Review - Scars on Broadway

Sep 19 2008 By Mark Woodward

SCARS ON BROADWAY

Carling Academy 2, Birmingham

WHEN System Of A Down made the shock announcement a couple of years ago that they were taking an ‘extended hiatus’, everyone read between the lines and assumed the band was splitting up.

Somewhere down the line that may well become the case but, in the meantime, System guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan are providing the next best thing.

And, if nothing else, what Scars on Broadway truly proves is that Malakian is the real brains and inspiration behind SOAD.

The man simply writes great songs and although Scars’ sold-out show at the Academy barely lasted 45 minutes – the band only had their self-titled debut album to draw from – everyone left feeling they had just witnessed the beginning of something very special indeed.

Malakian, who hid behind huge shades for most of the time and restricted his on-stage banter to one ‘thank you’ and a ‘good night’, was just content to let his music do the talking.

And the punk-style opener Serious, the brooding Insane through to the utterly crazy Chemicals (“Come eat some Chemicals with me,” sang Malakian – he must have consumed the lot himself before writing this madcap missive), provided the perfect summation of the man’s brilliance.

VERDICT: ****