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“It was like opera. The only thing missing was stabbing each other. That happened later”: Focus ex Jan Akkerman won’t go back
Jan Akkerman says he will not reunite with Focus for a fourth time, despite continuing to love the music he made with the Dutch progressive rock band. He says the obstacle is the strained personal dynamic, including envy and jealousy, rather than the quality of the songs.
Akkerman co-founded Focus with Thijs van Leer in 1969, left in 1976 and returned in 1985 and 1990. Van Leer said in 2024 that they were not in regular contact and described their creative tension as difficult to define. Akkerman also recalled that Focus II, released in 1971 and known as Moving Waves, drew on varied influences, including John Coltrane, Django Reinhardt and The Beatles’ White Album.
In short
- Akkerman rules out another Focus reunion.
- He still loves the band’s music.
- He cites personal tensions, not the songs.