So! The Reviews

So! The Twist Music Venue, Colchester.

25th May 1998

After a few years in the dark, Steve Overland returns with a new, aptly named outfit, So!. Joining Steve in this new project is his former FM counterpart, Pete Jupp.

Unsurprisingly, the quality of the material the audience are subjected to from the instant the guys take to the stage is faultless, it feels bloody good to stand in the venue and absorb that voice of velvet.

The music tends heavily towards the dominant keyboard playing of

Lyndon J. and Nigel's brilliant guitar work. At one point, the keyboard stand didn't look too secure as Lyndon played away quite vigorously.

Opener `High' sets the standard for the remainder of the evening with it's immense intro and tremendous hooks. The vocally orientated `Hole in My Life' with it's acoustic presence and `Touch the Moon' drop the tempo slightly. The latter featured some very valiant backing vocals from Pete.

Their performance of the new single `Baby Blue' - released this week - simply has the crowd eating out of their hands. It's guitar based melody is excellent and sounds fantastic live.

Tonight's platter of talent from So! was further garnished by the

classic `Only the Strong Survive' plus an encore of `Baby Blue' with a plea for everyone to go out and buy a copy.

After this tour there's rumours that So! will go out supporting Paul

Rodgers and Thunder on a triple bill - I know I'll be there!!!!

Nikki Shariat.

So! Telford Warehouse, Chester.

15th May 1998.

What could be better than a gig at the pub at the bottom of my road, lots of beer and a great band. Nothing. Right. Because tonight Chester my hometown is playing host to Steve Overland and Pete Jupp, two stalwarts of the British AOR scene of the last 12 years, who are appearing with their new band So!

Anybody that came here tonight expecting `Frozen Heart', `American Girls' or any other FM anthem would have been sorely disappointed as this band may contain Ex-FM members, but it's a totally different animal style wise, with Steve Overland re-inventing himself for the 90's. Gone are the poodle perms, to be replaced with sensible haircuts; without the image this is a band that has to rely on their songs, and Oh! what great songs they are.

The jangly guitar sound of `High' opened the set, with great harmonies and was quite anthemic in style, while `Touch the Moon' and `Bittersweet' have a very heavy Jellyfish vibe to them. The latter could come from the debut Jellyfish album. `Hole in My Life had a very Supertramp style intro with a few FM Wooaa Wooaa's over the top of it.

`Follow In Your Footsteps' and `Baby Blue' borrow heavily from the likes of The Beatles and Crowded House, in `Baby Blue' the current single, they have a potential hit, kind of "The Beatles meets FM……………..Perfection.

`This Time' sees Steve slowing it down a bit, for a moody, atmospheric ballad, that was the best song of the night. Just listen to it and marvel at how far Steve Overland and Pete Jupp have come since they split FM, with great guitar playing from Nigel Spennyewn, this has all the hallmarks of a classic.

`All I Ever Really Wanted' was next. A new song that isn't on the album and featured some nice piano and great drumming from Pete Jupp, who was very reserved tonight. `Colour Of My Dreams' sees Steve trying to jump on the Britpop bandwagon, and you know what? He does it effortlessly and what Blur and Oasis have tried to do in the last couple of years, he's done in one song. `If You Were To Leave Me', the B-side of the current single, reminded me of Slade's `Cum On Feel The Noize' on the intro and chorus. To please the FM faithful they dragged `Only The Strong Survive' into the 90's, kicking and screaming, and I will just say "Chester, you are crap singers".

They did `Baby Blue' again as an encore, just in case you didn't get it the first time, and that was it. A great set, from a great band, and if a combination of the likes of Jellyfish, Squeeze, Crowded House and the Beatles does it for you, then check this lot out as the were………..fantastic…!!!!!