Focus
In Concert

In January 1973, the Dutch band Focus recorded a live show at the Paris Theatre in London for the BBC, presented by Bob Harris. The English radio captures the group in an extraordinary moment of form, following the successful releases of "Moving Waves" and "Focus III". 

The group doesn’t fail to bring their proverbial humor and verve across the Channel, along with an exceptional technical skill that combines Jan Akkerman's hard rock with Thijs Van Leer's classical and jazz training, not forgetting elements of folk music, another major source of inspiration for progressive bands of the '70s. What is presented to the British audience is an entirely instrumental concert, except for the yodeling vocals in "Hocus Pocus", in "Answers? Questions! Questions? Answer!" and the opener track "Anonymous II": in fact, the evening opens with this massive suite, which revisits, reworks, and extends "Anonymous", which had already appeared on the first album. Twenty-one minutes of musical jam, in which nothing is missing: a rapid initial organ riff with neo-classical sounds, Thijs Van Leer's flute solo in Ian Anderson style and for musical correctness I would like that when speaking of flute in rock music one not only remembers the frontman of Jethro Tull, but also the Dutch organist-singer, who plays the flute with a unique energy (and mastery). No time is wasted before Van Leer kicks off an electric piano solo, changing the context from rock to jazz in the blink of an eye. So skilled that the style change is seamless, all complemented by Akkerman's searing guitar, who churns out powerful riffs as if nothing, then steps aside, along with the rest of the group, to give the stage to Burt Reiter and his electric bass. We're at the first song and the group is already off to a flying start: first it's Jan Akkerman's turn and then Pierre Van Der Linden on drums delighting the audience and closing the piece under the roaring applause of the audience.

Bob Harris introduces the band members, then moves on to more measured rhythms with "Focus I" and "Focus III", setting aside hard and aggressive rock to carry the listeners on the wings of sweet and dreamy melodies. In these songs, the group’s jazz component clearly prevails, showcasing their skill. A real Music lesson. "Focus III" transitions thanks to Burt Reiter’s bass line to a song with an ironic title: "Answers? Questions! Questions? Answer!". A twelve-minute mini-suite, where Thijs Van Leer's voice is heard again, hitting unprecedented high notes. Here too, rhythm changes and rock-jazz passages are a must, before returning once again to the melody of the two previous songs with "Focus II", which ends the dream begun almost twenty minutes earlier.

A final contribution from the presenter and then on to the last song, probably the most famous by Focus, the one recently used as a song for the Nike World Cup commercial: "Hocus Pocus". The song was composed in Groeneveld Castle in Baarn, Netherlands. This was a meeting place for many artists, especially filmmakers and writers. Jan Akkerman conceived the initial riff, very hard rock which he repeats four times, supported by Van Der Linden’s relentless drums, which lead into a two-measure solo, then, the master stroke: Thijs Van Leer creates a yodel-style vocalization that culminates in a piercing scream. This base is ideal for creating various kinds of variations and gags, such as using the flute instead of yodeling or Van Leer's whistling, who does not fail to personally introduce the group, for the well-deserved and fully earned applause.

Incredibly ingenious, at the beginning of the '70s Focus established themselves as true Masters of progressive rock on the world stage.