ONCE upon a time there were three happy hippies from Birmingham named Nigel, Andy and Matthew, who travelled the length and breadth of the land in their jolly Combie Van, merrily smoking spliffs and playing their pop tastic tunes at every festival, solstice and bypass protest along the way. They called themselves Dodgy, and to their growing legion of disciples they were more than just a pop group - they were a crusty design for life.
Since they formed in 1992, Dodgy have lived up to their name in more ways than one. Their "itinerant hippie" image for a start, which conjured up bad memories of The Wonder Stuff in their fiddle fondling heyday. Then there was the "political" stance, whereby the band would stand at Speakers Corner and rant against John Major, and generally align themselves with all "green" causes, from the environment to the dreaded weed. And then there were the haircuts, which started out as variegated shrubbery, but have now been pared down to a sort of Police style blond that looks like it has been dragged through the Glastonbury mud.
One thing that's not dodgy about this trio of troubadours is the music they make from the release of their debut, The Dodgy Album in 1992, through the fragrant follow up, Homegrown in 1994, right up to this year's breakthrough Free Peace Sweet, Dodgy's sharp, sussed pop style has shone through the smoke filled haze. Basically, they write bloody great songs, and Dodgy's road to the top of Britpop has been marked by such timeless tunes as Water Under The Bridge, Making The Most Of and Staying Out For The Summer.
And 1996 was indeed Dodgy's summer, which took off when Good Enough, the second single from the new album, was deemed by radio programmers to be good enough for heavy rotation. The song reached Number Four in the singles charts, but held pole position in the airplay charts, emerging as the most radio friendly tune of the season. The sun didn't shine all that much this summer, but whenever Good Enough wafted out of the trannie, warm glow seemed to settle.
Not the type of Brummies to forget their crusty roots, Dodgy turned their summer tour schedule into a genuine travelling circus, with a Dodgy gig as its grand finale. No trapeze artists or dancing elephants at the SFX tonight, however, just a line up of top homegrown tunes and some sweet three piece musicianship. There will probably be an acoustic set to start things off on an unplugged vibe, followed by a full on Dodgy show which should include the Who centric In A Room, the flowing One Of These Rivers, and the pensive new single, If You're Thinking Of Me. Don't dodge this gig.
