Revolver Magazine , Serj Tankian of System Of a Down was asked about an unpleasant moment that happened on stage during his career. The vocalist commented that the incident occurred in Pittsburgh on his birthday, during one of the band's early tours.
At the time, Serj and some members used to smoke and drink before shows to relax, however, he had already decided to stop smoking marijuana for a long period. However, that day, Daron [ Malakian – Guitarist of System Of A Down] had a terrible idea:
“On that birthday, Daron called me over on his tour bus and said, ‘Dude, let’s take a hit from the bong together before the show.’ He regrets that bong hit forever to this day, because I got really high. I got so high that I heard all our songs as dance music when we went on stage,” he said.
Serj Tankian's on-stage disaster
Unable to distinguish one song from another, he couldn't remember the lyrics: “I couldn't decipher the songs from one another. So I didn't know the lyrics to any of them. It was the most embarrassing show ever. They would play a ballad and I would scream. Then they would play a heavy song and I would mumble.” Upon realizing this, the audience asked him to stop and not forget the lyrics to the next song.
Things got even worse when he asked the band members for help. He could see everyone talking but couldn't hear: "And every time I went up to one of the guys to ask for help with the lyrics, I'd see them saying the lyrics, but I couldn't hear them—and then I'd start laughing." Despite having fun at the time, he admits that, at the end of the show, he felt bad for the band and the audience, remembering that his colleagues had never been so disappointed in him.
New Projects
Even after reflecting on those embarrassing moments from the past, Serj has new projects underway.
He recently released the music video for his solo single “Justice Will Shine On”. The track will be part of his upcoming EP, titled Foundations . It will be released on September 27th by Gibson Records .
Serj comments that the new project features tracks from different periods of his career. The EP will also include compositions from the early days of System Of A Down that have never been worked on with the band. He also says that the EP is a kind of retrospective of his career, with songs that capture his musical essence over the years.
In addition to his musical work, Tankian has dedicated himself to projects such as his autobiography, Down With The System , which was released in May of this year. Over the past few months, he has been promoting the book, which offers an in-depth look at his personal and artistic life.
READ ALSO: Serj Tankian releases “Justice Will Shine On”, second single from the EP 'Foundations'