DODGY, with REBECCA DE WINTER and BOWFINGER.
Bedford Esquires Lev 2 Friday 10th August 2012.
As George Bernard Shaw once remarked so famously, "Youth is wasted on the young". This quote sprang to mind as I surveyed the main stage room prior to the arrival of tonight's headliners DODGY. It's near on twenty years since this band could do no wrong, both in the charts and at the many festivals that they appeared at, including the ninety minute set on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury 1997. This evening also represents a return trip here as they appeared back in 1993.
There is a natural air of expectancy as Dodgy spend some thirty minutes setting up. Finally, just after 10.30 the band arrive onstage to loud cheers from a near full house attendance. Who dares to say that nostalgia isn't what it used to be! I freely admit that I wasn't a huge fan of the Brit Pop era and would cynically offer that Dodgy could be construed as a novelty band that somehow struck lucky with a couple of catchy songs. Amongst these keen fans I am certainly in the minority tonight. The teenagers of the mid nineties are out in force to recapture their school disco days. Not only did Dodgy reform to remind people of the old hits, they released a new album earlier this year entitled "Stand upright in a cool place". This comes a decade after their last studio album. Apparently Nigel Clark wrote everything on an acoustic guitar. It's influenced by Townes Van Zandt. Of the songs that Dodgy showcased from it tonight, only "Raggedstone hill" touched my musical taste buds. Indeed, when the new stuff was offered up, large sections of the crowd did appear to lose interest. This more mature Dodgy with its countryish mellow rhythms and precise harmonies are not the youthful fun band that these people grew up with. "What becomes of you" features early on and was the first single from the album. Their current new release is "Only a heartbeat" and could be loosely described as almost a Rutles pastiche to the fab four! This sometimes air of melancholy is suitably lifted when "Staying out for the summer" starts up. Party time has begun. The band become philosophical; "Has it changed or is it the same ol, same ol, have we still got hope in the room?". The crowd's reaction during and after the song leads Nigel to comment, rather emotionally, "Thank you. That was amazing Bedford"!
The same reaction also applies to "In a room". Dodgy reveal that originally this song was quite slow when they first wrote it. They were told to speed it up and they did. After some seventy five minutes the band take their applause and leave the stage to loud cheers. Lights are dimmed but we know that they are coming back. Dodgy reappear with a witty quip "We've got a change of shirts but not trousers" and start with a bouncy and danceable Northern soul cover. It's then time for the highlight for so many here and an extra long version of "Good enough" is a fitting finale. The band milk it prodigiously and leave their fans fully sated.
Strong support for the evening, brought to us by The Pad Presents, begins with the wonderfully talented REBECCA DE WINTER who is ably assisted by her various supporting cast of musicians. The familiar songs are effortlessly knitted together by Rebecca's divine vocals and deft keyboard skills. One of her older compositions called "Stranger" is a song I like to ponder over tonight. Originally composed in the Tinker Jack days, it has been completely overhauled in its musical style. It has a lovely jazzy blues feel to it now which really suits. With "Shy bride" even more enchanting than usual, the set ends far too quickly before Rebecca and friends are sadly "Gone, gone, gone".
BOWFINGER are one of my favourite bands and I make no secret of the fact. It's great to see this Luton quartet play to such a large audience as they deserve it. Their set list has changed little over the years but they are so catchy and addictive. Their mod based compositions are always bubbly and bouncy. "Everything is easy" always raises my spirits. Their heady brew of tunes also features the up tempo "Action girl" and "Get the pressure". Wonderful stuff.
Review by Martin Stapleton www.bedfordalternativemusic.co.uk