System Of A Down
Live @ Arena Fiera Rho, 02.06.11

LA RECENSIONE

System Of A Down Concert.

On June 2, 2011, in Rho (Milan fair), a concert by System Of A Down (+ 4 supporting bands) took place.

The concert started at 16:30 with the first supporting band, the fantastic Anti-Flag. In this live performance, Anti-Flag were definitely engaging, playing their classic songs, shouting protests against Berlusconi and a fantastic sped-up cover of Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash. Despite the limited time they had (half an hour), Anti-Flag managed to engage and warm up the audience in a fantastic way.

Time for the roadies to set up the amps, and then the Volbeat arrived, a Heavy Metal band. Volbeat managed to engage (and get the audience moshing) in an excellent way, with their tracks that are powerful in the studio and three times more so live.

The third supporting band to play were Sick Of It All, a hardcore punk band. They took the stage with incredible fury and knew how to get everyone going. The singer of Sick Of It All, however, sings in screamo, a type of singing that not everyone can fully appreciate. As someone who is not a big fan of screamo, I can still say that his way of singing was enjoyable.

The last band before S.O.A.D were Danzig, the most anticipated among the four supporting bands. Danzig played really horribly. Their equipment was great, but the rhythm section was uncoordinated, the guitar played the same riff over and over, but most of all, the singer Glenn Danzig had no voice. I was 3 meters from the stage, and I honestly didn't hear a single word. From a band that presents itself with a backdrop of a skull and inverted crosses on the chest, you can't expect much technique. The audience suffered for the entire hour they played, and for me, it was a real ordeal.

Finally, at 21:30 (after 5 exhausting hours of supporting bands), the System Of A Down took the stage. They began with a scenic "Prison Song", which led into "Soldier Side". Not even a second of respite as a thunderous "BYOB" began. The crowd was in a frenzy when they started "Question", followed by "Psycho" and a stormy version of Radio/Video. Among the best songs played, one must include "Chop Suey", "Toxicity", "Forest", "Kill Rock N' Roll", "Sugar", and a fantastic version of "Cigaro", complete with an acoustic intro sung by Malakian about his penis.

During "Bounce", Serj Tankjan collapsed to the ground, but he quickly got up for a legendary "Lost In Hollywood". The System has not lost its edge: Malakian with his sharp and Middle Eastern-style riffs, Odajian with bass lines that really stand out live, Dolmayan with his driving rhythm, and Serj Tankjan (dressed very stylishly: white shirt and jeans) with his growls, screams, and Armenian singing. Overall, System Of A Down's live performance was good, despite the venue being completely flat with only one exit and despite Glenn Danzig's poor performance (who, among other things, argued with an audience member, shouting, "Come here motherfucker, come here and I will destroy your fuckin' face, son of a bitch," and launching another pile of insults...

A basically excellent concert, from the entry with the scalper shouting "smoke! smoke!!", to the splendid performance by System Of A Down