The Britpop band who turned down Oasis’ legendary Knebworth shows for a gig in Bosnia

‘This was the heart-breaking decision time, but in many ways it was a no brainer’

They were the biggest gigs of the 1990s.

But one band actually turned down the chance to support Oasis at Knebworth… in order to play a concert in a warzone. The Gallagher brothers, who today have announced they will play an extra two nights at Knebworth during next year’s tour, performed to more than 250,000 people over two nights in August 1996.

They were supported by a who’s-who of the British music scene, including The Charlatans, Manic Street Preachers, The Prodigy, Cast, The Chemical Brothers and Kula Shaker. But one band were missing from the line-up, despite being asked to play.

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Dodgy had a new album in the pipeline and had just released the hit single Good Enough, which would go on to become the most played song on British radio that year. But despite being offered a plum support slot at Knebworth they turned it down, because they’d already promised to perform a show in war-torn Bosnia.

In a post on Facebook today, the band revealed how the bizarre situation came about. After playing a number of benefit gigs in support of Liverpool’s striking dockers, Dodgy came to the attention of the Workers Aid Convoy, who were providing humantarian aid to people in Tuzla in north east Bosnia, then still recovering from the bloody war in which tens of thousands of people were killed.

Dodgy were asked to headline a festival in the city, then also asked to perform in nearby Sarajevo. But after booking the shows the band were then invited to play at Knebworth.

They wrote: “Oasis are playing Knebworth again, four times so far next September, but this news has prompted literally millions of people to ask if it’s true that Dodgy were asked to play Knebworth in 1996 and we turned it down? It’s true, and here’s why.

“As the album hit the charts and ‘Good Enough’ began to be a staple across UK radio stations, including being one of the most played singles across UK radio that summer, a fax was received from the booking agents of Oasis, informing them that Oasis would be playing some of the biggest gigs to date at Knebworth on August 10 and 11 and inviting the band to perform. The same dates as the Tuzla and Sarajevo events.

“This would be the opportunity for Dodgy to play to over 100,000 people during the release of their most successful single to date. This was the heart-breaking decision time, but in many ways it was a no brainer. In the end the band decided they couldn’t break their Bosnia commitment, especially considering the nature and significance of the event in Tuzla.”

But turning down the chance to play the gigs that defined an era, didn’t appear to harm the band’s success.

They added: “Nevermind not doing Knebworth, the record company were proper f***** off because of the complications of getting to Tuzla, the band had to leave several days before so would not be available for any Top Of The Pops appearance. Oops. It still got to No 4 and is still one of the most played tracks on British radio from the last 35 years, so…”