Punk City

Punk City wasn’t really a “proper” long-term band, but more of a one-off punk experiment that popped up in Spain around 1984. It came together during the early Spanish punk years and was made up of musicians who were already active in other bands. The whole thing was more about having fun and messing around with classic songs than starting a serious new project.

 
The people involved were mainly from the Valencia scene. José Manuel Casañ, who would later be well known for Seguridad Social, handled vocals along with Maggie Seidler from Manía. Santi Serrano (also from Seguridad Social) played guitar, Nando Domínguez from Manía was on bass, and Víctor Royo from La Resistencia played drums. On at least one track, Emilio Doceda from Seguridad Social stepped in on bass. Basically, it was a bunch of friends from different bands getting together for a quick punk crossover.

 
Punk City only ever released one record, actually just a 7-inch single. It came out in 1984 on the Citra label. One side featured a fast, raw punk take on “Johnny B. Goode” mixed with “Road Runner,” and the other side was a punked-up cover of “Surf City,” the old Beach Boys song. That “Surf City” track is the one most people remember and is why the release is often referred to by that name. 

 
The project didn’t last long at all. After the single and at least one known live show, everyone went back to their main bands and Punk City was basically over. Because the original pressing was small, the record became a bit of a cult item among Spanish punk collectors. Years later, in 2018, it even got a limited reissue through Leningrado Records and Pachilo Records, which helped keep its reputation alive.

 
So in short, Punk City was a brief but fun punk side project from the Spanish 80s scene, with one rare single to its name and a cult following thanks to its rough, energetic take on classic rock and surf songs.