Janus Stark

The first question people usually ask when you mention the name Janus Stark is “Janus who?!” Not only do the band go under a strange name, but until recently they had yet to release any music or play any gigs. So just what is Janus Stark ? To get the first question out of the way, Janus Stark take their odd name from a 1970’s comic book character. As an alternative, Gizz offers up a more startling meaning; “Janus is the name given to the computer controlling the British defense system. It was a coincidence really but it brings to mind raw, naked dangerous power.” Move on to the obvious next question – “Who are Janus Stark?”

If you’re unfamiliar with the name, then study the basics. Fronted by Prodigy live guitarist Gizz Butt, the band ploughed a trail as the English Dogs before writing a song called ‘Clique’ and changing their approach. Where the older English Dogs material was more abrasive and underground, ‘Clique’ was more considered, more instant and ultimately more memorable. Encouraged by this, Janus Stark hit a rich vein of songwriting that saw them go for a more accessible sound, with big choruses and meaty hooks that stood head and shoulders above the competition.

“The alternative club is the place for Janus Stark,” states Gizz. “They might play us inbetween Supergrass and Placebo. The main difference is our songs are like chants, and people will always enjoy the buzz of the chant, it’s uplifting, brings people together and it irritates those you want to irritate.”

Perhaps Gizz’s involvement with the Prodigy gave Janus Stark a world view that was missing before. Whatever the reason things began to happen. A deal was secured with Earache in the middle of ’97, and the band put all their energies into the debut album that would become ‘Great Adventure Cigar,’ with the able help of 3 Colours Red producer Terry Thomas. If a label had to be pinned to Janus Stark’s sound, then cutting edge melodic punk would be the simplest, but it doesn’t really explain the range of sounds on offer. ‘Floyd (What Are You On)’ houses a huge chorus underlined with a serious Pixie-esque bass line, whilst ‘White Man’ is the band’s heaviest number, coming on like Helmet with a bad hangover. The album’s most insistent track is ‘Every Little Thing Counts’, a tune that is so persistent that you can’t help singing along at the top of your voice before it drove you insane with its infectious chorus. As Gizz rightly points out: “The melodies write themselves, if you know what I mean. It’s infectious.”

Live, Janus Stark were able to prove their worth on the Earache:Next Gen98 tour, taking them to seven different countries in as many days and winning over many new converts – none of whom had heard the band’s material before. A triumphant end-of-tour set in London was captured on film by MTV Alternative Nation, another impressive achievement for a band whose only release was the limited ‘Dynamo’ single. Single-mindedness and an unshakeable conviction in what they are doing has led them this far.

Asked to sum up the album, Gizz is in no doubt: “Great Adventure Cigar – you’d begin smoking it at the beginning of the tour and it’d last right through to the end. A big fat experience. Or in this case listening to the album as it takes you through inner strength – re-education – understanding – the end of innocence – truth – living for the moment – growing up in public – tolerance and energy.”

And therein lies the secret of Janus Stark’s appeal – keeping it direct, immediate and to the point, with excess fat trimmed to a minimum but a with message to convey. With the Prodigy connection exposing Gizz to over a million people in the live arena and fans like the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl proclaiming Janus Stark ‘a great melodic kick up the ass,’ 1998’s breakthrough band is right here.