flyfisher Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Anyone else here a fan of the vintage prog-rockers? I saw them last night at Hertford Corn Exchange. A nice small venue (200 max?) that I've played maybe a dozen times over the years so it was quite weird seeing my teenage musical heroes playing on the very same stage. They did a somewhat better job that I've ever managed though! Great evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Seen them 2 or 3 times since their 'comeback' when basically Van Leer went out and recruited a Focus tribute as his backing band. In more recent times P van der Linden has returned on drums so its got more credibility. Off to see them in Leicester on Friday all being well then Camel in Wolverhampton on Sunday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Glad you enjoyed it. When I was a kid, I used to love Hocus and Sylvia . However, I bought the live at the rainbow album many years ago. Hocus pocus with flute solo?? Wtf . It was soon gone . Not rock ( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I do sylvia in my band, because the guitarist likes it. I only heard of them a few years ago. I really don't get why anyone particularly likes it, to me it is just playing the same riff over and over in slightly different places until you finish. I listened to hocus pocus for the first time the other day and wtf? I know that songs are just taste, but I really don't understand why they are called prog rock - I guess it is in the 'it has guitars and it isn't 4/4' meaning of the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 [quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1381782134' post='2243796'] Glad you enjoyed it. When I was a kid, I used to love Hocus and Sylvia . However, I bought the live at the rainbow album many years ago. Hocus pocus with flute solo?? Wtf . It was soon gone . Not rock ( [/quote] Can't imagine Hocus Pocus [i]without[/i] that flute break personally. Live at the rainbow was the first full focus album I heard, still sounds great to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I saw them in Belfast a while back. The show was far better than I expected. I still have all the albums on vinyl somewhere in the loft. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1381781999' post='2243790'] Seen them 2 or 3 times since their 'comeback' when basically Van Leer went out and recruited a Focus tribute as his backing band. In more recent times P van der Linden has returned on drums so its got more credibility. Off to see them in Leicester on Friday all being well then Camel in Wolverhampton on Sunday! [/quote] Yes, Pierre van der Linden is back on drums and Thijs van Leer seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1381785653' post='2243869'] I know that songs are just taste, but I really don't understand why they are called prog rock - I guess it is in the 'it has guitars and it isn't 4/4' meaning of the word. [/quote] Funnily enough, Thijs van Leer said at the gig that he didn't really like the 'prog rock' description, though he didn't offer an alternative description. Jazz-rock perhaps? Anyway, genres are only vaguely useful and the thing that really matters is if you like the music or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1381788018' post='2243916'] Funnily enough, Thijs van Leer said at the gig that he didn't really like the 'prog rock' description, though he didn't offer an alternative description. Jazz-rock perhaps? Anyway, genres are only vaguely useful and the thing that really matters is if you like the music or not. [/quote] Agreed. I guess it is more jazz rock than prog, although there is always a bit of a grey area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Focus at the rainbow was the first album I bought. Still have most of their stuff on CD. I had no idea they were still around, must find out if they're playing anywhere near here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 seem to remember 'Sylvia' on Live at the Rainbow album my schoolmate had as having a great bum note in! And here it is, around 2mins 7sec in. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3pjHgjiXIU[/media] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Adams Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Sylvia is in my personal top 10. Always loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 What was the sound like in there Flyfisher? Most gigs I've been to at the Corn Exchange, the sound has been dreadful. They have been the events mixed by their own sound man though. He got the severe hump with me and my G&L bass when I last played there. He declared it far too loud and accused me of having a pre amp hidden somewhere Refused to believe it was passive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1381785653' post='2243869'] I really don't understand why they are called prog rock - I guess it is in the 'it has guitars and it isn't 4/4' meaning of the word. [/quote] Focus II includes "Eruption", a 23-minute adaptation of Jacopo Peri's opera Euridice which tells the story of Orpheus and Euridice. surely that's as prog as it gets? :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vsmith1 Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Focus II - That's the Moving Waves album. Though there is a Focus III album - which as I recall had a track that went over a LP side. I have a CD of it and whilst it's good not to have that break, my memory expects it. There's a great groove section on that track (called Anonymous Two). Did go and see Jan Akkerman a couple of years ago. Really great player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlfer Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 They are in my home town of Wigan this Saturday and we are gigging 40 years since I first saw them, House of the king is still one of my favourite ditties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ash Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I've seen both the reformed Focus and Jan Akkerman - both were excellent although personally I preferred the Akkerman gig as it was a bit more edgy. Akkerman was very mischievous with the band telling the audience of their 'adventures' on the road. He could be seen smoking a ciggy behind his stack during the drum solo despite the smoking ban. Following the gig he chatted with us and signed CDs and was very approachable. Similarly Van Leer set up a kind of Q&A session following the Focus gig and was very much the Prog 'Sage'. It would be great to see them back together as the original lineup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crag42 Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I supported them a couple of years back. .. hence my avatar Don't think they played their best that night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutton Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Focus was the first gig I ever went to in the 70s. They were just starting out and making a name for themselves. If I recall correctly the gig was in 'Clouds disco' which was located above the old Apollo. It was the first time my ears rang after a gig. I thought that I was never going to hear properly ever again! I'll never forget that gig. I did see the band a few times after that but the first one was special! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I saw them last week. A good show, not quite as great as when I saw them the previous year, but Thijs was having problems with his organ (oo er). Pierre Van Der Linden is just awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Hocus Pocus is a fantastic track! Hats off to any band that can effectively incorporate yodelling into a track. A feet only equalled IMO by Eno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I watched them on telly a few months ago - it was a recording from a festival down south somewhere (High Voltage?). I couldn't believe the performance of Hocus Pocus. It sounded like the whole band just wanted to be somewhere else, as soon as possible. It was about 3000000mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1381842130' post='2244394'] Hats off to any band that can effectively incorporate yodelling into a track. [/quote] Ah, they've got nowt on Frank Ifield... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKB_UnEwAJM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1381842555' post='2244401'] I watched them on telly a few months ago - it was a recording from a festival down south somewhere (High Voltage?). I couldn't believe the performance of Hocus Pocus. It sounded like the whole band just wanted to be somewhere else, as soon as possible. It was about 3000000mph. [/quote] Just played back the original after watching some of the YouTube clips... It sounds soooo slow. Although most of the live stuff does seem so fast that they are having problems playing it a lot of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1381843282' post='2244414'] Just played back the original after watching some of the YouTube clips... It sounds soooo slow. Although most of the live stuff does seem so fast that they are having problems playing it a lot of the time. [/quote] Yeah. It has a groove which was totally absent from the live version... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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