Decapolis

Decapolis were a British Christian punk rock band from Cumbria, England. The band were part of the British Christian punk underground in the early 2000s, alongside groups such as Cephas, and Zedisforzebra.

Decapolis released the independent EP Rebel in the early 2000s and later appeared on the British Christian punk compilation Bulldogs And Safety Pins.

History

In February 2003, Cross Rhythms published an interview with Decapolis, describing them as a Christian punk rock band from Cumbria. In the interview, the band listed their line-up as Dan Powell on drums and main vocals, Pete Thompson on guitar and backing vocals, and Amy Gill on bass.

The band described their interest in punk as connected to the style’s energy and directness, and said that they wanted their music to express their Christian faith without relying on what they regarded as clichéd Christian music language. They also referred to other UK Christian punk bands active at the time, including Cephas, and Zedisforzebra.

In April 2003, Cross Rhythms included Decapolis in its Rock File feature on British Christian punk. The article said that Decapolis had been active for around five years and had come to wider attention with the release of their Rebel EP. The same article described the band as having a standard punk rock sound and a strong evangelistic focus.

Music and releases

Decapolis’ EP Rebel was reviewed by Cross Rhythms. The review described the release as the band’s freshman release and said it had an old-school punk feel, contrasting it with the more melodic punk sound of fellow northern band Zedisforzebra. The review also noted that the band’s lyrics hinted at Christian themes rather than always stating them directly.

The band’s song “Not Ashamed” was later included on the compilation Bulldogs And Safety Pins, released by Zero Airplay Promotions and later issued digitally by ZAP Records. The compilation also featured other British Christian punk and underground bands.

Musical style and themes

Decapolis played Christian punk rock with an old-school punk influence. Cross Rhythms placed the band within the British Christian punk movement of the early 2000s and described them as part of a small network of punk bands seeking to bring Christian faith into the punk scene.

In the 2003 Cross Rhythms interview, the band said that punk music appealed to them because of its simplicity and passion. The band’s lyrics and public identity were connected with Christian witness, although the review of Rebel noted that the lyrics sometimes approached Christian themes indirectly.

Discography

EPs

• Rebel

Compilation appearances

• Bulldogs And Safety Pins (2005), contributing “Not Ashamed”