SoundBoard

1972 was a good year for the band Focus. The world was beginning to take notice of the 4 musicians from Holland, particularly those in the British music scene. The band was named the best new talent by the influential New Musical Express (NME) and ‘brightest hope’ by Melody Maker. With these endorsements, Focus began an initial summer tour of England. The trip would prove significant for the band and provided a great opportunity for them to expand their fan base. At the time, England was having a power crisis. Electricity was inconsistently provided to the people of the country and so most bands had a difficult time performing. The amount of power needed to put on a show was just not available. But Focus came to the island country with all the necessary equipment, including a generator. As Jan Akkerman recalls, “Nobody was able to play in London or England at all because of the power strike. We had a generator with us and played the universities that memorable week all round London. The gigs were packed probably because it was the only thing going on. We got a lot of airplay because the people must have phoned the BBC about us.”