...this is the best band in the world - especially for a guitar player like me. You’re like the lead vocalist. Thijs is important but this is really like a guitar band, so you’re like the front man in a sense, as a guitar player, y’know, which is kind of unique - so for me..
A NEW DAY FESTIVAL – Mount Ephraim Gardens, Faversham, Kent, 16th-18th August 2024
A main review, and around and about chatting to some of the bands... All Band Photos: Les Linyard, Linyard Photography Once again, the beautiful grounds and gardens of Mount Ephrain provided the setting for this year’s A New Day Festival (ANDF). One glance at the festival line-up and, if you’re a rock fan of a..
FOCUS – Focus 12 (Spirit Of The Unicorn / Cherry Red)
The groan-inducingly (yet amusingly) titled Fjord Focus is classic Focus bottled and labelled with the word 'Vintage', as Gootjes' sublimely lyrical playing dances all over the track sprinkling fairydust in its wake, and it is impossible to suppress the immediate impression of 'at last - Focus are back!' Focus are a peculiar band - or..
Focus Release New Single ‘Fjord Focus’ From Upcoming Focus 12 Album
Spirit of Unicorn Music are pleased to announce the release of FJORD FOCUS, the new single from Focus, taken from their forthcoming album Focus 12, which releases on July 5th. Fjord Focus - as with much of the new album - was written by stalwart band leader and progressive music legend, Thijs Van Leer. About..
FOCUS ANNOUNCE NEW STUDIO ALBUM ‘FOCUS 12’ for July Release
Spirit of Unicorn Music are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of FOCUS 12, the brand new studio album from Focus. Founded by Thijs van Leer, Focus have been at the forefront of the progressive music movement since 1969, yet they still continue to deliver engaging, innovative and skillfully crafted music. Focus 12 exemplifies this..
Wucan – an example of lost connections?
I expect most of you have twigged by now that Brexit has brought about a lot of changes, most of which haven't been quite as intended by the Powers That Be. Lob into that the maelstrom that was the Pandemic, and nothing is quite what it used to be. One end result of all this..
Jan Akkerman – Trading Boundaries, Fletching, East Sussex, 11 Mar 2022
The mesmerising van den Berg ... might just be the best drummer I have ever seen... When legendary ex-Focus guitar maestro Jan Akkerman released his latest album Close Beauty in October 2019, the self-confessed Anglophile expressed his desire to return to the UK and tour. In March 2020 though, the Covid lockdown came along and..
Focus 50 Years Anthology 1970-1976 (Red Bullet)
If, like me, you’ve been following Dutch prog masters Focus for the almost all of the 50 years of their existence, you will have had multiple opportunities to buy the back calalogue. Again, like me you may have ‘replaced’ your vinyl copies with CD versions, some released as early as 1987. 2017 saw the Red..
JAN AKKERMAN – CLOSE BEAUTY (Mascot)
... if you like hearing musical virtuosos in action, you’ll enjoy what’s included here When the lists of the top guitarists of the 60’s and 70’s are compiled, the familiar names are always included - Clapton, Beck, Page, etc - with a few others following in their slipstream, such as Peter Green, Eddie van Halen..