THE BODGIES

The Bodgies were a band unlike any other on the Adelaide scene at the beginning of the 1980s. Inspired by the likes of Hound Dog Taylor and Canned Heat, they delivered rocking blues and boogie to crowds at their weekly residency at the Angas Hotel. Brothers Geoff, Brian and Don Morrison weren’t born into a musical family, but they soon found they shared a love for making loud, exciting music together. As kids their grandmother would tell them to stay away from the ‘Bodgies’ at the fish and chip shop on a Friday night when they went for a feed. Her words, and those of a mate who told them their equipment was cheap and bodgie, inspired the name. David Sly from The Advertiser wrote ''The inimitable sound of Adelaide’s Bodgies is what can only be described as the earthy soul of Australian blues. If the Rolling Stones typified the English interpretation of American blues records, then The Bodgies successfully bought the rawest, rowdiest strain of real blues to local audiences''.

In 1980 they began recording an LP, but for a while it was uncertain whether or not they’d ever finish it. Early tapes were thought to have been lost in a fire at the recording studio only to turn up a week later with the engineer who’d stashed them in a bank vault instead of storing them at the scene of the blaze. The band recorded one of their legendary shows at the Angas Hotel to help fill out the material needed to fill a long player. Splitting up in 1982, 'The Sensational Bodgies' was the only album they ever released, though they’ve got together regularly for reunion gigs in the years since. Don Morrison says there’s still rarely a week that goes by when someone doesn’t ask him about the record, which just goes to prove that great music is indeed timeless. 

Members

Don Morrison (vocals/guitar/harp), Geoff Morrison (guitar), Brian Morrison (drums),
Fred Lange (bass), Mark Cornwall (bass), Nigel Sweeting (bass)

References

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rarecollections/adelaides-bodgies/5418918