Decapitated @ Corporation, Sheffield

Posted: Sat, Feb 16, 2019
Last updated: Tue, Feb 12, 2019

Yes, that Decapitated. The ones that got done in for kidnapping and gang rape a year or so back. When I heard they were touring, I immediately hopped online to see what the status of the case was. If the case was anything short of completely dropped, I wouldn’t have touched this one with a 10 foot pole. It seems that the charges were fully dropped, as by the sounds of it the victim had made the whole thing up and her story was wildly inconsistent. That’s what I’m hearing and reading. I’m hoping it was all just made up as opposed to the victim calling everything off out of fear.

After hearing that they had been acquitted, I decided I’d go. I’d actually seen them live before as they opened for Lamb of God in 2014, but it’s not until I’m typing this that I realise that was five bloody years ago. I was 15. Time is going by too damn quick and I’m getting old.

The first band that were meant to play were Bloodshot Dawn, but they hadn’t even finished setting up before they were packing away their things again. Going off what I could hear, I think they were running a bit late and were essentially told to sod off. They could’ve at least told them that before they were 80% done with setting up and sound checks… sounds like a dick move to me. One of the guys mentioned that the band had spent a decent amount of money as part of the tour and was pissed that it was all for nothing. I don’t blame the poor bastard.

The next ones up are Bæst, from Denmark. They were fun, but I wouldn’t pay to go see them specifically. I’m not huge on death metal usually so perhaps I’m an unseasoned fool speaking out of line, but they sounded a bit like they were trying to emulate another band rather than going for their own sound. Cannibal Corpse springs to mind. One of the guys from Dyscarnate (I think) tossed me a setlist while setting up for his band that were playing next.

Tossed being the correct word, as the piece of paper had been trampled on by many a dirty shoe, and was half-scrumpled into a ball to allow for maximum hoying capabilities.

I’m finding it difficult to get fully into this gig as I’m flanked by two people at the barricade that are absolutely fucking stationary. Not even bopping their heads or nowt. Why the hell are you here? The lass to my left was just sat watching the whole show through her phone screen. I mean, alright then. I’m loading up on drinks myself (£3 for a double + mixer? I think the fuck so) to take the edge off before the next band comes on.

Dyscarnate are next. I initially wasn’t expecting much as it was just 3 guys with the bog standard mid-20s man haircut, small beard, t-shirt and jeans but they went hard as hell. I didn’t get any photos as I, too, was going hard as hell. I did get a shirt, though.

The final act are Decapitated. Absolutely fucking brilliant. I fucked my neck and shoulders up so I’m in a decent amount of pain typing this up the next day. I don’t think there’s too much for me to comment on in particular. I did hover slightly after the show for a setlist but the guy clearing up said that they don’t give them out.

There were also a few shenanigans at the merch booth. I had spent most of my cash on booze, but saw a wee poster by the Decapitated shirts - ‘WE ACCEPT VISA DEBIT/CREDIT CARDS’. I had enough cash for a Dyscarnate shirt, and then whipped my card out for a Decapitated one. Of course, these guys are Polish. Pounds aren’t their currency, so my heart stopped when the merch guy took my card and inserted it into the little card reader and it had ‘100.00 (some Polish words)’ on the screen.

“100?” I asked. He looked at me and said something about Polish currency. I paused. Poland uses the złoty, not fucking Euros. That would be why it’s 100 and not 20-ish like what was labelled on the shirts. I felt like a real dumbfuck. Half of my family is eastern European (albeit not from Poland) so I shouldn’t be acting this foolish.

After a solid 5 minutes of the touchpad on the card reader not working, which resulted in me having to quite literally yell my pin code, slowly, multiple times, to the vendor so he could type it in, I got my shirt. It looks pretty damn good.

The train back home was delayed a solid 40 minutes, and being curled up in a ball, cold and hungry at midnight in a foreign city is not exactly how I want to be spending my time. This time, I’d say it was worth it.