Daniel Robert Epstein: Serj Tankian

"the only poet working in his genre"? ((rubs eyes)) I don't believe I read that right.

2.7.00

I interviewed Serj myself back in February 2000. Although he drips with sarcasm, the expected eccentricity, and a dry sense of humor, I'd say his to-the-point answers were pretty thought provoking. Here they are..

What makes you want to get up every morning?
I guess that would be my inner vision guiding me to take on another earth day.

How do you overcome it when you get a dead audience?
Nothing to overcome; to assume everyone should be ecstatic about SOAD is to assume that we've discovered a cure or something, I have a good time anyway, I may tease them or laugh at them a bit just for fun.

What are your biggest influences outside of music? (Politics, fashion, celebrities..)
Literary writers, dark comics, poetry, liberal historians, and such.

What do you most want to be remembered for?
I want to be remembered no more and no less than a tree on the side of the road.

If you weren't playing music, how do you think you'd get your message out there?
With books, internet, poetry, etc.

Are you all close with your families?
YES

Are they supportive of what you do?
YES

Do any of your family members attend your shows?
YES

Have you ever toured with a band you couldn't get along with and if you have, how did you handle it?
By getting along...

Describe your worst live concert experience.
Poland playing between a local favorite death metal band and Slayer, pretty tough, it made men out of us as far as performers.

If you could play for an audience of any 3 really important or influential people, who would they be?
Who is to say who is important or influential and in what way ? I would like to play to 3 infants under the age of 3 who could probably perceive us for what we are without any biases developed over age and time.

Who would you most like to tour with that you haven't already?
Too many to mention.

Who have you been able to meet that you've always admired as a result of being in System of a Down?
Many people including Mike Patton, Slayer, Primus, the Deftones, David Barsamian wrote me a letter back (head of public radio in Colorado, I think), and you.

What is the weirdest item a fan has ever sent to any of the band members?
We had to sign a pee cup once, I think.

Any bands you'd like to plug?
Orally or anally ?
(Too bad Serj and I weren't doing a phone interview. I would have loved to answer that one for him...)

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?
I don't know but you could ring my balls, balls, balls, ring my balls, my balls, ringaling a ling a ling a.

Are any of the band members married, kids?
We are all kids.

When does a musician reach the point when they are too old to play anymore?
Way after they stop breathing in this fleshly state.

What do you have to say to the Los Angeles/Hollywood System fans that support you so heavily?
THANKS

What is your plan for world domination?
The mere fact that you would ask the question makes me feel like you have some dream of it yourself, so why don't you tell me? I would be happy to live in concert with our environment physically and spiritually.

MTV BOOKS?!?!?!
That's an oxymoron, right!?!!
*shakes head*

Mr Tankian may be cool and gracious. He may actually have some talent too. However, he may also possibly be in one the most god-awful bands of all time.

hehehe.... Serj and his boys are from my town........its funny to see them all big and stuff, played on Mtv and whatnot.

Glad to see him succeeding......his work regarding the Armenian Genocide is quite moving/disturbing.

I was glad to read this interview - I like Serj and I dig System of a Down

"One of the last true poets of music and definitely the only one working in his genre of music"

I don't know what kinda musik you listen you, or what "genre" you think System fits in, but I have to say you are very badly mistaken, there are many poets in music, and there are many poets in his "genre", and 90% of the poets in his "genre" are far above him. Not only does he try to hard with most of the shit that he says (like if you listen to his interview on the Strait Up cd) but I also have to agree that he is in one of the worst bands of all time.

[Edited on Mar 18, 2003 by AntiPrep]

"The Perks Of Being A Wallflower" was one of the most contrived pieces of shit I've ever read in my entire life. Because of that book I won't touch anything else that MTV Books puts out.

how can you not love SOAD i mean... grrr... HOW!?

i had the privilege of touring with soad for a few weeks on toxicity. they are all extremely talented musicians and i think they make some of the most compelling music to hit the mainstream in a long while.
that interview was pretty damn short though. what gives?

too bad he didn't say more... this is one of the most interesting minds in rock.
system is the ONLY so-called 'nu-metal' band that i can stomach. in fact, i think they're awesome.
one of the few bands that doesn't make me want to turn off the radio. i don't think everything they do is gold, but they're on the right track.
i appreciate anyone who thinks. unlike say, the red-hatted durst. i can only hope that at least some of their fans will understand the message.

armenians are cool

the only way one could not love Serj and SOAD would be to be sleeping with Bush.

Stand up guys, all of them.

I'd comment on the mtv books aspect, but i'm still laughing..

This man is one of the best song writers of the time hands down