Cop Car was a Wellington punk band formed in 2003 by Simon Allison (guitar/vocals), Ben England (bass/vocals), and Hamish Walker (drums). Drawing inspiration from US groups like The Offspring, Pennywise, and Goldfinger, as well as local acts such as Kitsch, Sommerset, and Brubeck, Cop Car were part of Wellington’s fourth wave of punk.

Simon Allison had previously played in the punk band Just Like Always alongside Shaun Jones of Stingfish, a band that frequently shared the stage with Cop Car. One of their earliest performances was the notorious “Tropicana Night” at Thistle Hall on November 14, 2003, alongside Tried For Treason, The Deadline, If I Had A Gun, and Shumway. In 2004, Cop Car hit the road, playing shows in Wellington and Palmerston North with Auckland’s The Rabble and Wellington’s Not Quite Right, followed by a North Island tour with Stingfish.

2005 saw a lineup change when Jim Thompson replaced Hamish Walker on drums. That same year, they released the single, “Why?”, which included three demo tracks featuring guest drummer Raff Maresca. Thompson exited the Cop Car after a final performance at Valve on July 15, 2006.

In June 2008, Cop Car released their 14-song EP, You’re Better Off With Us, a politically and socially conscious record tackling themes like the commercialisation of punk culture (So Cool), the legalization of prostitution in New Zealand (Physical Therapy), and criticism of U.S. foreign policy (George’s Marvellous Medicine). Other tracks, such as “Outdated,” questioned the relevance of democracy, while “Sellout” took aim at bands chasing commercial success with a poppy sound.

Cop Car continued to play in the Wellington scene through 2007 with a new drummer until their final show at Punkfest 2008.

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Origin	Wellington
Genre	punk
Years Active	2003 – 2008
Associated Acts	Just Like Always, Brubeck, Kitsch, Sommerset
Past Members	Simon Allison (guitar, vocals) Ben England (bass, vocals) Hamish Walker? (drums 2003-2005) Jim Thompson (drums 2005-2006) ? (drums 2007-2008)