System Of A Down

System of a Down *have sold out pretty much their entire large-theatre tour and the queues stretch round the block. Standing in them is an arse. What you're waiting for, though, is worth thinking about: _Armenian-folk-influenced, melodically eccentric prog-metal_ complete with odd *beards. If that’s not alternative I don’t know what is.

System are on top of their commercial *game, displayed perfectly by them opening with ‘_Prison_’ - the crowd go mental, as suspected. The potential hits fly from their fingers as soon as they fly from the lips of the crowd: anthem in waiting, ‘_ATWA_’, unquestionably timeless classic, ‘_Sugar_’ and recent *top 20 single, ‘Chop Suey’ all appearing before our ears. It is quite a marvel that a vast population here tonight are able to join *Serj Tankian *in every chorus, and indeed in every verse.

Showmanship *was obligatory with this, oft random, heavy rock. The odd beards went some way to doing it but then a seemingly demented half-naked bald man called *Shavo, with plaited jowl hair of course, gyrates his body – lurching and hurling in time to this music, ogling the crowd as if to encourage similar behaviour. He was playing bass, apparently. There was also a guitarist called Daron *somewhere…didn’t see him, but I did see another half-naked guy with a straggly mess for a coiffure and a beard for each side of his chin, whose escapades around the stage can be likened rampant to a street urchin. John...the *drummer...well he's the drummer. He sat quietly on his structurally immense drum-rig and hit animal skin unti it _wanted _to bleed again. Then there was this other guy…he ranted about drugs, about politics, about sex, about life, about removing tapeworm from butthole...

Serj Tankian - he stood out from the crowd of manic musicians *helping to clutter the stage with sweat and grime. Tankian is possibly one of the most _gifted _and charismatically fervent ‘_frontmen_’ I have ever seen; possibly one of the most un-natural *guitarists **I have ever seen. He pulled out a guitar for ‘Aerials’. Put it away.

If you wanted to move, the crush of the weight of a hundred young men prevented this. If you wanted to stay still, something unseen made you move. You *take *what you’re *given *sometimes.