Focus Review tribute

review-by: "Clint Dove"
date: 27 Oct 2002
email: [email protected]
country: UK

My friend Yves Cattet and his girlfriend (not shown, sadly!) went to the above gig, and stayed overnight at a hotel down the road. Deal is a small seaside town in Kent, not far from the Channel Tunnel. Jan was on great form, playing in a small hall - he REALLY let rip. It was the first gig with the new keyboard player (better than the previous one, I think). I saw Clive the "official" photographer (nice guy), who arranged that Jan would come to the bar afterwards and have a drink with Yves, Ann, and myself. Most of the audience had already left (the Hocus Pocus crowd!).

One funny thing was as we went to the bar, the barman disappeared - so I went behind the bar and served us (luckily, I wasn't caught! - although I did leave the money for the drinks). Jan likes Boddington's!! Anyway, we sat for half an hour or so and chatted - WHAT a great guy. Very natural, with his often funny English expressions that don't quite make it!!

From L to R: Clint Dove, Jan Akkerman and Yves Cattet

Yves (in the photo, he is the one with his hand on Jan's shoulder - I'm the greying one on the left as you look at the pictures) asked about Jan's equipment, and I asked various questions, like: "Hey, Jan, if you don't mind me asking, why didn't "Focus Live at the Rainbow" come out as you would have liked......". Answer: "It was terrible - I was stoned, and then I broke a string in the first minute or so - and the gig never recovered!" Jan also said that when he plays a gig, he actually never really sees the audience - this is not an insult, as such, it is just the way it is! I think he has given-up playing the lute at gigs (he has not played one the last three solo occasions I've seen him) - shame - but "the bloody thing is so hard to keep in tune!", he said (or words to that effect!).

The following morning we bumped into Jan and the band in the carpark (they were using a very small van - how the hell they got all of them and the equipment in I really don't know!), and Jan played Yves's travel guitar (in the pics). Jan's sense of humour is obvious, eh? He was impressed with Yves's playing (he is very, very, good - playing for 30+ years or so), and it was a scream listening to Yves's rendition of "Hocus Pocus", which Jan (believe it or not!) enjoyed - we all had a good laugh!

It was a wonderful gig, and a time that Yves, Ann and I will always remember fondly. We had already seen him that week at the Jazz Cafe in Camden, but no photos, as we were standing RIGHT next to him - he was at the front on a very low stage. We have since seen Jan at Stamford, about three months ago. I shall post those to you during the next week (not in email-able format, I'm afraid).

That's all for now,

Sincerely -

Clint

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