System Of A Down Gets One Past Censors

05/09/2005 11:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
LAUNCH Radio Networks

System Of A Down defied the current climate of conservative moral outrage over so-called broadcast "indecency" by slipping the F-word into its performance on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live this past weekend. Although the group's first song, "B.Y.O.B.," was muted numerous times for its inclusion of the dreaded word in its lyrics, guitarist Daron Malakian managed to scream an uncensored "F*** yeah!" toward the end of the tune with the camera pointed directly at him.

"B.Y.O.B." is the first single from the band's new release, Mezmerize, which is due out on May 17.

Rumors had circulated earlier in the week that NBC had asked the band to remove the word from its lyrics, which had led in turn to System Of A Down threatening to pull out of the show.

Saturday Night Live does not use the now-standard seven-second delay, and NBC had no comment on the matter, according to the New York Daily News.

System also performed "Aerials," from its 2001 Toxicity album, without any further incident.

The performance aired after midnight, technically on Mother's Day (Sunday, May 8), but at press time, the world had not come to an end.

The band plays in New York Monday (May 9) as part of its current 10-city "guerilla" tour.

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