Live music should offer you something you don't get from a studio recording. It's the feeling of freedom and intimacy, the tension of how songs will be played and how the audience reacts. Live concerts give you that thrill where the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. "Live audiences give you the tension and responsibility to be creative; that's the challenge I enjoy," says the iconic Dutch guitarist. After all these years, you wonder what drives Jan to take the stage night after night. "It's my love for playing to people all over the world," he smiles.
The extraordinarily talented guitarist has few equals, and his legendary playing cannot be pigeonholed. His status as a Dutch legend is confirmed: in 2005 he received the Golden Harp, the most prestigious music award in the Netherlands, and in 2012 he was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau. This royal honor recognized his contribution to Dutch music and his influence on musicians worldwide.
Akkerman was co-founder of Focus from 1969 to 1976, during which he recorded several groundbreaking albums.
My Focus – Live Under The Rainbow was recorded during Akkerman's tour in February 2025, together with his band: Marijn van den Berg (drums), David de Marez Oyens (bass) and Coen Molenaar (keyboards). They performed at, among other venues, Bush Hall (London), The Fire Station (Sunderland), Philharmonic Hall (Liverpool), Oran Mor (Glasgow), The Met (Bury), The Stables (Wavendon) and The Apex (Bury St. Edmunds).
The album takes you through his timeless work with Focus – from the opening track of this release, "Answers Questions – Questions Answers", to the great hits "Hocus Pocus", "Sylvia", "Focus I" and "Focus II", songs that still hold a special place in his heart. "I play these songs because my soul and heart are in them. It's a God-given talent that I'm proud of!" he says.
