A pot of chives perches next to a pile of Haribo. Rows of white candles burn gently alongside boxes of muesli, some grapes and a fridge packed mainly with bottles of Perrier. It’s not as rock ‘n’ roll backstage at a System of a Down gig as I expected. Though there is some disembodied whooping from down the corridor as I wait, sipping recklessly on some sparkling water, to interview the lead singer, Serj Tankian, the atmosphere is tranquil.
The metal band that has graced the black, oversized hoodies of millions of teens since the late Nineties is doing a special tour, called Wake up the Souls, to raise awareness about the Armenian genocide. It is the centenary of Ottoman Turkey’s attempted annihilation of the Armenians next Friday, and this band of Armenian-Americans has long been campaigning for recognition of the events in the First World War as genocide.
Content from our partners
