Mayhem 's show in Brasília on the night of Wednesday the 22nd was cancelled at the last minute, with fans and the band themselves at the venue. The band's performance in Porto Alegre, which was scheduled for the previous day, the 21st, was cancelled in advance following accusations of association with Nazism against the band.
Initially, the organization proceeded with the show as scheduled, despite recommendations from the Brazilian Bar Association in the Federal District (OAB-DF) and the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office to cancel Mayhem's second and final performance in Brazil in 2023, citing "evidence that current and former members of the band are involved in neo-Nazi advocacy, suicide, cannibalism, and murder, as well as various types of violence and discrimination, including church burnings, references to extreme violence, incitement to mutilation, and racist and anti-Semitic statements."
With no cancellation order from the authorities, both the producers and the Toinha Brasil concert venue opted to proceed with the show, informing fans yesterday afternoon that the show "was authorized and confirmed." "We're here and we want to see you today," band members said in a video about the performance in Brasília .
Fans arrived at the venue as planned, but social media posts from attendees show a police car parked in front of Toinha Brasil. According to coverage by the website Igor Miranda , the opening band, Denied Redemption , performed as scheduled, and the cancellation was announced shortly afterward by André Faria , the lawyer for the production company responsible for the show.
“I say this with a broken heart, besides being a fan of the band, I fought hard (…) and unfortunately, that’s it,” the lawyer told the audience. If the organization decided to go ahead with the Mayhem show, the police would arrest the organizers on site.
Talent Nation Latin America booking agency , responsible for the band's current tour, promised to return. “Another page has been written in Mayhem's history in Latin America. (…) Thank you to the promoters in Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina and especially Brazil, who worked tirelessly and took care of us every step of the way, despite the circumstances, you are truly professionals. Much gratitude to our Brazilian friends as well, thank you for welcoming us. We will be back. The past is alive…”, wrote Ruben Barros .
When questioned by g1 about the accusations, Mayhem stated that they are against hate speech. “Neither the band nor any of its members tolerate racism, Nazism, homophobia or any other 'hate crime'. (…) Any form of judgment based solely on a person's history, skin color, sexual preference or anything else over which they have no control is an act of weakness and is rejected by the band,” they stated in a note sent to the news outlet. Learn more here .
READ ALSO: Euronymous, former Mayhem member, wouldn't approve of far-right black metal, says friend.
