Focus over Gateshead

I occasionally You Tube a track over to my Facebook account and a couple of days prior to the gig, I downloaded 'Love Remembered' from Focus 3. A beautiful, almost whistful romantic track and absolutely nothing like the set Focus put together on Thursday 22nd November at the Sage. After all the week's palaver about Brexit, it was good just to get out and about. 

Only the second time at Sage 2; a sort of cylinder with 3 levels, minimal seating and pleasingly intimate for sound and taking pictures (such was my want) This time I was with a posse of three, is my reputation preceding me? 

8pm and four Dutch musicians of various girth and age, make their way to front of stage and straight into Focus and then House of the King which I discovered was their first single release back in the day. As usual at this point I would ask you to refer to Setlist.com to outline the night's menu. Focus, as I understand them, have moved on from their prog roots to jazz forms with maybe a hint of Latin flavour. They were promoting Focus 11 independently, a new product with designs by Roger Dean (good move)

All four would provide fine evidence of their skill on the night and I was surprised by six string bass player Udo Pannekeet's moody solo. Pierre van der Linden on drums was his usual controlled and yet frenetic self - at no time did his hands leave his wrists - and on such a small kit!
Guitarist, Menno Gootjes had his day too with an accomplished performance and his own stamp on old classic material. As for Thijs, well what can you say about a guy that looks as if he's just stepped off the allotment and can play the Hammond and flute like that. Such a character; must be the first guy I know who, after naming the band members, introduced himself on keyboard and flute (somebody else's job surely!)

The night ended as you might expect with an expansive rendition of Hocus Pocus and an encore of Focus 3. A good night with the talented Dutch masters and it was good to see that a healthy queue for the merchandise was to be had and that they had stayed around to sign autographs etc