Rubix Cuba is more than an 80’s fad and a communist country. It’s also more than a 7 piece Aussie Ska band from Newcastle. Rubix Cuba is a feel-good visual and aural feast for the soul. It’s a steaming hot lead singer, fondly referred to as ‘Princess Jasmine,’ 7 equally cool cucumbers and a giant dancing rubix cube.
The Cubans have been playing the live circuit enthusiastically for almost 10 years, and now with more than 600 live shows under their belt, Rubix Cuba has hit the roads on their east coast tour and announced the release of their debut album.
“It was always part of the plan to do 4 releases, and this is the third for us,” Stu Cuba said, Rubix Cuba’s incredibly charismatic vocalist and bassist.
“If it doesn’t all work out before number 4, we will probably just break up and give up!”
Rubix Cuba’s new single ‘Come Round’ was recently released, while their debut album, ‘With Life,’ produced by Aria Award winners Dave Henderson and Rob Taylor, will be released in August.
‘With Life’ is the long awaited follow up to EPs ‘With Beauty’ (2004) and ‘With Love’ (2002). The seemingly deep release concept was inspired by no more than the bands favourite pizza shop.
“The idea came from song lyrics we wrote about having too much choice. There is a little Italian pizza place in Newcastle called Ravina’s which is open till 3 am every morning, and they just has way too many options for the kind of pizzas you can have.”
“It’s not deep like you think, it’s really just about pizza,” laughs Stu.
Describing themselves as ‘ska for pop fans and pop for ska fans,’ Rubix Cuba boasts a unique sound, drawing inspiration from ska, latin, swing, rock, punk, ahem and emo. “It’s the diversity that makes us such a party band and susceptible to the festival circuit.
Since forming in 2001, Rubix Cuba has performed a stack of shows, including performances alongside Reel Big Fish, The Porkers, Xavier Rudd, Laura Imbruglia, Area 7, The Butterfly Effect, 1200 Techniques, Maya Jupiter, The Spazzys, Unpaid Debt, National Pornographic, Killing Heidi, Frenzal Rhomb,The Von Bondies, The Royal Crown Revue and more.
Rubix Cuba aren’t strangers to the road but while being a 7 piece works for them on stage, it’s destined to have its disadvantages on a hot and sticky tour bus.
“Being a 7 piece isn’t a bad thing on the road, because if you get pissed off with someone, you can always talk to someone else! It’s not like a 3 piece. Touring with these guys is really like taking the party with you.”
Rubix Cuba might promote themselves as a 7 piece, but Stu and the Cubans won’t deny the existence of the infamous 8th band member, referred to as Cubie.
“Cubie is a giant dancing rubix cube, we take him everywhere we tour. He has seen NZ twice now.”
Cubie has become quite the celebrity, if you tube appearances count “If you type in dancing rubix cube, you can find Cubie going crazy at one of our shows. It was like 43 degrees or something that day, and Cubie had a heat stroke and passed out.”
April in Canberra probably means there won’t be any heat induced Cubie injuries, but we CAN guarantee something that seems to be lacking on the Canberra music scene, with the rise of dark-tinged indie bands, and that’s fun.
“Expect dancey tunes, people dancing and lots of alcohol. Expect to not feel depressed. Expect to feel upbeat and happy.”
All this with a price tag of ‘free?’ Sold.
