Words and Pictures: Prince Far Out
When I discovered that System of a Down were touring Europe for the first time in ten years, I knew it would be a real EVENT in the and true sense of the word, and I also knew I had to be there, whilst also conscious that others would be plotting trips from far flung corners of the globe.
The mythic status of the band can be seen in their cartoon character like status, their fabulous melodies, the thought-provoking lyrics addressing themes that the mainstream media otherwise steer clear of, and as a collective, the band politically, have never made a wrong move. And yes, I include the infamous essay Understanding Oil, the impassioned response that lead singer Serj Tankian posted the day after 9/11. It hit the right spot, but not necessarily at the right time, with an American public still in shock. Serj’s statement a quarter of a century later is, sadly, still entirely relevant.
The band have also been responsible for an increase in Armenian pride, and for those in the know, it meant Armenians were not referred to as ‘Albanians’ for a while! Armenia has two touchstones in the non-Armenian world; Kim Kardashian and System of a Down. For a beleaguered nation that suffered genocide 111 years ago, and the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh only three years ago, the re-emergence of the band on the continent of Europe was needed more than ever in the current global climate, which any sane observer would conclude, is fucked up.
From a personal point of view, the London dates were disappointingly on weekdays. This was a problem because it meant a) time off work (which I wouldn’t get), or b) pulling a ‘sickie’, but I am a terrible liar. It was also a prohibitive enough distance to travel to the capital city after work, and then drive back straight afterwards for work the next day and a 7:10 a.m. start. I would have been a jabbering wreck.
I therefore began looking at European dates. Paris was closest, but I figured a push for the same reasons as above, but then I noticed Poland was during a period when I did have some time off afterwards, and so I set my controls to the heart of Warsaw, booked my flights and room and then relaxed with a couple of weeks to go until the date.
As Friday the 17th July crept closer, I thought I should get organised, but in true Prince Far Out fashion I left it until the late hours of that very evening to find my passport, clothes, and the steely determination of someone who is about to tackle the whole airport process, and indeed…flying. I have never fully bought into the logic or the feasibility of a heavy chunk of metal remaining in the sky for any length of time, and as such I was like a Duracell bunny on speed as my mind raced to think about anything other than the deadly process that I was ‘miraculously’ about survive. Having got up at 2.30 a.m and on about three hours sleep, I was not becalmed, and the fact that the terminal I was flying out of had no smoking facilities only heightened my anxiety.
But I came, I boarded and I conquered.
Landing at Poznan for my connection, I allowed myself to relax a little in the knowledge that the next flight was only forty minutes long, “less than a half of a football match” I muttered to myself trying to assuage any further anxiety. It was at this point that the Fantastic Inn (in the world of the misnomer, this place must be King) with whom I was residing decided to tell me, that in fact, I wasn’t.
Double booking apparently.
So in the remaining couple of hours that I had left in Poznan airport with WiFi, I had to frantically scour the internet to find an alternative whilst also calling Hotels.com words that shouldn’t be heard by young children or gentler spirits on their chatline. I managed to get somewhere, but not before I promised both Hotels.com and the Fantastic Inn that I would be mentioning them in my review and calling them wankers. So, there we go. Done.
I’d hate them to think I wasn’t being honest with them.
Having successfully and ‘bravely’ managed my second flight, I touched down in Poland. The reason I had booked the Fantastic Inn (wankers) was due to its proximity to the stadium. I was now a few miles away, so had to quickly freshen up and get a cab, rather than taking the leisurely and bohemian stroll I had expected from the Fantastic Inn (wankers) to Poland’s national stadium, which is a magnificent arena.
Day 1 – Saturday 18th July, 2026.
The hors d’oeuvres were provided by Acid Bath (of whom I knew little) and the marvellous Queens of the Stone Age on both the Saturday and the Sunday, and both did their job in stirring Warsaw up into a frothing fit of expectancy for the main course.
As the clock struck nine, Daron Malakian strode purposely up to the mic and hit the plaintive chords of Soldier Side before the other three members joined him for the blistering assault of BYOB that thundered through the cavernous bowl of PGE Narodowy.
There was no pause as a breathless Suite-Pee, and a barmy brilliant Chic N Stu rained down on an audience that was ecstatic at their metaphorical soaking. The staccato, rapid fire of Prison Song contained the first pause of the evening, a tease before John Dolmayan, battering the skins, Daron spinning like a whirling dervish, and Shavo Odadjian patrolling the stage with menace punched out a glorious racket for ever-cool Serj to croon, shriek, holler and sing over, along with sixty thousand Polish imitators. A magnificent triumvirate of songs continued the assault, with big hit Aerials eliciting a quite glorious singalong, whilst the loopy looniness of IEAIAIO saw Serj rapping with lyrical dexterity and whooping and growling in equal measure, and he then had the crowd pogoing as if on trampolines, before the melodic and ecstatic Innervision turned the heat down, but only just a tiny notch.
The dramatic comedy of Dart opened the gateway to an audience Q and A from Daron about asses, (he suggested that because it was his birthday he could say what the fuck he wanted) and so everyone knew what was coming next, and these particular Needles were, indeed, hammered right up the Polish jacksy.
A furious Deer Dance was a reminder that for all the fun, and this was capitalised FUN, there is a serious side to System of a Down, as evidenced by Daron’s later reference to Libya, Syria and the genocide (because that is what it is) in Palestine, being cruelly and violently visited by the Israeli State on Gaza. Wankers isn’t a strong enough description for the Israeli Government. Cunts is far more apt.
And still there was no pause for breath as the ethnic melange of Radio/Video, the wistful Dreaming, and the stately Hypnotize pushed the Polish crowd towards submission. But fifteen songs in, and SOAD were only halfway through a set that so far had been highlight after highlight. The pace had been relentless especially when you consider every member has seen their 50th year come and go, and so the emotional melodies and more sedentary pace was well deserved, and served as a minor rest before the pure physicality and ferocity of Bounce saw Warsaw agonizingly close to witnessing the walls of the PGE Narodowy crumbling. The band then mined their eponymous debut album for a blistering Suggestions and indeed, all five SOAD albums are well represented here, evidence of the quality and the longevity of songs written twenty to thirty years ago. A sizzling and splenetic Psycho followed before the opening strains of Chop Suey signalled the start of incredible run of songs. Chop Suey, the song that took the band over-ground way back in 2001 is simply wonderful tonight and Serj is practically drowned out by the wailing Warsaw massive.
Meanwhile, Lonely Day is quite beautiful, Daron’s solo is fantastic (not Fantastic Inn – wankers) and is accompanied by 60,000 phone lights creating a majestic and ethereal atmosphere. Similarly, Lost in Hollywood sees a mass swaying of arms, probably relieved that their legs can be given a rest such has been the relentlessness of the set. A particular favourite of mine, Tentative, is next. It is the sound of both perpetrators and victims of war and genocide, and in between the bombast of the former, the latter’s voices are heard in a heartbreaking melody line.
Spiders is a highlight tonight with Serj’s vocals ascending and descending magnificently in wonderful, wavering cascades whilst Forest and later Roulette illustrate just how well matched Serj and Daron’s vocals are, a feature of the band that is sometimes lost in the sturm und drang of much of System Of a Down’s work. Daron’s birthday lifting of the fatwa on his speech, sees him regale Poland with a soft and beautifully sung comparison of his cock with the audience’s as Cigaro enters the fray in storming fashion. Had there been a roof on the PGE Narodwy, it would have exploded into orbit when Toxicity pulsated around the arena (actually, it does have a roof, but that authorities, in their wisdom (ahem), saw fit to keep it open on both days, even on the Sunday when it lashed it down). Sugar, as it often is, was the set’s closer, as if System Of A Down had decided to go full circle; ending a show in 2026 with one of their earliest songs.
The weather had been perfect, the ambience magnificent, and the performance was both life-affirming and electric. As I left the spectacularly lit up stadium I heard fans echoing my son’s words, who had been to the London show a few days earlier, and I heard it all around me and in a number of different languages, because for this weekend only, Warsaw was the centre of the metal universe – “I think it’s the best show I have ever seen”.
I had to concur.
Fortunately for me, I would be doing it all again in twenty-four hours’ time.
DAY 2 – Sunday 19th July, 2026.
Having slept like a baby, minus the dribbling and filling of a nappy, I did the three sh’s, (shower/shit/shave) and headed into Warsaw. There was a military parade taking place in a lavish square in the city centre so I asked a uniformed soldier and his girlfriend who were sat on a bench nearby what it was all about. He told me in great detail that it was a passing out ceremony. I pointed to a sign draped over a theatre that had inverted John and Yoko’s famous slogan with “War is On”, and suggested half-jokingly that I had only been away from the news for twenty-four hours and feared the worst, such is the madness of world affairs currently.
At least we have System of a Down to put things right. Following a mooch about the beautiful city that is draped in the ghosts of the historical past, and having had a delicious meal in the peaceful ambience of Warsaw’s Thai Thai restaurant (the mango sticky rice is to die for, seriously, check it out if you are in the vicinity) I headed to the stadium, dodging the sudden appearance of rain showers, and the entrance was relatively painless this time, most likely because I now knew my way around (better than the majority of the stewards I spoke to, it seemed).
Acid Bath and QOTSA had done their thang once more, and the stage was bathed in blue light as I awaited Daron’s entrance and the familiar strains of Soldier Side… only for them to throw in a curveball!
All four of the band emerged and immediately launch into a turbocharged X followed by an equally thrilling Suite-Pee. I was entirely discombobulated having expected the same set as the previous night, but then this is SOAD, and surprise has always been a feature of their music. Prison Song continued the visceral thrill of seeing a punk band (I have always considered them to be more punk than metal) in their absolute prime, tight as hell, full of energy and utterly ferocious.
IEAIAIO was just as entertaining as on the previous night as were the late entry into the set of Soldier Side and BYOB. Deer Dance was sandwiched by Soil and Know, neither of which were played on the Saturday night and this was a furious triumvirate. Radio/Video saw Shavo bust out some nifty footwork as he danced all over the stage and the other band members joined in with his infectious moves.
Bubbles continued to pepper the stadium with rapid fire power before Daron delivered a beautiful rendition of the softer side of Dreaming. Hypnotise saw the band pass the halfway mark of their set, the second half beginning with Needles, Bounce, Suggestions, Psycho and Chop Suey all delivered in a frantic maelstrom of musical excellence.
The 60,000 souls crammed into the stadium had not stopped moshing for over an hour so the beautiful Lonely Day which again saw the stadium lit up by mobile phone lights, and the similarly sonorous Lost in Hollywood saw a mass wave along of arms which looked quite magnificent. A storming Streamline, and an ace Aerials came and went before another curveball saw Dam, a demo from before their first album, dusted off and delivered to a surprised and ecstatic Polish crowd. Tonight’s personal highlight was Mr Jack, an ominous slow burner that growls towards its glorious “fuck you pig” sign off. and finally War saw (see what I did there?) moshpits moving in tandem all over the stadium followed by a rousing Roulette. Toxicity was outstanding tonight whilst Sugar was the signal that the two hour, non-stop set was about to hear the final note played by SOAD in a European arena.
Let’s just pray that is not forever.
The much-changed set for the Sunday night is indicative of System of a Down’s approach to their fans, many of whom were swarming outside the band’s hotel for 48 hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of their heroes, Serj, Daron, Shavo and John. The band are clearly appreciative of their following and as such they ensure they give everything in their shows. After a breath-taking weekend it was now time to catch a cab to the airport and leave behind a city that I vowed to see more of, at some time in the future.
Back in Manchester a couple of days later I was sat outside a café writing this, and was conscious that a woman two tables down was making the familiar noises that suggested she wanted to chat. I toyed with utilising a technique I had learnt in Jamaica, keep your head down and just say “Don’t talk to me and Fuck Off!”, but it’s not really my style. She opened up the chat asking why the bee is so prevalent over the city. I explained that it was a nod to the fact that Manchester was the centre of the Industrial Revolution, busy bee and all that. I added that Andy Burnham had done some good things for the city. She said she was more of a Starmer fan to which I responded “All politicians are liars though aren’t they?” She then told me she was in politics. I told here I have an acid test for politicians to test their morality, which is to ask whether they recognise the Armenian Genocide.
“Gaza?”
“No, the Armenian Genocide”.
“What is that?”
She clearly had no idea so I gave a brief explanation of the murder of up to 1,500,000 Armenians beginning in 1915 (a simplistic account that I have given on numerous occasions), and that numerous countries around the world recognise it such as the USA, France, Germany … but not the UK.
“It was a long time ago; you should drop it” came her reply.
Wrong time to start this, sister.
I don’t need too much encouragement to be politicised but I suddenly felt my ire rising significantly and whilst trying to stay calm, I explained that genocide denial is a crime in some countries, that the Nazis used the Armenian Genocide as a blueprint for the Holocaust and that Rapahel Lemkin had coined the term genocide with reference to both of those horrific crimes. I then told her that I am in fact Armenian.
The next question from her told me exactly where she stood politically.
“Why are you here then?”
Now angry I replied;
“Are you fucking stupid? You clearly don’t understand the nature of genocide. When a group of people are being targeted for mass murder, they tend to head to the first country that will have them. I think you need to do some reading and I wouldn’t be boasting that you are in politics when you clearly know so little”.
I really should have used Plan A – “Don’t talk to me and Fuck Off!”
But this ladies and gentleman is the SOAD effect in full flow.
Not only are they quite probably the best rock band in the world currently, they are the most important, because through their lyrics and statements, they have politicised a generation that otherwise might not have given a shit.
Long may they continue to entertain and educate.
The world needs them.
Words and Pictures: Prince Far Out
(Not at the Fantastic Inn – wankers).
