Raw Panic was a surf-punk three-piece from Wellington, New Zealand, formed in 2015 by Vanya Vitali (guitar, vocals), Daniel “Shibby” Stroffer (bass, vocals), and John Dimery (drums). Drawing influence from bands like The Cramps, Agent Orange, and JFA, the band carved out a raw, energetic sound in the local punk scene. Vanya, also playing in Bonecruncher and Freak Magnet, joined forces with John and Shibby, who had played together in Johnny and The Felchers before its breakup in 2015.
The band hit the ground running, playing one of their first gigs at the Ski Lodge flat in Kilbirnie in May 2015. They soon began recording at Vanya’s DIY Scumbag Studio in Rongotai, releasing a six-song tape EP in September 2015 on Dimery’s label, Zero Style. That same year, Raw Panic performed at Punkfest in Christchurch alongside Vanya’s d-beat band Bonecruncher and John’s noise-punk outfit Whore Pleaser, followed by a Halloween show in Dunedin and the inaugural Neil Roberts Day festival in Whanganui.
In early 2016, Raw Panic contributed a cover of “Doom Town” to the Wipers tribute album Wiped Out, released on Zero Style. They played a handful of additional shows, including Destroy Napier and Onslaught 12, before disbanding later that year. Post-split, Vanya continued with bands like TVX, Unruly, and Forced Starvation, while John Dimery’s Whore Pleaser rebranded as Poverty & Spit, active until 2018. John currently fronts the anarcho-punk band Fog.
| Origin | Wellington |
| Genre | punk, surf-rock |
| Years Active | 2015 – 2016 |
| Labels | Zero Style |
| Associated Acts | Johnny and The Felchers Freak Magnet |
| Past Members | Vanya Vitali (guitar, vocals) Shibby (bass, vocals) John Dimery (drums) |
Releases
| Title | Date | Label | Type | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Panic | 2015, Sept 17 | Zero Style #24 | EP | tape/ DL |
| Wiped Out | 2016, March 13 | Zero Style | compilation | tape/ DL |
Timeline
2015, May 2, Ski Lodge
2015, August 28, Newtown Bowls Club
2015, September 17, Raw Panic!
2015, September 19, Valhalla
2015, October 17, Moon Bar
2015, October 23, Punkfest
2015, October 31, The Crown
2015, November 21, Duncan Pavilion
2016
2016, February 20, Lucha Lounge
2016, March 13, Wiped Out
2016, April 8, Valhalla
2016, June 4, The Cabana
