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.
Simply 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 assist of their eighth file Diabolus in Musica. As Alice In Chains did earlier than them — who opened on the huge Conflict of the Titans tour a couple of years prior — System of a Down felt extra stress to show themselves to the ruthless audiences that have been there to have their faces melted off.
“We have been 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, simply surviving, studying learn how to work an viewers. As a result of Slayer audiences will hate everybody else, clearly.”
“And Daron [Malakian] was all glammed out. I had, like, bizarre shit on my face. And they might have a look at us, like, ‘Who the fuck are these fucking idiots?’ And we needed to impress from, like, not simply base zero level, however unfavourable level. We needed to rise up there and rating factors. And that, my pal, was unbelievable bootcamp as touring artists. That basically, actually form of made us, it molded us.”
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Take a look at the complete interview beneath.
A couple of years in the past, System drummer John Dolmayan supplied his tackle how they have been handled by Slayer throughout that tour throughout an look on Let There Be Talk [via Ultimate Guitar].
“They have been very accepting of us, very supportive, and the folks have been tremendous good to us, and they’d really pay attention,” he stated. “Slayer audiences might be brutal. Tom Araya got here as much as us and stated, ‘Let me know you probably have issues,’ and they’d watch us each evening. They have been so good to us and supportive and good folks, and I miss them dearly.”
System of a Down have slowed their touring down fairly a bit in recent times, having solely performed one present in 2023 at Las Vegas’ Sick New World Competition. Their solely confirmed efficiency for subsequent yr shall be on the identical pageant in late April, and whereas Tankian’s not fully certain that it is the solely present they’re going to play, he recently said it’s likely that it will be.
