System Of A Down have a very long and storied history. The band almost single handedly catapulted the Nu-Metal genre to success and the mainstream through the likes of their smash hit, B.Y.O.B and the use of it on games such as Guitar Hero which always became a topic of discussion in the lunch room to see who could beat the song on the ‘expert’ difficulty.
While many kids of the early 2000s were wowed by System Of A Down, many big stars were too. In this case, Dave Lombardo of Slayer loved the group.
John Dolmayan stated on Instagram: “I was only in SOAD for a few months and we were playing one of my first shows with the band at the @thewhiskyagogo in Hollywood . @shavoodadjian came up to me excitedly and said @davelombardo was in the audience ! We were in disbelief! How did he know about us ? We were just a local band playing a local show , what would attract one of the best drummers of all time and the man responsible for one of my favorite albums , South of Heaven!”
John was star struck by Dave Lombardo, and it all became a full circle moment once the two became close friends.
John continued: “To make everything more surreal he complimented us after the show and said he was a fan of the band and that he would love to jam with us sometime. The jam actually happened but partially out of respect and mostly out of nervousness I didn’t go and just let the rest of the band experience jamming with Dave. Since those days we became friends , Dave is by far one of the nicest and fan appreciative people I know. Never an unkind word , always a fan of music with no pretentiousness.”
A huge testament to Lombardo’s love for music is how far he went to see the then local band play live.
John closed: “He drove two hours to see an unsigned band play a show because we incorporated eastern rhythmic themes in our style and that was something that interested him . Dave is one of the best to have picked up the sticks but he never forgot his love for drums and is always looking for inspiration irrespective of where it comes from. He is a gift and still inspires all of us ,his fans.”
The best part about all of this, and something we don’t see to much of is that Dave actually responded in the comment section.
Dave stated: “John! True story… You’ve been kicking ass ever since those first shows. I love and appreciate your musical contribution to the world. These are such kind words, thank you so much for the shout out. I truly appreciate our friendship. Hope to see you soon!”
