La Movida Madrileña and ‘Paris Maquis’: A comparative history of Madrilenian and Parisian punk

Abstract

As a cultural phenomenon, punk has had a global impact. Recent scholarship has expanded upon this by exploring examples of punk within different countries around the world. However, not enough attention has been given to these instances in a comparative context, especially with regards to European punk. This article will attempt to ameliorate this by comparing the first waves of both Madrilenian (Spanish) and Parisian (French) punk in terms of origins, ideologies and elements of representation in their contemporary contexts. Punk arrived in these countries at transformative periods in their nations’ histories. Spanish punk, as La Movida Madrileña, began almost immediately after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, whereas French punk came after the fallout of the May 1968 student protests. However, despite these politically volatile backgrounds, punk in these countries greatly varied in terms of cultural impact. Using these comparative contexts, this piece will illustrate how social, political and cultural differences vastly influence the success and development of punk movements and youth cultures in general. In doing so, this article aims to inspire other researchers to consider the comparative method when looking at punk movements, thereby interrogating how punk develops and how historical backgrounds can influence its development.