“You will never forget it. It’s a special place to be at a Focus concert,” says Menno Gootjes, guitarist for the Dutch prog-rock band ahead of their headline show at Wokingham Festival later this month.
Fronted by founding member Thijs Van Leer, the band are calling in on the festival as part of their 50th anniversary tour and will close the weekend at Cantley Park on Monday, August 29.
They are best known for hits including Hocus Pocus, House of the King and Sylvia, and critically acclaimed albums Moving Waves, Focus 3 and Hamburger Concerto.
The band has played in the town before with a sold-out Wokingham Music Club show in November 2018.
But Thijs feels a lot has changed since their last visit to Berkshire.
“I think that this whole covid period has been a blessing in a way because for some of us, that are composers in the band, we had a lot of time to compose at home, which is beautiful and very inspiring,” he says
Despite touring with the band for most of his life, Thijs says you never know what a Focus show could feature as the band transitions between known songs and improvisation.
“It gives us energy and that gives us all enough inspiration,” he says
“You could talk about the natural flair indeed because of the relation between fixed pieces and pieces of improvisation or adaptive improvisation. They are very natural, they’re very normal for us.
“We don’t get tired of that at all.”
Menno adds: “It’s the first time in my life as a guitar player where I don’t think about it that much. I just respond naturally to the music and the surroundings.
“It’s a natural thing for us but you have to be crazy, but I guess for us we are a bit crazy.
“But that also means we are crazily in love with what we do.
“We really love doing it, but you have to be a bit nuts to be doing it, you know?”
Menno joined the group on a full-time basis 11 years ago but had filled in on previous occasions.
“I’ve had the best time of my life as a musician,” he says of the last 11 years.
“Those first couple of shows the audience didn’t leave so I must have been doing something right.
“I’m a very fortunate lucky guy.”
Although the Wokingham Festival headline slot is part of their 50th anniversary tour, Thijs says the band has no intention of stopping.
“I don’t see any stop of any kind. I see us going as far as we can,” he says.
“We have a 76-year-old drummer, Pierre van der Linden, who plays like an angel.
“The two guitarists are both 40 years and play also like angels.
“It’s just beautiful. It’s just fantastic. Sorry, it sounds weird, but it’s true.”
With the show just over one week away, what can Focus fans expect from the show?
“We will make it worthwhile,” says Thijs
Menno adds: “They can expect a whole wave of emotions and solace.
“You will never forget it. It’s a special place to be at a Focus concert”
Tickets for the festival are still available.
For more information, visit: wokinghamfestival.co.uk
