Camden Monarch, London - Sunday 11th November 2001
After what had seemed like years out of action, Gizz Butt's pop-punkers made a welcome return on a cold Sunday night in Camden. However the Janus Stark of old are no more, and this is altogether a different, more brutal beast.
Janus Stark take to the stage with a brand new song 'Omagh Sheriff' - brilliant title - and the first thing that hits you full in the face is the fact that the glorious rock n roll of 'Enemy Lines' and 'Every Little Thing Counts' have disappeared. Janus Stark are now, undeniably, a full on metal band (as supported by the fact they bagged the support slot on Fear Factory's recent tour).
This is obviously a showcase for new material as only one song from the excellent 'Great Adventure Cigar' album makes it into the main set. 'White Man' stands out like a sore thumb next to riff heavy bruisers like 'Near Extinction' and 'Chez Wrong' but this is mainly due to unfamiliarity. The new stuff sounds very promising and Gizz's guitar playing is as impressive as ever, but tonight the encore pisses all over the main set with '...Counts' and 'Barriers' getting an airing. I can see the new material alienating a lot of the old fans, but in the current climate Janus Stark Mk II may have a good chance of success. Time will tell.
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Joe Dimmer
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