Headliners Dodgy looking forward to playing #OldhamLIVE

90s legends Dodgy are gearing up to grace Parliament Square with their indie pop anthems at this year’s #OldhamLIVE.

The band emerged to stardom during the Britpop era, pumping out 12 Top 40 singles, which included ‘Staying Out for the Summer’, ‘In a Room’ and ‘If You’re Thinking of Me’.

That’s not to mention ‘Good Enough’ – the smash hit that earned the group number four in the UK Singles Chart and officially one of the most played tracks on British radio in the last two decades.

Their return in 2012 brought with it the critically acclaimed album ‘Stand Upright in a Cool Place’. Its success was followed last September when Dodgy released their fifth album ‘What Are We Fighting For’ featuring new member Stu Thoy on bass.

The band believe this album – featuring Ultrasound’s Vanessa Wilson – is their best yet, and 4* reviews from papers such as Q and The Times tend to agree.

Releasing music now is not the same as it used to be though, as drummer Matthew Priest says: “It’s a weird one releasing albums nowadays, it really is.

“Nowadays really big bands can release an album and it’s kind of forgotten about two weeks later.

“I think that’s why a lot of artists are releasing a lot of material.

“We’re not in a position to do that, you know, because we all have different projects and we all do different things as well.

“There is a little bit of an anti-climax going on. You put all that effort into it and you get some good feedback from the fans and you go out and tour and all that, but you just get this feeling of … was that worth it? Was it worth putting all that effort in, and did people really appreciate it?”

The changing music scene won’t hold the group back, though: “It’s a weird one, but I think we’ve still got a lot more stuff in us. We’re always writing so there will be more stuff.”

In terms of #OldhamLIVE, the family festival featuring acts from Brit Award nominees Sweet Female Attitude to Owen Paul, the band are looking to spice classics up with a few new additions.

When asked about their hits, Priest said: “Yeah, they’ll all be there.

“I think we’ve got quite a decent set length.

“We’ll also be playing some new stuff as well - just because it keeps it fresh for us.”

The music section of Oldham’s free festival will begin at 6pm on Saturday August 25 following a day full of family activities. With special performances from Britain’s Got Talent’s Ella Shaw and a DJ set from Revolution 96.2’s Dave Sweetmore, the day isn’t one to be missed.