Punk Portugal, 1977–2012

Abstract

In this article, we discuss the emergence and development of punk in Portugal since the final years of the 1970s, its relationship to the social structure of Portugal over the last four decades and to the cultural and symbolic manifestations of Portuguese urban popular cultures. It is a preliminary genealogy that situates the Portuguese punk scene in a broader, global context, without overlooking the specificities that originated through its appropriation of a non-Anglo-Saxon context and a society located in Southern Europe—therefore, importance is stressed throughout the article in maintaining a global-local perspective. The theoretical basis of the article applies perspectives drawn from post-subcultural theory, notably the concept of scene which is used to conceptualize the localization of punk in Portugal and its appropriation of various styles and images associated with different eras of punk since the 1970s. The article uses ethnographic data, specifically data generated through interviews with key actors in the Portuguese punk scene spanning an age range of 23 to 57 years old and from different geographical locations in the country. Overall, 20 key interviews were conducted between 2013 and 2015.