Rubella Ballet - Xntrix - 1982

One of the bands I saw perform numourous times throughout the 1980's. In fact I think the band from 'those days' that I saw perform the most through varying line up changes.
This cassette tape and the 'Ballet Dance' 7" single were firm favorites some decades ago, and are still a decent listen today.
The booklet that accompanied the cassette tape is scanned and added to the audio for this YT post.
Rubella Ballet formed towards the end of 1979 by former Fatal Microbes members (without Honey Bane who by this time had a started concentrating on a solo career care of Jimmy Pursey). Pete Fender on guitar, Gem Stone and ‘It’ (Quentin North) both on bass. These ex Microbes were joined by the drummer Sid Ation who would shortly also be drumming with Flux Of Pink Indians for a short while, and vocalists Annie Anxiety and Womble.
The bands first performance was when they took to the stage for a short set at a Crass and Poison Girls concert at The Conway Hall in Red Lion Square, London. They had originally been called Rubella Babies for this event. Rubella Ballet soon ended up the preferred name for the band. The original line up of Rubella Ballet with Annie Anxiety performed just a few times in and around London carrying on with chaotic stage shows, swapping instruments and even letting members of the crowd perform on stage with them.
Annie, Womble and ‘It’ were involved only initially, left and were replaced by vocalist Zillah Minx, who had at that time of the first Rubella Ballets gigs recently started a relationship with Sid.
Pete Fender and Gem Stone are the son and daughter of Poison Girls singer Vi Subversa, so Rubella Ballet used Poison Girls equipment to jam and write songs and also had full use of the recording studio and practice area underneath the house the band and children shared in Leytonstone (along with Sid and Zillah). This is course was a major advantage in any young bands career, not having the need to save up for weeks to get a substandard guitar or sessions in the studio.
The first ‘proper’ gig with Zilla and Gem in the band was a fundraiser at the Theatre Royal in Stratford supporting the Poison Girls, which ended up in a riot, when West Ham affliated skinheads caused trouble fighting with the police.
Rubella Ballet performed frequently from this point on, many times supporting Poison Girls, Crass and Conflict. Many venues were visited including the Wapping Autonomy Centre and The Centro Iberico in Westbourne Park.
The band were best known for wearing homemade brightly coloured dayglo clothes on stage at these gigs, to differentiate themselves from the other anarcho-punk bands who tended to wear black, ‘army-surplus’ clothing. The colourful garb is a styling that has carried on throughout the whole of the band’s career.
The band released one album on cassette tape with the addition of Andy Smith on guitar, entitled ‘Ballet Bag’ and following that, a four track 7″ EP entitled ‘Ballet Dance’ both in 1982 and both for Poison Girls’ Xntrix Records.
The band had rejected the opportunity to put out a record on the Crass label a year or so before due to the packaging being genric Crass style black / grey / white which did not suit the band whatsoever. The session for the cassette was recorded at Forest Studios and engineered by Alex Foulcer and the session for the 7″ single was produced by Richard Famous of the Poison Girls and engineered by Pete Fender in the studio underneath the Poison Girls house in Leytonstone.
Adrian Thrills, reviewing the single in the NME stated “the Ballet have an appealing sharp edge to their claustrophobic punk thrash, a poppy surge and even a discernable funk readjustment…of course, they could always just be taking the piss”.

[@creghommey]

Love ❤️ This!! Band I Just Discovered Them!! Right Now!! Fucking Awsome!!!
GO VEGANS

[@hopebgood]

Nice one. They were amazing live

[@mralex5198]

Went to see them many times in early 80s they were great

[@davidodonoghue8017]

I’m a big asis fan so that’s what brought me here

[@lazarwolfethebutcher]

I love this. thanks for sharing!

[@chicago_rocker23]

Sid truelove and zillah minx rule. I saw them in Pittsburgh at skullfest 11!!

[@bartbunt2441]

Rubella Ballet are an English gothic anarcho-punk band formed in 1979

[@mickeypenguin]

The full history of the band is written in my description if you care to read it.

[@farfisa]

thanks ever so.

[@_fabio1978]

Thanks for sharing

[@leonardmccullagh3673]

Yeah thanks great stuff, love it 👌🏻

[@Bizzzzzzzzzz]

me encantaaa