Venus Fly Trap to mark 40th anniversary with Black Prince headline gig

The Northampton post-punk darkwave act, led by Alex Novak, released the compilation Déjà Vu 1986-2026 in July and to mark its release, the band – along with some special guests – will headline The Black Prince on Saturday.

Novak formed Venus Fly Trap in 1986 when he returned to Northampton having spent time in London playing in Attrition.

He said: “It’s pretty close to 40 years since we formed. The first gig we ever played was at Stax on the Wellingborough Road, but that doesn’t exist anymore.

“The next place would have been in The Racehorse which is now The Black Prince, so it’s right we mark it there.”

Stax went onto open as venues including Monroes, Oysters Wine Bar, The Bunker and Down Under.

After forming in the middle of 1986, Venus Fly Trap released their first record Morphine in 1987 and their first album Mars the following year via French label Danceteria.

Numerous albums, singles, EPs and compilations followed, with the band’s latest album Icon released in 2018 via Glass Modern.

Venus Fly Trap currently comprise of Novak and Andy Denton who have been the sole members since the late 1990s – but many names have come and gone through the band’s ranks during their career.

They originally featured Alex’s brother John and Tony Booker who performed together with a drum machine.

After John departed, Booker moved to guitar and bassist Chris Evans joined.

“The one thing about Venus Fly Trap is there's been quite a few different members over the years,” explains Novak. “The current line-up has been pretty stable - myself and Andy have been doing stuff since about 1999.

“The line-up changed every couple of years but that’s what happens with a lot of bands.

“That’s why bands stop, When we toured and someone couldn’t do it – I’d just got someone else to cover it.”

Looking back at the early years of Venus Fly Trap, Novak said: “It was a very productive time and scene.

“There’s always been a lot of bands in Northampton but the struggle has always been the venues - but we had a different attitude in Venus Fly Trap.

“We got gigs outside of Northampton pretty much straight away. We signed to Danceteria and played in Paris within about a year.

“We were looking outwards where as a lot of bands are quite insular.”

The early years of the band saw Novak play across Europe and he says those gigs remain some of his favourite.

He said: “Playing La Locomotive in Paris which was next door to the Moulin Rouge was great, as was playing for the first time in Germany, Holland and Belgium and going to Eastern Europe.

“Playing in Czechoslovakia in 1991 was a real eye opener, it was like something out of a spy movie with bullet holes in walls and shops selling clothes which looked like they were from the 1970s. It was quite a culture shock, probably for them and us.”

Mr Novak has always handled press and bookings for his bands – saying it’s always been a very “DIY” process.

“I can remember doing one tour when we had contacts in France, Belgium and Germany,” he explains.

“I rang up a venue in Vienna because we needed another date and just did it on the phone. I think we supported a band from America called Anti-Scene. If you’re touring, it’s good to have less days off.

“Being from the UK gives you a bigger reach, if you do well it transfers well to other countries.

“I think the UK scene does get picked up abroad but we had an advantage because I was always sending stuff to magazines and labels.”

Across its 20 songs, Déjà Vu brings together album tracks, rarities, new mixes and new material.

The compilation charts the evolution and shift in sound across their four decades. “Originally because we had a drum machine it made us sound a certain way,” explains Mr Novak. “We were pitching ourselves in that Joy Division, Sisters, Velvet Underground kind of sound originally.

“But as people bring their own influences it changes. At one point we had a full band with a keyboard player, so it's going to be very different to a three-piece with a drum machine.”

By the end of the 1990s the band had pivoted to a more electronic than guitar based sound.

“It wasn’t easy putting together 20 tracks and if I was asked again, it might be different,” explains Mr Novak.

“I keep everything,” he adds. “I’ve got everything I’ve ever recorded - some which has never been released, but it might at some point. There’s demos and a lot of live stuff.”

At The Black Prince on Saturday, Venus Fly Trap will play an extended set, which is expected to feature former members of the band.

However, Mr Novak isn’t revealing who just yet – adding, “We’re going to be playing some stuff we haven’t done for a while and there’s going to be people coming up from the early line-up.

“There’s a lot of people connected with the band and I’m going to keep it a surprise.”

Déjà Vu 1986-2026 is available to buy via Bandcamp and also via Mr Novak’s record shop Spiral Archive which is in Hazlewood Road.

Tickets for the gig on Saturday, September 12, cost £7 in advance before fees via https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Northampton/The-Black-Prince/Venus-Fly-Trap-1986-2026--special-guests/42402658. Doors open at 8pm. Music is from 9pm.