 In February 1976, two and a half days before the group's arrival to the UK for a tour, van Leer asked Akkerman to leave Focus over his disagreements with the music they were rehearsing and the decision not to have van der Linden return on the drums.Akkerman had grown tired of playing the same songs on stage, "It felt like I was in a straitjacket.There was still a lot of improvisation but even this had become planned".