Line-up

Venue

Brooklyn Steel

319 Frost Street, 11222, Brooklyn, NY, US

www.bowerypresents.com/venues/brooklyn-steel

Capacity: 1,800

View upcoming concerts

Additional details

Doors open: 18:00

Madball biography

Madball are a hardcore punk band from New York, US who formed in 1988 as a side project of punk band Agnostic Front.

The original line-up consisted of Agnostic Front members Roger Miret (bass), Vinnie Stigma (guitar), Will Shepler (drums) and Miret’s half-brother Freddy Circien (vocals). Early releases from the band began with old unused Agnostic Front demos.

In 1989 the band released their debut EP “Ball of Destruction” which the band would tour locally building up a solid following. In 1992 after releasing their second EP “Droppin’ Many Suckers” via Wreckage Records, Madball added a second guitarist in the form of Matt Henderson. The following year Miret announced his departure and was replaced by Jorge Guerra.

In 1994 Madball signed with Roadrunner Records to release their debut full length “Set It Off” featuring the title track amongst “Spit on Your Grave” and “New York City”. Two years later came the album “Demonstrating My Style” and as Madball continued touring relentlessly, the built a strong following outside their hometown as they rapidly developed a name for themselves on the hardcore scene.

Subject to a few line-up changes including the addition of drummer John Lafata, the band released their third album “Look My Way” in 1998 with familiar themes of the hardships of street life combined with their distinctive sound.

In 2000 Circien was charged with attempted criminal possession of weaponry and was given a six month sentence. Whilst serving his term, Madball announced their split in 2001 but the following year the band were back with new additions Bryan Daniels on guitar and Rigg Ross on drums. Madball resumed touring followed by a series of releases.

In 2010 the band signed with Nuclear Blast for future European releases and introduced new drummer Max Weinberg. His time in the band would be short-lived as they cited personality clashes and he was swiftly replaced by Mike Justian.

Madball released their eighth studio album “Hardcore Lives” in 2014 which featured guest vocals from CM Punk, H20’s Toby Morse and New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert. As well as touring across the globe, the band have also played Resurrection Fest, Brutal Assault and Rock Fest.

Live reviews

There is an expected level of aggressive energy when it comes to a Madball show and it is refreshing to see every audience member 100% invested in the vibe the performer is attempting to achieve. The New York hardcore punk outfit Madball have been active on the circuit since 1988 and since then they have amassed a great reputation and an even larger fanbase.

The band has seen very little chart placements on the British isles yet the fans are still ready to cheer along and chant the lyrics in force before the swirling mosh pits break out during the crunching instrumentals of 'Can't Stop, Won't Stop'. Despite being battered and bruised, the crowd jumps and jostles through a fifteen song set under the command of intimidating frontman Freddy Cricien. It builds to a deafening punk crescendo of 'Hardcore Still Lives' which is a battle cry as much as it is a song and ends the aggressive, energetic live show in the perfect way.

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sean-ward

With a name like Rotting Out, you’re probably always going to end up playing pretty visceral punk music; the youthful five-piece are certainly not shy of some serious volume and some rough and ready guitar parts. What really sets them apart from so many of their contemporaries, though, is the way that they truly represent their hometown of Los Angeles through their music; plenty of rappers, down the years, seem to have addressed the nitty-gritty of life in the city’s more poverty-stricken areas, but seldom has a rock band tried to do the same, not just lyrically but sonically, too. Such is the anger and resentment fueling their songs, then, it’s perhaps not surprising that Rotting Out live shows are such brutal affairs; the divide between band and audience is blurred, with stage invasions a staple of the show and frontman Walter Delgado prowling the stage like a animal that’s just managed to burst out of its cage - their shows epitomise the way in which the band have forced together hardcore and punk influences for their own ends.

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