My Chemical Romance Covers Smashing Pumpkins Hit, Ignites Band Connection

My Chemical Romance took on the Smashing Pumpkins' 1995 hit "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" on July 19 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. 

The Smashing Pumpkins responded through Instagram: "For any MCR fans who may have come here from the cover of 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings'. Yes Billy is equally proud of his sons :)" as reported by NME.

The roots run deep between these bands. A Pumpkins show in 1996 changed everything for MCR's Gerard Way. In a recent interview, he said: "I started to think about almost everything differently after that night. I was like, 'Man, I don't think there's maybe anything else I'd rather do in life than maybe do what they're doing.'"

Gerard Way also spoke about his bond with Billy Corgan: "He's so smart, and he's said so much to me over the years in the times that I've hung out with him. When I moved to LA, he would go to vintage rooms with me to try out amps."

MCR is on their Long Live The Black Parade tour, marking two decades since their 2006 release. Fans snapped up 365,000 tickets in minutes, proving the band's staying power.

Fresh music is on the horizon for both groups. MCR plans a special 21st-anniversary version of Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. Meanwhile, the Pumpkins work on a 25th-anniversary package of their 2000 works, Machina/The Machines of God and Machina II.

MCR's calendar now includes 2026 stops across Asia and Mexico. Their current shows feature an impressive mix of opening acts — Alice Cooper, Pixies, and Death Cab for Cutie take turns warming up crowds.

Next up for the Pumpkins: a big show at London's Gunnersbury Park, August 10. Skunk Anansie and White Lies will kick off the night. You can find tickets on the band's official website.