Should Have Let Them Play

Chaos broke out at what was suppose to be a special System of a Down show yesterday. The LA fire department and police made a joint decision, with concert organizers' cooperation, to nix the Labor Day show after deciding the crowd of an estimated 7,000 fans was too large and unruly. System of a Down fought to let the show go on and tried to compromise with officials by proposing to play a clipped, 20-minute set, but was turned down. "From the band's perspective, this is something that did not have to happen," Robinson said. "It could have been peaceful." The band's management tried to convince officials to allow System frontman Serj Tankian to announce onstage that the show had been called off, but the request was denied. Instead, fans waited for nearly an hour after show time, with still no formal announcement that there would be no performance. So most concert-goers were unaware that System wasn't going to play until a banner bearing the band's name was pulled down from behind the stage. At that moment, the crowd snapped. Dozens of fans rushed the stage, toppling over stacks of speakers and destroying the band's equipment, including John Dolmayan's new drum set. SWAT teams and police on horseback were called in to help security disperse the crowd, but the chaos continued for about two hours.