‘We fking suck!’: 10 moments that make System Of A Down one of a kind

System Of A Down are officially heading back to New Zealand for the first time in more than a decade, with the metal icons finally making their long-awaited return to our shores.

To celebrate, we're looking back at the unforgettable moments that turned SOAD into one of the weirdest, wildest and most unpredictable bands rock has ever seen.

Here are 10 moments that perfectly capture what makes System Of A Down... well, System Of A Down.

"WE’RE ON DRUGS!” 

If you've somehow never seen their 2001 Lowlands Festival set, sort your life out.  

Before the band even plays a note, Daron Malakian repeatedly screams "WE'RE ON DRUGS!" into the mic until the crowd had absolutely no idea what was happening. 

It was bloody unhinged, and the perfect introduction to early-2000s SOAD.  

John tackles Shavo on stage

During the ‘Toxicity’ era, drummer John Dolmayan decided the middle of a song was the ideal time to launch himself at bassist Shavo Odadjian.

The band loved it so much, it turned into a dog pile. 

That's just another day at the office. 

The derailed Uranium Interview

Trying to interview SOAD deserves its own danger allowance.  

Their infamous Uranium interview quickly descended into complete and utter fuckery. 

Serj answered whatever he felt like, Daron constantly sent the conversation sideways, Shavo couldn’t care less, while poor John was the only bloke actually trying to answer the questions. 

I don’t think the interviewer was their biggest fan. 

That Charles Manson interview everyone still talks about 

Back in 2000, Daron raised more than a few eyebrows while explaining the inspiration behind ATWA. 

He made it clear he wasn’t defending Manson’s crimes, but that he is into Manson’s “ideas and thoughts on society”. 

It's still one of the band's most debated interviews more than two decades later.  

“... and we fucking suck!” 

Most bands tell you how incredible they are.

Daron preferred the opposite.

He'd walk up to the mic, proudly announce, "We are System Of A Down..." wait for thousands of fans to lose their minds, then hit them with "...and we f***ing suck!" 

This became a SOAD special in the late 90s/early 2000s. 

Serj performs Bounce... on a pogo stick 

You couldn't make this up if you tried.

During a live performance of Bounce, Serj Tankian turned up riding a pogo stick because... well... the song's called Bounce.

No explanation needed really.

The SNL slip-up

Live television and System Of A Down were always going to be a dangerous mix. 

During B.Y.O.B. on Saturday Night Live in 2005, Daron accidentally let a very uncensored "F*** yeah!" fly, and it was not picked up by any sort of censorship beep… 

Oops!

Big Day Out 2002 

Ask almost any long-time fan about SOAD’s greatest live shows and Big Day Out 2002 will come up pretty quickly.  

Their performance of ‘Psycho’ has become the stuff of legend. 

Some even say it’s their greatest ever. 

Brazil reminded everyone who's boss 

In 2025, SOAD rolled through South America, and the internet collectively remembered just how massive this band still is.

Around 75,000 fans packed São Paulo, flares lit up the sky, and the crowd barely stopped moving for the entire set. The drone footage alone was enough to give you goosebumps.

Coming home to Armenia 

For all the madness, this might be the band's most important moment.

In 2015, SOAD returned to Armenia for a free concert marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, performing in front of more than 100,000 people in Yerevan.

After decades of using their platform to speak about their Armenian heritage, this wasn't just another gig. It was the kind of full-circle moment that reminded everyone there's always been far more to SOAD than the chaos.

Keen to know more about their upcoming NZ gig? Find out here.