Madball ready to strike in the new city

Posted 23rd January 2025

When Finnish country types, Steve‘n’Seagulls (Feb 8) covered AC/DCs Thunderstruck they really captured imaginations.
In the decade it has been on YouTube, it has racked up a whopping 179 million views, and with good reason – it’s immense. Go take a peek yourself.

For all the novelty factor at play here, at the heart of the operation is a band of players who pack all of the punches. Bluegrass brilliance coming to The Craufurd Arms on February 8.

Almost two years since they last played the venue – as support to fellow NYC bruisers Life of Agony – Madball will return on February 3.
The hardcore aces have had a fair few players pass through the ranks since first making our acquaintance with their debut Set it Off some three decades ago, but you’ll still meet the gaze of frontman Freddy Cricien, and they’ve amassed a tidy catalogue from which to deliver.

The most recent album, For the Cause, is several years old, but did offer the audience something a little different – bringing a new freshness to their fold. Ice-T even contributed to the track, Evil Ways.

“It was a real honour to work with someone I’ve been following and have respected since I was a kid. He genuinely supports our band and the scene we come from,” Freddy said.

Today, Madball remains a work in progress – and a mighty fine one: “We don’t know how to do anything else at this point. We raise our families to the best of our ability; we do Madball to the best of our ability… so far so good, and we don’t feel that we’ve reached our full potential in either of those areas just yet.”

Vower (Feb 12) say they bring together the ‘mammoth world-building of post-metal, the stratospheric scope of progressive metal and the gritty bludgeoning of post-hardcore,’ and you can hear the results on last year’s debut EP, Apricity.

Something a little bit different follows with Midlands mob Ultimate RnB in play for Valentine’s Day.
If 90s era smooth is your thing – from En Vogue and Lauren Hill to TLC and Boys II Men – you’ll love this.
The Wild Boys who make up the Duran Duran Experience will sate the appetites of those who are Hungry Like The Wolf for the music of Le Bon, Rhodes and Co.

The Rumjacks

This band has been playing musical tribute since 2012 and are Notorious in their field. And, so far, they’ve not Come Undone. Catch them on February 16.

When they take to the Craufurd stage, Celtic punk players The Rumjacks (Feb 20) will have a fresh release to air – their sixth long-player, Dead Anthems, is cut loose on February 7.

The band says the release is a high-octane blend of tradition and innovation, and one that ‘captures the raw energy and passion that fans have come to love, while also pushing new boundaries within the Celtic punk cannon.’

Fans have already had an album taster – lead single Come Hell or High Water, dropped back in September.
Elsewhere, the track, Some Legends Never Die was written in tribute to the inimitable Shane McGowan: “He inspired an entire PLANET of songwriters to go on and write about their experiences in poetic, dark, and raw ways.”

The Rumjacks are passionate and dedicated to their craft – this is a truly international band, with members living in Boston, Berlin, Belfast and Milan, but they come together to record and tour with a regularity that shames most other bands.

Wrapping up the live stuff at the venue this month is down to local heroes Stray. Turn the page for our chat with frontman Del Bromham.

Tickets for all shows can be purchased through thecraufurdarms.com