Gizz Butt
A punk guitarist who brought searing riffs and raw energy to stadiums as a key member of The Prodigy's live juggernaut in the 1990s.
Born 1966 (age 60)·British musician·Birthday: August 3·Generation X
Biography
Gizz Butt emerged from the UK's hardcore punk scene, cutting his teeth with bands like the English Dogs before forging his own path. In 1997, his ferocious guitar work caught the ear of The Prodigy, who were morphing from rave pioneers into a full-throttle rock-electronic hybrid. Butt was recruited as their live guitarist, a role that placed him at the heart of the chaos during the explosive 'Fat of the Land' tour, playing to colossal crowds worldwide. Alongside this, he fronted his own band, Janus Stark, which delivered a potent mix of punk and metal, scoring a minor hit in 1999. Butt never settled as a sideman; he has remained a constant, respected figure in the underground, leading projects and producing, embodying the DIY spirit of punk long after the stadium lights dimmed.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Gizz was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gizz Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Gizz's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the live guitarist for The Prodigy during their peak commercial period in the late 1990s.
- Founded and fronted the punk band Janus Stark, which released the album 'Great Adventure Cigar' in 1999.
- Had a UK Top 40 hit with Janus Stark's single "Every Little Thing Counts" in 1999.
Did You Know?
Before joining The Prodigy, he was a member of the UK hardcore punk band English Dogs.
He is a skilled producer and has worked on records for other punk and metal acts.
Butt is known for his distinctive, aggressive guitar tone and technical playing style within punk genres.
“Plug in, turn up, and let the noise do the talking.”
