Madball at the Marlin Room at Webster Hall

Freddy Cricien

Freddy Cricien, also known as Freddy Madball, lived in Florida when his older half-brother Roger Miret was in New York hardcore punk band Agnostic Front. Cricien was about seven years old when he relocated to New York and began to ride along with his brother on tour. Agnostic Front initially let Cricien sing along with their cover of the Animals' "It's My Life." In 1988, Agnostic Front formed a side band, Madball, around 12-year-old Cricien singing previously unused Agnostic Front songs. Several personnel changes later, Madball evolved into a separate band by 1994. In 2000, Cricien was charged with attempted criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced to six months in prison. The band dissolved in 2001 but reformed in late 2002 with a new line-up. Madball presently consists of Cricien, guitarist Bryan "Mitts" Daniels, bassist Jorge "Hoya Roc" Guerra and drummer Mike Justian. Madball's ninth album, Hardcore Lives, was released on June 27, 2014.

In 1989, Cricien yelped "hardcore lives" on Madball's debut EP, Ball of Destruction. Twenty-five years later, he still means it. Madball's current tour celebrated the 20th anniversary of the band's iconic 1994 debut album, Set It Off. At the Marlin Room at Webster Hall tonight, the Set It Off songs served as Madball's testament to New York's original hardcore spirit and legacy, and fans responded with serious stage diving and moshing. Focusing more on heaviness than speed, the energetic set plowed through the hall like a meteor scraping planet Earth. Now 38 years old, Cricien has spent nearly four-fifths of his life committed to hardcore and for this homecoming gig poured himself out onstage. He roared from the gut as he paced the stage perpetually. Between songs, he frequently developed camaraderie by pep-talking the community of fans, occasionally in Spanish. The band then rallied them with a catalog of Set It Off songs and new songs like the anthemic "Doc Marten Stomp" and the flag-waving "Hardcore Lives." Along with Agnostic Front, Madball is a cornerstone of the New York hardcore scene, and the band's live rumble embraced and gave new life to New York's rich hardcore tradition.