Gig Of The Week: YOSO

WHO: YOSO

WHERE: Leamington Spa Assembly

WHEN: Sunday, October 10

Something of a supergroup, YOSO bring together Bobby Kimball – the man who sang on some of Toto’s biggest hits – and one-time Yes pair Tony Kaye (keyboards) and Billy Sherwood (bass/vocals).

The band have only been going about a year, making their live debut in Mexico during December 2009, and then recorded their well-received debut album. Titled Elements, it was released by Frontiers in July. Now, joined by guitarist Johnny Bruhns (from Yes tribute and Roundabout) and drummer Scott Connor (from Genesis tribute band Gabble Ratchet), they’ve also got a show in London, at the Jazz Cafe on October 11.

Their live set features not only material from the aforementioned album, but also from both the Yes and Toto back c atalogues.

Says Sherwood about the choice of songs from their illustrious pasts: “We wanted to select the material we had a direct connection to. For Yes we play the 90125 era which Tony represents, as well as vintage era {songs from the first three Yes records}. From my era of Yes we play Open Your Eyes’,  but have shifted the arrangement and made it more proggy rather than the Yes version which was a bit more commercial in its approach. For Toto, the Kimball era music was the obvious choice.

“We play half of the album. There was a request from the promoters, as well as the fans, for us to play the Yes and Toto material so we divided the set up, so that we represent each branch of the tree equally. One third YOSO, a third Yes and a third Toto. In addition, we all do our solo spots.”

Expect to hear all the familiar songs being given a new twist, YOSO style.

“They have all gone through the Yoso sieve and have come into view with ease. Being a bass player and from the prog world I tend to expand the bass parts from the Toto material. The Yes material has the crazy bass parts, so I thought it a cool idea to cross that way of playing bass over to Toto music.”

Sherwood insists this is the priority project for all three of the founders, and expect Connor and Bruhm to remain for future recordings.

“We have rounded out the band, and I believe we will go into the next record with each man at his station rather than how the debut record was produced. I played a majority of the instruments on that record, I did drums, bass, guitars and I am looking forward to just playing bass and letting the two new guys do their thing. Tony Kaye handled all the keys, and will remain doing so, of course.”

Find out more at www.myspace.com/yosohq