Focus

You will have to forgive me if I doze off half way through this post; it was after two in the a.m. when I went to bed last night and I am not unlike the living dead this morning. Even the coffee is only skirting the edges. I shall try to stay awake for you, my Only Reader.

Last night after work ellefurtle and I swanned off to Camden to see Focus play in the Jazz Café in Parkway. We stopped in at Strada for a pizza before the gig and then went on to the venue. It might have been better if we’d gone to the pub for an hour, but who’s to know?

At £4.60 a pint, we lasted our less than perfect ciders and chatted a while before the warm up act went on. It was just before that, at about 7.35 or so, we should have realised that we were in for a wait. Thijs van Leer was in the bar chatting to patrons and announced he was wandering next door for something to eat. I mean, fair enough, but in the end Focus didn’t come on until just before nine and with a short break played until just after eleven.

The backing act was a solo singer/guitarist. He had a very good voice, but I was less impressed with his material with its twee lyrics. Imagine a young Chris de Burgh with depression; you won’t be far off the mark. He did finish off with a fine rendition of a song called ‘Home Grown’ – but not the Neil Young song. I have forgotten his name. It tefloned off my brain as soon as he told us.



Focus, when they came on were pretty good. They played some bits and pieces I didn’t like so much, but we got enough of the good stuff to make it worth the trip. We even got Sylvia twice – once in the main set and then in the encore. The guitarist, an emergency replacement for the usual player who had had to return to Holland for personal reasons, was more than competent, but had to improvise a couple of riffs. Thijs van Leer was on form and is clearly a little potty, but in a good way.

My only real complaint is that the band showcased each member with extended solos in the middle of Hocus Pocus. The guitarist was, as I say, more than competent, but his solo was not overly imaginative. I’m not sure that anyone really needs a long bass solo and good as he is, Pierre van der Linden could have shown off his drumming for a shorter session. Van Leer and his keyboard/flute set was the best of the four, but a more standard rendition of the song would have been preferable.

Still, overall, a good gig and worth the price (less than half that charged to see the Moodys a month ago!). I have a double CD, available at the gigs only to listen to and Furtle has a Focus cap!

All I have to do now is stay awake all day. A late night at the beginning of the week isn’t so good…

Oh, and I’m out again tonight. It’s jimfer’s night out...

Focus

You will have to forgive me if I doze off half way through this post; it was after two in the a.m. when I went to bed last night and I am not unlike the living dead this morning. Even the coffee is only skirting the edges. I shall try to stay awake for you, my Only Reader.

Last night after work ellefurtle and I swanned off to Camden to see Focus play in the Jazz Café in Parkway. We stopped in at Strada for a pizza before the gig and then went on to the venue. It might have been better if we’d gone to the pub for an hour, but who’s to know?

At £4.60 a pint, we lasted our less than perfect ciders and chatted a while before the warm up act went on. It was just before that, at about 7.35 or so, we should have realised that we were in for a wait. Thijs van Leer was in the bar chatting to patrons and announced he was wandering next door for something to eat. I mean, fair enough, but in the end Focus didn’t come on until just before nine and with a short break played until just after eleven.

The backing act was a solo singer/guitarist. He had a very good voice, but I was less impressed with his material with its twee lyrics. Imagine a young Chris de Burgh with depression; you won’t be far off the mark. He did finish off with a fine rendition of a song called ‘Home Grown’ – but not the Neil Young song. I have forgotten his name. It tefloned off my brain as soon as he told us.



Focus, when they came on were pretty good. They played some bits and pieces I didn’t like so much, but we got enough of the good stuff to make it worth the trip. We even got Sylvia twice – once in the main set and then in the encore. The guitarist, an emergency replacement for the usual player who had had to return to Holland for personal reasons, was more than competent, but had to improvise a couple of riffs. Thijs van Leer was on form and is clearly a little potty, but in a good way.

My only real complaint is that the band showcased each member with extended solos in the middle of Hocus Pocus. The guitarist was, as I say, more than competent, but his solo was not overly imaginative. I’m not sure that anyone really needs a long bass solo and good as he is, Pierre van der Linden could have shown off his drumming for a shorter session. Van Leer and his keyboard/flute set was the best of the four, but a more standard rendition of the song would have been preferable.

Still, overall, a good gig and worth the price (less than half that charged to see the Moodys a month ago!). I have a double CD, available at the gigs only to listen to and Furtle has a Focus cap!

All I have to do now is stay awake all day. A late night at the beginning of the week isn’t so good…

Oh, and I’m out again tonight. It’s jimfer’s night out...