Pignoise

The origins of Spanish punk outfit Pignoise, whose lineup features Alvaro handling vocals and guitar, Polo on drums, and Pablo on bass, trace directly to a soccer accident that derailed its frontman’s athletic path. Alvaro had competed as a semi-professional with Getafe CF and Real Madrid until a serious injury confined him to recovery, prompting him to pick up guitar and start writing songs simply to pass the time. His deepening focus on composition soon attracted Polo, another professional soccer player who took the drum chair, and the trio reached completion when Pablo arrived in Madrid to pursue drama studies. Although their earliest songs were penned in English, the group quickly adopted Spanish and built an underground following within the country’s expanding punk community. Neither the debut Melodias Desafinadas nor the follow-up Esto No Es un Disco de Punk managed to register commercially. Their third album, Anunciado en Televisión, however, generated several radio favorites, among them “Nada Que Perder,” which became the theme for the television series Los Hombres de Paco. Sustained airplay combined with frequent live shows eventually earned the record gold certification.