Dodgy
TWELVE months ago The Guide spoke to Dodgy drummer Matthew Priest ahead of the band's scheduled gig in Northampton.
The interview never saw the light of day after guitarist Andy Miller fell out of bed, chipping a bone in his arm – an accident which led to the cancellation of a string of dates on the band's reunion tour.
Now, with successful summer of festival performances behind them and a rearranged gig in Northampton next month, David Jackson spoke to Priest again to see how the past year had treated the band.
Priest heard of the accident the day before the band was due to kick off their first tour in more than 10 years.
"I felt sick," he explains, "My misses said she'd never seen me go grey.
"We'd had a whole week of rehearsals, I found out on the Saturday and we were due to start on the Sunday.
"It had been such an emotional time for us – especially after our lighting technician Andy Moore died on the first day of rehearsals back last November."
Priest explains that Moore, who had a terminal brain tumour, had already survived longer than medical experts had predicted.
"We knew he was going to die and had all thought it was going to happen sooner.
"All he wanted us to do was to get back together – he was the catalyst.
"It was such an emotional week, finding our way with each other after 10 years.
"His funeral was on the Friday before Andy fell out of bed.
"I just didn't know what to do at the time but it all worked out in the end – the only problem was that we had to cancel some shows, including the Northampton one, so I'm glad we can finally do it."
Dodgy formed in the 1990s and rose to fame with the classic hits including Staying Out For The Summer, and Good Enough.
Preceding the Britpop explosion led by Blur and Oasis, the band won fans across the
world.
The trio of bassist Nigel Clark, Miller and Priest released three albums during the decade and a fourth was produced without Clark.
After disbanding, the band re-formed last year and spent this summer playing festivals across the country – including a gig across at Leicester's Summer Sundae Weekender.
"We managed to bring the sun out at a few," jokes Priest.
"Summer Sundae was one of our favourites, it was the right kind of audience for Dodgy – they were really up for it."
After their tour the band started work on new material, with Matthew saying the shows solidified the trio and proved there was a sense of unfinished business.
"We finished at the top with our most successful album and a top five hit, toured the world and split up," explains Matthew.
"We didn't have a period of being rubbish, which a lot of bands tend to have."
Two of the demos the band worked on are available online and will be on sale at gigs on this tour.
Down In The Flood tells the tale of when Clark was stranded near Worcester during the summer floods.
The band chose to immediately release the single online for people to download.
"The song is about humans being put in situations and having to be club together and pull together," says Priest. "It wouldn't have meant so much if we hadn't been able to put it out straight away online for free.
"We want to get out new stuff out for free straight away, especially if we have a song like that."
The speedy release of the song, which won praise from Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, flies in the face of Chinese Democracy, the first album of new material from Guns N' Roses for 17 years which was released earlier this week.
"Of course it sounds good – with 14 years of production of course it's going to sound good, but it's an example of what is wrong with the music industry right now," explains Priest.
"What on earth has it got to do with the original band which were vital, young and happening?
"It's an exercise in marketing and there are enough stupid people who are going to buy it."
Dodgy don't know yet if they will physically release a new album or simply continue to release songs online, with Priest saying CDs don't mean anything to kids into music now.
"I would like to be able to make an album and in your head a band still goes towards making one – but I don't know if it still exists," explains Priest.
"If there's enough demand we'll do an album."
Despite their frequent inclusion in the Britpop genre of the 1990s, the band try to distance themselves from the tag, claiming the catch-all phrase belittles the achievements of artists during the period.
"We released a pop album in 1993 – we never said we're Britpop, it didn't matter, but feel it belittles your achievements a bit," says Priest.
Finally, turning to the prospect of Top Of The Pops returning for Christmas, Priest says if the show was relevant, with a good range of bands, he'd like to see it permanently back on the BBC.
"I was sad to see it go but the last few years were rubbish.
"Satellite music television really is just not the same.
"If it came back I'd want to see it featuring bands like Los Campesinos!, not the likes of Girls Aloud."
Dodgy play the Northampton Picturedrome on Saturday, December 6.
Tickets cost 15 and doors open at 8pm.
For more information visit www.myspace.com/dodgyuk.
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