Final summer season, whilst on a circle of relatives vacation, Machine Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian took the time to put in writing a “type” non-public letter to Las Vegas pop-rock stars Consider Dragons asking them to rethink enjoying a display in Baku, Azerbaijan which he argued may well be seen as an endorsement of the rustic’s authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev, declaring that to continue with the gig at Baku Olympic Stadium “would assist whitewash the dictatorial regime’s symbol.”
Forward of the band’s scheduled September 2 gig within the Azerbaijan capital, Tankian drew consideration to an AP information document highlighting a caution from a former leader prosecutor of the World Legal Courtroom that Azerbaijan used to be making ready genocide in opposition to ethnic Armenians in its Nagorno-Karabakh area.
“I actually really feel that appearing in Azerbaijan would have a detrimental affect in your emblem as neatly,” the singer’s letter cautioned. “I’m assured that you’ll be able to decipher all of the info for yourselves to come to a decision whether or not to cancel your live performance.”
In an open letter circulated in August ’23, fellow musicians Roger Waters, Brian Eno and Thurston Moore additionally steered the band to drag the display, referencing the American band’s “commendable” dedication to inclusion and human rights.
“Appearing in Baku underneath those cases, without reference to intent, can best assist the federal government of Azerbaijan duvet up its crimes,” the letter said.
When Serj Tankian gained no acknowledgement of, or reaction to, his considerations by means of Consider Dragons, he known as the gang out on social media for what he interpreted as “their forget for this humanitarian disaster.” He additionally steered enthusiasts to signal a petition to the band on alternate.org, imploring them to drag the arguable display.
Regardless of those pleas, the Consider Dragons gig went forward as deliberate.
Talking with Steel Hammer, Serj Tankian admits that he used to be annoyed, upset and offended about Consider Dragon’s determination to forget about all entreaties at the factor. “I have no idea those guys, however who’re those other people?” he says. “I do not needless to say form of considering.”
“Very shut thereafter, Azerbaijan attacked the folks of Nagorno-Karabakh and 120,000 other people left their ancient properties,” he states.
“Glance, I am not a pass judgement on for other people to inform bands the place to play, or the place to not play,” he says. “You’ve gotten different artists enjoying in very questionable kingdoms, run by means of one individual, the place other people should not have numerous human rights, and I am getting that they are doing it for cash, that they are artists, that they are entertaining, all of that. But if there is a govt that is about to devote ethnic cleaning, when Azerbaijan used to be ravenous the 120,000 Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, and now not permitting any meals or medication in… you already know, as an artist, if I discovered that out, there’s no fucking manner I can have long gone and performed that display. However some artists do. And I have no idea what to mention about the ones artists. I do not admire them as human beings. Fuck their artwork, they are now not excellent human beings, so far as I am involved.
“In case you are that unaware of justice that you are going to move play a display in a rustic that is ravenous some other nation, illegally, in keeping with the World Courtroom of Justice, in keeping with what Amnesty World is pronouncing, what Human Rights Watch is pronouncing… In the event you nonetheless move and play that nation, I have no idea what to mention about you as a fucking human being. I do not even care about your track. If you are a nasty human being, I do not give a fuck. In order that’s the place I am at with that. I’ve 0 admire for the ones guys.”
“It isn’t about my ego,” Tankian emphasises. “I simply sought after to make certain alternate. I sought after the ones guys to grasp that what they are about to do goes to have dangerous repercussions. I used to be caution them for their very own sake, for their very own morality.
“I have been caution other organisations in opposition to the usage of Azerbaijan as a venue as a result of, once more, in case you let them have world hyperlinks in some way the place they really feel like they are authentic, they’re going to proceed their dangerous behaviour. You’ve gotten a dictator who’s doing ethnic cleaning, and he is getting extra contracts, Formulation 1 racing and rock displays, then he will suppose that it is alright to kill other people. That is not k. So you have to destroy that hyperlink, you have to let other people know.”
Tankian went on to mention that it is “mind-blowing” to him that Consider Dragons would make a choice to fulfil the reserving.
Consider Dragons by no means made any public reaction to the troubles in their friends, however all over an August 2023 efficiency at Studying Competition, frontman Dan Reynolds instructed the target market, “No matter is burdening you, go away it on the door; politics, faith, go away it.”
