 In 2001, van Leer was invited to a try out session by his stepson and bassist Bobby Jacobs, who was rehearsing with guitarist Jan Dumée and drummer Ruben van Roon, Jacobs and van Roon was former members of van Leer's side project Conxi.To van Leer's surprise, he found out the three had been rehearsing Focus songs from the 1970s era.The sessions led to the group's decision to perform live as a Focus tribute band named Hocus Pocus "just for fun, nothing too serious".