Janus Stark

Janus Stark

Janus Stark is a punk rock group from Peterborough, active from 1997 to 2002. The group’s line-up includes Gizz Butt, Shop, Pinch, Carl Alty and Ben Calbert.

Background

The band emerges from musicians who have been active together since the early 1980s under the name English Dogs. In that earlier phase, they tour internationally and release records under that name. After a run of independently released punk records, the project folds in the late 1980s, with the members continuing in other bands while remaining in contact.

Name change and recordings

In the mid-1990s, the group decides to revive English Dogs, but after signing to Trauma Records in 1997 they are required to use a different name. They adopt Janus Stark, taking the name from an obscure 1970s comic-book character. Their first album, Great Adventure Cigar, appears in 1998 on Trauma and presents the band’s punk rock sound in its new form.

Related work

Before Janus Stark takes shape, guitarist Gizz Butt also plays with The Prodigy, contributing to The Fat of the Land and touring with the group for three years.