Biography
Formed during the early 1980s, the British musicians Gizz Butt on vocals and guitars, Shop on bass, and Pinch on drums first gained notice through worldwide tours and multiple releases issued under the name English Dogs. Several independently released punk classics appeared before the group dissolved in the late 1980s, after the English punk scene turned increasingly violent under pressure from neo-Nazi skinheads who harassed longtime regulars. Although the members pursued projects in other groups, they maintained contact and revived English Dogs in the mid-1990s amid a broader punk resurgence fueled by Nirvana, Green Day, and Offspring. Prior to finalizing any new contract, guitarist Gizz secured a role with alt-dance thrashers Prodigy, contributing to their 1997 mega-hit The Fat of the Land and joining a year-long run of stadium performances. The trio signed with Trauma Records that same year yet had to abandon the English Dogs name because the Queen of England must approve any registered use of the word “English.” They settled instead on Janus Stark, drawn from an obscure 1970s comic-book character, and soon issued the album Great Adventure Cigar on the label, confirming that their punk edge remained fully intact.
Albums
