Eve Libertine Speaks Out: Inside the Anarcho-Punk World of Crass

‘Nothing has really shifted,” laments Eve Libertine as she reflects on her latest musical project. Her new album, titled “Live at the Horse Hospital,” remains steeped in the anti-establishment ethos that defined her early career. Captured during an intense performance in London in April 2024, the album features Libertine teaming up with Chilean guitarist Eva Leblanc. Together, they rework several tracks originally performed by Libertine during her time with the 1970s anarcho-punk group Crass. Under the production guidance of Crass co-founder Penny Rimbaud, the album blends performance art, experimental soundscapes, and elements of earthy rituals. Libertine’s commanding operatic voice delivers prophetic visions of doom, maintaining the confrontational essence that Crass was known for.

“It was seldom fun, truth be told,” admits Libertine. “The work was intense. We were fueled by anger, seeking to provoke and shock to elicit reactions—which we certainly achieved.”

During a video interview from her home, Libertine displays her sharp wit, blending stern critiques with bursts of laughter, reminiscent of a jovial executioner. She recalls how the lyrics for the song “Rocky Eyes,” inspired by the band’s activism against nuclear weapons, painted bleak visions of environmental destruction: “Seeing a tree but imagining it as… A. Dead. Burned. Stump.” Her laughter punctuates the gravity of her words.

Crass originated as a vociferous punk band in the 70s at the Dial House farm commune in Essex. The core members were Penny Rimbaud on drums and Steve Ignorant on vocals, with additional members from the commune. Libertine herself began as a fan, attending concerts that often dwindled to just her in the audience, energetically dancing alone before the stage. By the late 70s, she had joined the commune and the band, bringing a fiery vocal style that, along with the eclectic tastes of the other members, pushed the band towards more experimental musical expressions.

Politically, Crass was deeply radical, facing legal challenges in the 70s and 80s. They were first accused of blasphemy for their 1978 track “Reality Asylum,” which led to a police raid at Dial House by Scotland Yard’s vice squad, though the case was eventually dropped. Their 1983 protest song about the Falklands War, “How Does It Feel (To Be the Mother of 1,000 Dead),” almost led to a prosecution under the obscene publications act, pushed by Tory MP Timothy Eggar, but ultimately failed.

Yet, a 1981 obscenity charge in Manchester stuck to “Bata Motel,” a song from Libertine’s album “Penis Envy,” leading to the seizure of album copies from local stores. The song, which graphically critiqued the objectification of women, was singled out by a judge as “sexually provocative and obscene.”

“Penny was almost disappointed,” Libertine chuckles. “He would have preferred facing the charges himself, but instead, it was me.” At the trial, the defense presented a controversial album by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore to draw parallels, leading to laughter in the courtroom despite the judge’s stern warnings against it. Libertine describes the whole ordeal as somewhat farcical, though it resulted in hefty fines for the song.

Contrary to its portrayal, Libertine argues that “Bata Motel” criticizes, rather than glorifies, the exploitation and self-modification under societal pressures faced by women, a theme she believes resonates even more today. “I study myself in your reflection, and put it to rights with savage correction,” she quotes. “Seeing young women today resorting to plastic surgeries and injections… sadly, it feels like that critique is still pertinent.”

While the issues Libertine has fought against since the 70s—war, environmental destruction, societal exploitation—persist, her approach to solutions has evolved. Interestingly, she does not label herself a feminist.

“Labels can be limiting,” she explains. “Calling myself something with an ‘-ist’ can be too restrictive and easily misappropriated. Many movements end up isolating themselves, which is a tragedy. We need to look beyond our defenses and see the humanity beneath. When I confront my own insecurities and ego, I strive to understand them and hopefully transcend them.”

She considers what still fuels her artistic drive: “Anger, compassion, rage—and love.”