticipated by their fans across the globe. Unfortunately not everyone could be there in person but everyone wanted to be there, at least virtually.
Despite publications and fans attempts to live stream the show only one person managed to livestream the performance from start to finish. I was one of the fans who watched every second of the livestream and saw the admiration and appreciation for Instagram user @dietshampoo grow not only throughout the night but into the days following the concert. I wanted to know who she was. Did her arms get tired? Did she know how much this meant to all of us? I was able to get an exclusive interview with @dietshampoo (whose real name is Lauren) so we can all get to know her a little better and continue to show her the love she deserves for being “the savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned.”
So who is @dietshampoo?
So Diet Shampoo is basically the name I go under for all my cosplay and other online stuff! But my real name is Lauren Solski and I’m a cosplayer and YouTuber from Northern New Jersey. (Diet Shampoo is a SpongeBob reference, for anyone wondering!)
How and when did you first become a fan of My Chemical Romance? What are some of your early fandom memories and what was your first My Chem concert?
I’ve been a My Chemical Romance fan as far back as 2004. I was 10 years old when Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge came out and that album had a major impact on my life. My earliest fandom memory was when I asked my dad to take me to Hot Topic specifically to purchase that album. I would listen to it on my Walkman CD player everywhere. It’s safe to say that was the turning point in my life where I became an emo kid.
I had only been to one MCR concert prior to seeing them reunite at the Shrine. I was lucky enough to be there for the last show they played before they broke up – Bamboozle 2012 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. So technically, I’ve been to their two most recent shows!
How were you able to get tickets to the reunion show and can you tell me a little something about your preparations, trip to Los Anegels and any waiting in line stories you’d like to share.
As soon as I heard about the reunion show, I knew I wanted to be there for it. My boyfriend, Charlie, had been in the waiting room for about 20 minutes before tickets went on sale and he had texted me a reminder to join as well just in case he wasn’t able to get through. I joined about 10 minutes later and as soon as I was let into the queue, the running man animation on my screen sprinted to the front taking me to the checkout page. Keep in mind – Charlie’s place in the queue never moved even though he was initially in the waiting room before me. I fully did not anticipate being able to get tickets, but the process was so quick for me that took that as a sign I was meant to go. Next thing I did was call up Charlie and told him it was time for us to book our flights.
Our trip to LA started with a 6 a.m. flight out of Newark, New Jersey on that Thursday morning. We decided to fly out a day early just in case there were any delays that would impact us getting to the concert. We’ve become semi-familiar with the area since we fly out to go to Anime Expo each summer.
We didn’t wait in line long like others I know. After flying across the country we were not prepared to camp out – even though I would have loved to have met the band when they handed out blankets to everyone!
How did the livestream song assignments come about? When did you decide to try to stream the entire show?
I saw a post on Instagram by the amazing, @happy_humbug76 who was not going to the concert but looking for volunteers who were to each stream one song. I thought that was a great idea so I DM’ed her and was assigned to stream song #10. There were 16 other volunteers and were all in a group chat trying to coordinate the whole thing. As soon as some of them started to enter the building they noticed that they had little to no service so streaming wouldn’t be possible. That’s when I told them that I would be willing to be the general backup for the entire show. Luckily, when I finally got in I had full LTE connection which allowed me to have a consistent livestream from start to finish. Thank you, Sprint!
Were you expecting anything like the number of viewers and/or the reactions you have received? How does it feel to be crowned The Savior of the Broken, the Beaten and the Damned and the honorary 5th member of My Chemical Romance?
No, not at all. I could not believe the amount of people who watched the livestream as it was happening or the amount of views it received afterwards. I know that My Chemical Romance means a lot to people (they mean a lot to me too) and that this show in particular was extremely monumental but I could have never anticipated this! The honorary titles I have received by fans were so unexpected but they mean so much to me – more than they know. The little emo 10 year old who was bullied so harshly for listening to MCR and expressing her love for them through fashion would be in happy tears. It’s surreal.
What are some of the most interesting or meaningful reactions you have received for streaming and then uploading the concert footage? Can you tell me about some of your favorite @dietshampoo fan art you have received?
The comments, DM’s and reactions I’ve received in the past few days are the sweetest I have ever received. My inbox has been flooded with thousands of messages. People have truly poured their hearts out to me about their love for MCR and what the livestream meant to them. I really am trying to answer every one of them. It might take me awhile, but every message means so much to me and I want everyone to know that.
The Diet Shampoo fan art has been incredible! To think that anyone would take the time to draw me..it’s mind blowing. There have been so many creative interpretations it would be impossible for me to pick a favorite – but I will mention that a few people actually designed me my very own killjoy persona! It’s so awesome and I want to cosplay her some day!
I heard you are a fan of The Umbrella Academy and had an interesting interaction with one of the stars of the Netflix show, can you tell me about that?
I love The Umbrella Academy! While I was standing in the audience, waiting for the show to start, I looked up to the balcony and noticed someone shining a light on one of the stars from The Umbrella Academy, Aidan Gallagher. I was able to take a quick picture and added it to my Instagram Story. Not long after, Aidan responded to my post “Nice Shot” and we continued to chat for a bit afterwards. He’s a great guy!
Has anyone from the band reached out to you?
No, unfortunately no one from MCR has reached out to me yet, but I’m hopeful! It would be completely mind blowing to be acknowledged by any of them. However, there are some petitions out there started by other fans to get me to meet them and they both have a good amount of signatures! It would be a dream come true if that happened. Here are links for Diet Shampoo to meet the band, and to become the fifth member.
Aside from being the new Queen of Emos everywhere you are an avid cosplayer. Can you tell me a little about your cosplays, what are some of your favorites and what conventions will you be attending in 2020?
Cosplay is such a huge part of my life. I’ve only been doing it since 2015 but I’ve done hundreds of different cosplays since then. My favorite costumes to wear are those that I get to perform in my with my best friends in Darling! Idols. (@darling.idols on Instagram) We’re a Love Live! cover group, which is a HUGE departure from MCR, but trust me, it’s pretty good too! Even emos can like super girly things sometimes haha.
In 2020 I will definitely be attending Katsucon, Anime Next, Anime Expo, Otakon, Derpycon and New York Comic Con. However, I’m always looking to go to more!
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
It’s kinda crazy, but I feel like with all of this I have had a very special guardian angel watching over me. A few days before the reunion show was announced, my grandma passed away. I’ve noticed her presence since she passed all around me but there have been definite signs that she has been looking out for me. The fact that I was able to get tickets so easily and being able to livestream the entire show without any connection issues are just two of them. She knows how much My Chemical Romance means to me and I know she’s looking out for me.
You can find @dietshampoo’s uploads of the full concert videos as well as her social media links below:
Full Concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzEJXzgYZ18&t=182s
Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SJjRcpCQuY&t=41s
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dietshampoo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dietshampoo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dietshamp00
