Even the largest bands on the planet can pinpoint sure experiences that occurred within the early years that helped form them in the long term. Serj Tankian, particularly, recalled a tour with a sure artist that he thinks “molded” System of a Down early of their profession.
Just after System of a Down’s eponymous debut album got here out in 1998, the fledgling band launched into a tour with thrash giants Slayer, who set out in help of their eighth file Diabolus in Musica. As Alice In Chains did earlier than them — who opened on the large Clash of the Titans tour a few years prior — System of a Down felt extra strain to show themselves to the ruthless audiences that had been there to have their faces melted off.
“We were fucking scared, bro, onstage,” Tankian admitted throughout a dialog with Knotfest, noting that it was additionally a particular time as a result of it was System’s very first tour. “It was bootcamp, just surviving, learning how to work an audience. Because Slayer audiences will hate everyone else, obviously.”
“And Daron [Malakian] was all glammed out. I had, like, weird shit on my face. And they would look at us, like, ‘Who the fuck are these fucking idiots?’ And we had to impress from, like, not just base zero point, but negative point. We had to get up there and score points. And that, my friend, was incredible bootcamp as touring artists. That really, really kind of made us, it molded us.”
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Check out the complete interview beneath.
Just a few years in the past, System drummer John Dolmayan supplied his tackle how they had been handled by Slayer throughout that tour throughout an look on Let There Be Talk [via Ultimate Guitar].
“They were very accepting of us, very supportive, and the people were super nice to us, and they would actually listen,” he stated. “Slayer audiences can be brutal. Tom Araya came up to us and said, ‘Let me know if you have problems,’ and they would watch us every night. They were so good to us and supportive and nice people, and I miss them dearly.”
System of a Down have slowed their touring down fairly a bit lately, having solely performed one present in 2023 at Las Vegas’ Sick New World Festival. Their solely confirmed efficiency for subsequent yr can be on the similar pageant in late April, and whereas Tankian’s not fully positive that it is the solely present they will play, he just lately stated it is seemingly that will probably be.
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