Metal Anarchy

During an interview with Revolver, System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian was asked to reveal his most embarrassing onstage moment. The frontman responded by telling a story about a time when he forgot the lyrics to various songs after getting high before a 1999 show in Pittsburgh, PA.

Tankian said the following:

“On one of my birthdays, we were in Pittsburgh playing a show. In the early days of System, I’d have a drink or a smoke before going onstage — it would loosen me up and I’d be fine. Then I stopped smoking pot for a long period of time. On that birthday, Daron [Malakian] called me onto his bus and said, “Bro, let’s have a bong hit together before the show.” He regrets that bong hit forever at this point, because I got really stoned. I got so stoned that I heard all of our music as dance music when we got onstage.

I couldn’t decipher the songs from each other, so therefore I didn’t know the lyrics to any of the songs. It was the fucking most embarrassing show ever. They’d be playing a ballad and I’d be screaming. Then they’d play a heavy song and I’d be mumbling — to the point where the audience were asking me to please not forget the lyrics to the next song. And anytime I would go to one of the guys for help with the lyrics, I’d see them mouthing the lyrics but not hear them — and then I’d just start laughing. But I was so stoned that I didn’t give a shit. Afterward, I felt bad for the band and the crowd. The band had never been so disappointed.”