System of a Down was founded in 1994 in Glendale, California, by Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian. Later, the lineup was expanded by Shavo Odadjian and Ontronik Khachaturian, who gave way to John Dolmayan after suffering a hand injury. They made their debut on the recording market 4 years later, thus beginning their professional career. However, before they convinced the listeners, they had to face a wave of criticism, which escalated during their first performance in Poland.
The audience was dissatisfied before they started the show. Later it only got worse
In 1998, SOAD came to the country on the Vistula River to support Slayer organized at Spodek in Katowice. However, fans of the thrash metal band were not satisfied with the organizers’ choice. They didn’t like the appearance of the band members, who at that time focused on an original image, or even the music they performed.
However, no one expected that the reaction would be so violent. As they entered the stage, the audience showed their irritation by whistling loudly. Undeterred, the artists decided not to be provoked. They started playing, but this enraged the crowd even more.
Tankian couldn’t stand the attack from Slayer fans. He stopped the concert immediately
The dissatisfaction escalated by throwing coins towards the stage and then throwing various other objects that the concert participants had within their reach. The cup of bitterness overflowed when Serj Tankian was hit in the face with a piece of bread. After the incident, the event was immediately interrupted and the irritated musician asked for the lights to be turned on. – I told them to turn on the light and I found this f**k in the crowd. I pointed my finger at him and started shouting at him that he was a b**ch – the leader of SOAD in one of the interviews.
After a while, however, he began to explain to himself why they reacted this way and not another. He decided not to escalate the situation and end the performance. – At that moment I realized that these people had literally just liberated themselves from communism and they really don’t like being shouted at. We left the stage and knew there was no point in continuing to play, he said. However, a lot has changed since then, and he has gained a group of loyal fans in Poland, for whom he has already performed live several times, including: in 2013 or 2017.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
