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Dodgy biography

Dodgy are an English powerpop rock trio that rose to prominence during the Britpop era of the 1990s, best known for their hits "Staying Out For The Summer" (their debut hit that reached #19 in the UK on re-release in 1995), "If You're Thinking Of Me" (#11) and "Good Enough" (their biggest hit, reaching #4 in the UK chart). Their music has been compared to that of The Who and The Hollies and more generally, with the Northern Soul movement.

History

Dodgy was born from the ashes of Purple, a trio from Redditch, who had moved to London and was composed of Nigel Clark on bass, Mathew Priest on drums and David Griffith on guitar. Shortly after their arrival in London in 1988, Frederic Colier joined the band as the bass guitarist, leaving room for Clark to explore new vocal possibilities. The new formation first settled in Battersea using their living quarters as a rehearsal space, which got them in trouble with the neighbors. The quartet then relocated in a detached house in Hounslow, where they turned the garage into a recording studio. The band played extensively around the London music circuit. It was during that time that the band met their future manager, Andy Winter. Purple's sound was greatly influenced by The Jam and The Who, especially the combo Priest and Colier, whose style resembled the ones of Keith Moon and John Entwistle.

Strong dissension, however, within the band about musical direction led to the dismissal of Griffith. Purple became a trio again, with Clark stepping in as the guitarist. The trio performed several concerts around London before agreeing that a lead guitarist was needed. After placing an ad in the magazine Loot for a "Jimi Hendrix required," the band invited Ben Lurie, a guitarist from Australia, to join them, only to see Lurie leaving them less than a week later to join The Jesus and Mary Chain, then an already prominent band. Shortly after, Andy Miller, a talented guitarist who had impressed the band members by his ability to play most of Led Zeppelin's songs, joined the band. Armed with a new sound, the band decided to change its name. It is during this time of transition and intense song writing that Frederic Colier was involved in an accident that forced him to an early musical retirement when a baby grand piano landed on his wrist.

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