Where are they
now? - Asia
and related projects
This page last updated: 7 Feb 2025
Asia Official website; MySpace page; Twitter; Facebook;
Official
Google Group; authorised
fan club
Asia are Geoff Downes (Yes;
keys, backing vocals), Harry Whitley
(Facebook;
vocals, bass), John
Mitchell (It Bites, Arena, Frost*, ex-Icon, worked
with John Wetton, worked with Oliver Wakeman; guitar,
backing vocals) and Virgil Donati (ex-Planet X,
ex-UK; drums). This new line-up played US East Coast dates
3-31 Jul 2024. The band next play three shows
at Trading Boundaries in the UK: they play all of first album Asia
on
10 Apr 2025 (sold out), all of Alpha on 11 Apr and
all of Astra on 12 Apr (promo video). The
sets each night will include additional hits. There will also be a
display of Roger Dean's Asia art. Asia then play 2 shows a night
on 15, 16, 18 and 19 Apr in
Japan, billed as the Heat of the Moment tour. They headline
Frontiers Rock
Festival VII on 25 Apr 2025 near Milan, Italy.
In the 2024 Prog magazine's readers' poll, Whitley came
9th in the Best Vocalist category, with Mitchell 8th for Best
Guitarist.
In an Oct 2024 YouTube video, since taken down, Whitley
talked of the band recording a new album, including the
Wetton/Downes material being worked on shortly before Wetton's death
(see below).
In a podcast
uploaded Dec 2024, Whitley said, "There will be new
material". Later in the interview, he said the band will be
"working on new music together" and that, "We are all going to
collaborate on the new stuff". He also said of 2025 plans that,
"I'm assuming we will come back to America and do the other side",
i.e. the West Coast.
Downes, Whitley and Mitchell had played together at the 2023 John Wetton
memorial show and Downes explained to Prog magazine
(#150, Jun 2024) that, "People seemed so impressed by what we were
doing [at the memorial show] [...] that kickstarted an idea: I
decided it would be great to take Asia back out on the road". The
new line-up played the Heat
of the Moment 2024 US tour, which advertised 21 US East Coast
dates 3-31 Jul 2024, although a small number (3?) were then
cancelled. By 23 Jun 2024, Downes, Whitley and Mitchell were
rehearsing together at Downes's, with Donati joining on 26 Jun. The
2024 tour had support from Curved Air (an acoustic trio version of
the band playing for ~20 minutes: Sonja Kristina, vocals; Kirby
Gregory, guitars; Grzegorz Gadziomski, violin), Martin Turner
(playing for ~30 minutes; with Danny Willson, Misha Nikolic, Sonny
Flint) and Focus (playing for ~50 minutes; Thijs van Leer, Pierre
Van Der Linden, Menno Gootjes, Udo Pannekeet), who all, like Asia,
are managed by QEDG. The tour was to be MC'd by Roger Dean,
but he had to pull out. Annie Haslam also guested
at 2 shows in Atlantic City and Bethlehem to sing Icon's "In
the End". On 13 Jul, "In the End" was performed by Downes (keys),
Mitchell (vocals), Whitley (acoustic guitar), Donati (drums), van
Leer (flute) and Haslam (vocals). On the first two nights of the
tour, the set was: intro/"Wildest Dreams", "Here Comes the Feeling",
"Don't Cry", "An Extraordinary Life", "Voice of America", "Time
Again", "Cutting It Fine"/"Bolero" (Downes solo), "Video Killed the
Radio Star" (band performance), "The Smile has Left Your Eyes"
(acoustic), "Only Time will Tell", "Go", "Sole Survivor" (with
solos), encore: "Heat of the Moment". In the
aforementioned Dec 2024 podcast, Whitley said they had "recorded a
few shows" on the tour.
In response to some criticism of the new line-up, Lisa Wetton
(John's widow) posted a message, shared
to ProgressiveEars.com on 29 Apr 2024:
When my beloved husband John Wetton
realised that he was coming to the end of his life, he revealed
in earnest, the wish for his musical legacy to be upheld by
those who were closest to him. Consequently, and with great
passion Geoff Downes has been at the forefront of keeping that
wish alive by touring the music of Asia throughout the past 7
years.
Last August, Geoff brought together an amazing group of
musicians to present the best of Asia at the John Wetton Tribute
concert in England. The show was the moving final set of a five
hour evening, and it was the first time the outside world would
hear the phenomenal Harry Whitley on lead vocals.
Most everyone, including myself, was stunned by Harry’s
evocative voice which shares an eerily similar tonal quality to
that of John Wetton. Geoff introduced Whitley to a wider
audience and we all knew this would be the start of something
very special - a new chapter for Asia. At least that is what
many of us who saw the tribute had hoped.
Fast forward 9 months, and the musical legacy continues as Geoff
Downes, along with Harry Whitley on lead vocals and bass, John
Mitchell (The John Wetton Band, Wetton Downes’ Icon, It Bites,
Lonely Robot, Kino, Frost, Arena) on guitar and Virgil Donati
(Planet X, Ring of Fire) on drums takes Asia music to the US
East coast [...]
It would be easy for me to dismiss Asia without its other band
members, proclaiming that it’s not really the band so there’s no
point in them going on. There’s a problem with this statement.
John Wetton himself would have endorsed this tour as he wanted
the music to live on. He would have wanted the name to remain,
as long as Geoff leads the way. Changing the name would go
against John’s wishes. This is still Asia, and the current group
have worked closely with Geoff Downes to respect the integrity
of the music. I have seen it and feel comfortable with this
current lineup. Everyone you will see on the stage (aside from
Harry) has worked with John in different projects (John Mitchell
was a member of the John Wetton Band and Icon and was also a
close friend. Virgil performed on different occasions as the
touring drummer in UK).
The current lineup gives the music a fresh energy which I
haven’t experienced since John was alive.
I am personally thrilled to get behind this tour, and I know you
will be thrilled too. Please support the legacy by coming to a
show near you.
~ Lisa Wetton.
Lisa and Wetton's son Dylan have also lent two of Wetton's basses to
Whitley for the tour. Mitchell said on Facebook, "The reason we are
doing this tour is to honour the legacy of a man I had the great
privilege to play with with for a great part of my life and to play
his music and play it effing well." Carl Palmer announced on 15
Apr that, "I recently became aware that my friend and bandmate Geoff
Downes will be touring the US this summer in a new line-up of ASIA
of which he will be the only original member participating. As many
of you know, I have also announced a tour for the RETURN OF EMERSON
LAKE & PALMER project [...] My commitments to the ELP project
have made it impossible for me to be part of this ASIA tour. I wish
Geoff the best of luck with his forthcoming tour and I plan to
eventually embrace the music of ASIA again at some point in the
future." There were aborted plans for touring 2022 and 2023 with a
prior line-up of Downes, Palmer, Billy Sherwood (bass) and Marc
Bonilla (ex-Keith Emerson Band; guitar,
vocals). In a Jun
2023 interview, Downes said of the band, "I think we're in a
position where it's parked, but we're not ever going to say that
that's finished. If the right planets align at any given point,
we'll be up and running again. Carl and myself are very keen to go
out and so more Asia". In a Jul
2023 interview for Goldmine, Downes said it was "a
case of "If the situation arises, we can do something." Both Carl
and myself particularly, and Billy [Sherwood] and Marc Bonilla,
would be happy to go out there and do something. It's just a case
really of people putting something together and putting it on the
table [...] if it adds up, then we would definitely go out again."
In an Apr
2023 interview, Downes said, "Hopefully, we'll get some Asia
material out at some point again."
Asked about Asia in a Jan
2024 interview, Sherwood said, "Asia is still a thing. We were
supposed to tour last year [2023], but we got a little bit
sidetracked because Alan Parsons, who we were going to tour with,
had some medical issues. So the tour got canceled, unfortunately.
But I know Geoff's into it, and I'm into it, so we'll just have to
see where things go." Asia had announced plans for a 40th
anniversary tour starting Aug 2022 with a new line-up of Downes,
Sherwood, Palmer and Bonilla, but this was then postponed and
Bonilla has yet to play live with the band. The tour was to be with
the Alan Parsons Projects, but Parsons required a medical procedure,
causing a delay. Plans moved to a tour of 20+ dates beginning
mid-Feb 2023, with a focus on the 40th anniversary of Alpha,
as well as on the debut album, and with a display of Roger Dean art.
However, Parsons had continued health problems and those dates
didn't happen. Palmer explained in a Feb
2023 interview:
We’re not doing anything with Asia right
now. We were supposed to be touring this year [2023], starting
the back end of February. It was a double header tour, going out
with Alan Parsons, but Alan’s had an operation as he has a bad
problem with his back, so the tour got cancelled, and we hadn’t
put anything else in as the promoter wanted to buy a package,
and by the time we heard from Alan it was too late to do
anything. So, at the moment, Asia has nothing on the table
concerning recording or touring. This isn’t to say something
won’t happen, but everyone is starting to get booked up for the
rest of the year, so I can’t see anything happening in 2023 as
things stand.
"Bumblefoot" Thal, who was the guitarist and vocalist in Asia in
2019, said on
social media about the original 2022 tour plans: "Sadly I'll
be unable to join @OriginalAsia on this wonderful tour -
@SonsOfApollo1 rescheduled its Jan2022 tour to Aug, to my dismay
it's right when Asia's tour was scheduled for. Will miss my Asia
mates, they have all my love & support, I hope to see them when
they hit NJ!" Palmer said to Doug Curran in Oct 2021 that there were
talks about a Yes/Asia/Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy tour for 2022 for
Asia's 40th anniversary, but that did not happen.
Asia joined Yes, Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy with Arthur Brown, and
John Lodge on a joint tour summer 2019 North American tour entitled
the Royal Affair tour. The line-up was Downes, Palmer, Sherwood and
and Ron "Bumblefoot"
Thal (Sons of Apollo,
ex-Guns N' Roses; guitar, lead vocals), but with Steve Howe
guesting for a portion of the set. Asia's set on the opening night
of the tour was "Go", "Don't Cry", "Video Killed the Radio Star"
(originally by The Buggles), "The Smile has Left Your Eyes", "Lucky
Man" (originally by ELP), "Bolero" ("Cutting It Fine" extract,
Downes keys solo), "Wildest Dreams" (with Howe on guitar and Thal
just on lead vocals until end of set), "Sole Survivor", "Only Time
will Tell", "Heat of the Moment". Asia have been planning to release
a live album from the 2019 tour: it was expected in 2021, but has
yet to appear. Roger
Dean has been doing a cover (as he did for Yes's live album
from the tour). Asked in a Jul 2021 interview with TotalRock
whether he might guest again with Asia as he did in 2019, Howe said,
"Maybe there's a formula there that we could repeat, but I don't
know."
Final writing sessions with
Wetton and possible new studio recording
Wetton had been receiving treatment for colon cancer
from May 2015 and he and Downes wrote a new album through 2015-6
before his death in Jan 2017. In a statement
about Wetton's passing, Downes said:
We were planning another album, but sadly he was
not well enough to complete it. I feel heartbroken about this,
as I knew John thought it was to be one of our finest albums to
date. I remain as proud as ever of our Wetton/Downes writing
partnership. I am hoping one day that I will be able to finish
it, and that it will be appreciated by all those who loved his
and our music, and most importantly, a legacy he would have been
proud of.
Life will not be the same without him. And words are not really
enough to describe the loss I feel right now, and the many
friends and fans all over the World will also be feeling. It is
the end of an era for all of us. But we will soldier on - the
music of John Wetton needs to be heard loud and clear from the
rooftops.
Discussing the 2024 tour with Prog magazine, Downes said of
this body of work, "They weren't really fully developed[.] They were
basic ideas, then John's health deteriorated quite rapidly and we
never really got the opportunity to get stuck in and take it
further. There's quite a bit of material and I'm looking to maybe
bring in someone like John Mitchell to collaborate. Hopefully, we
can put it together in a way that John [Wetton] would've liked us
to." In Oct 2024, Harry Whitley talked about Asia recording a new
album including this material. Downes and
Whitley have said that these were ideas, not finished songs, and
they do not constitute enough for a whole album.
Downes has previously talked about possibly making a studio album,
sometimes in the context of finishing the material written with
Wetton, sometimes without mentioning that. In a Jun
2021 interview, asked about recording an album with the 2019
line-up, Downes replied, "I think we've always thought about that.
Obviously, Ron's very busy [...] we've not been able to do any live
stuff [because of COVID-19]. So, it's really been put [...] in
abeyance at the moment, but certainly I think that now things appear
to be easing off on that front, we hope that we can get back out and
maybe do another album." Asked whether there are any plans for the
2019 line-up to record a studio album, Downes tweeted
Jun 2019, "I sincerely hope so. Feels like it might be time..." In a
Jul
2019 interview, Downes said, "Hopefully, we'll do something in
the future. I think [Thal]'s done a fantastic job. It would be a
shame if we didn't continue and make some music together." On tour
in Jun 2019, he said to a fan that he hoped to record an album with
this line-up in autumn 2019, with a release to come before a new Yes album.
Palmer, around Jul 2019, also said he would like to make an album,
and Sherwood, in this Jul 2019
interview, affirmed he was open to that as well. At the end of
an Aug
2019 interview, asked about his future with Asia, Thal said he
would "roll with the flow of it all." He continued: "it raises a lot
of thoughts [...] Do people want new music from this line-up or do
they just want to come and hear the hits that they love? Uhm... do
we do one song, just for the next tour, something like that; do we
do a whole album? Honestly, I can go any which way. I'm cool with
whatever."
In the Feb 2017 interview, asked if they planned to complete the
album they had been working on, Downes replied, "Yes. I think so. He
had a lot of material for it. I think we will definitely do
something with it because I think John would like me to do that."
Downes has reiterated this position subsequently. To the Feb 2018
issue of Prog, Downes said, "I am personally committed to
finishing the songs we had started in 2015/2016." Asked on Twitter
in Apr 2018 about plans for releasing this material, Downes
replied, "Working on it". In a Mar 2021
podcast, Downes said, "I've still got some recordings I did
with John Wetton [...] there's still some elements of that that I'd
like to do at some point." Asked about the material, he replied:
There's probably about half a dozen, but
because John was too sick really to, at the time, to take them
any further. [...] deep down, I know probably [...] the
direction he would like them to go in. So I've got those, those
elements, they're there, and I really hope to get them,
y'know, completed one day.
But the last 4 or 5 years have been pretty solid on the road
with Yes particularly [...] it's been a lot of roadwork the last
10 years but the way it is at the moment, I think I'm going to
have to spend a bit more time fishing around in the studio and
see what I can come up with.
In an interview published in the May 2022 issue of The Beat,
Downes said, "I [...] want to finish some stuff I had been working
on with John Wetton just before he passed away and to put out as a
tribute to our writing partnership. It would be great to get some of
the artists who worked with Asia to guest on that." In the Jul 2023
Goldmine interview, Downes said, "I still have got some bits
and pieces. Unfortunately, John, at the time we were writing, was
not well at all. We didn't really get much of a chance to develop it
to any kind of complete level, but there are bits and pieces around
that eventually I would like to get a bit of time and take a look at
and see if we can make something out of it."
Work on this material may go back to Jul 2015. In a late Jan 2016
interview, Downes said he'd "been writing with John Wetton for
another Asia album" and, on 11 Feb 2016, both Downes and Wetton
tweeted about meeting up to work on a new album. Wetton said:
"Looking forward to (yet) more writing today with @asiageoff
Mr.Downes. Next ASIA record moves along apace." Downes later said:
"Excellent day in Bomo with my old chum @arkangel2605 [Wetton's
Twitter account] Very productive - new Asia album on the way!" On 3
Mar 2016, Wetton then travelled to meet Downes in Wales "to
formalise new ASIA material", according to a tweet he made. Downes
tweeted afterwards: "Excellent day with @arkangel2605 today at my
studio. New Asia album en route!" In a Mar
2016 interview (possibly conducted in Feb), Downes said, "I've
been working with John on some material since last year [2015]
actually. John's been sick for the last year or so now and has been
having some fairly extensive medical treatment. In between that
we've been putting together some songs that we hope sooner or later
we will actually go into the studio and do another Asia album." In
an Apr 2016 interview,
Downes said: "I have been working with him [Wetton] on some new
material and hopefully we will get an album out in the not too
distant future." In a later Apr 2016 interview, Downes said: "we are
still writing and we [sic] be doing an album with John Wetton
towards the end of [2016]." A May
2016 tweet by Wetton showed a CD-R and said, "next ASIA record
is on here, now we just have to record it!" In
an Oct
2016 interview, Downes said: "Asia, hopefully we'll get that
back up and running soon. That's the idea. We've been working on new
material, and we have a whole album planned." Wetton described the
first song as 7.5 minutes long and as in 17/8. He also mentioned one
song title was "Tattoo on Your Soul". Asked about that title by a
fan in Jun 2019, Downes implied he called the piece "Indigo".
However, in a Jun
2017 interview, it was reported that Palmer "says it's too
early to say if the new lineup, featuring Sherwood, will record
together." In another Jun
2017 interview, Palmer talked about events and the future more
broadly:
“We thought he’d make the March [2017]
period for the tour, but he suddenly took a turn at the very
end,” Palmer said. “Those last three weeks, he was very ill and
he passed.”
Asia had already committed to opening for Journey, but Palmer
wasn’t sure if they could continue or even if Journey [...]
still wanted them [...]
But the band’s management said, “They still want you. Please
find a bass player.”
As it happened, they had one in mind.
Before Wetton died, Palmer said the band had some difficult
discussions about whether Asia would carry on.
The drummer said, “Before he did go, we asked Jo[h]n if we were
to carry on, who would you want to take your place?”
Wetton chose Billy Sherwood [...]
Beyond this tour, Palmer doesn’t know what will happen next. He
will keep playing music — that much is certain, but whether it’s
with just his own band, with Asia or as part of another group,
he’s not entirely sure.
Shortly before Wetton's death, in comments in Jan
2017, Palmer said, "I wasn't going to be making the next Asia
album anyway because I was a bit concerned about the direction of
the band. It was getting a little bit too middle of the road. I
didn't realize that John was this ill when I made this announcement
to him, so obviously I'll review that. If he can record at all I'll
look at the situation again." In comments to a fan on tour in Jun
2019, Palmer implied that Wetton's vocals would not be used on a new
album.
In an early Nov
2020 interview, Downes said, "At some point, I am hoping to
complete some Asia material that I had begun with John before he
sadly passed". In a Jun
2021 interview, Downes said:
I’m still working on those [final songs
written with Wetton]. I’ve got some plans for them. It’s been
difficult because there’s not a massive amount to deal with but
at the same time, there’s enough for an album’s worth of
material that will be significant. I’d like to get a lot of the
people that worked with John and myself and all the people
involved to offer some performances, which would be great.
That’s really where I probably would see it going.
Palmer told one fan that Wetton's vocal recordingson these demos
were not usable, implying the songs would have to be recorded with a
new vocalist or vocalists. In a Sep
2021 interview with Prog Radar, he said, "I've still got
unworked material from a session I had with John before he sadly
died so there is potential there to craft something new. I feel that
Asia has not run its course and that there is still some life left
in the band. Again, we'll have to see what emerges from those
sessions." The next month, the official John Wetton memorial twitter
account announced that Downes "is leading a John Wetton tribute
album with special guests, featuring unfinished Wetton/Downes
songs." This appears to mean the 2015/6 material, although that has
not been confirmed yet.
Asia Featuring John Payne Website
In early 2006, Asia had consisted of Geoff
Downes (keys), John
Payne (bass, vocals, guitars), Guthrie Govan
(guitars) and Jay Schellen
(drums, backing vocals), when Downes left for the reunion of the
original band. Payne/Govan/Schellen then formed GPS. The Asia Featuring
John Payne name was contractually agreed with the reunion band in
May 2006, but Payne did not assemble a band until later, after GPS
had failed to take off commercially. In May 2007,
Payne/Govan/Schellen announced the formation of Asia Featuring John Payne,
with Erik Norlander
later announced on keys. Since then, AFJP have toured with some
regularity, nearly entirely in the US, with a set covering both
the Payne and Wetton eras of Asia.
The line-up has changed considerably, with Payne the only
constant.
Asia Featuring John Payne toured the US in 2022 with a line-up of
Payne (lead vocals, bass), Johnny Fedevich (drums), Jamie Hosmer
(keys, backing vocals), Moni Scaria (guitar, backing vocals) and
possibly (reports vary) Alex Garcia (guitar, backing vocals). In a Feb 2022
interview, Payne described the situation of there being two
Asia line-ups touring as "not ideal", but that it was OK "as long as
it's clear which version of the band" is playing. The band toured
further in 2023. They are touring in 2024 in celebration of the 30th
anniversary of Aria. Overall, there are 18 North
American dates from 18 May-7 Dec 2024, plus they play the W Festival
in Belgium in Aug 2024. More dates are expected to be announced,
including in Mexico. Some of the dates are just AFJP, but some see
Payne and the same band also working as the backing band for various
classic rock singers, including Lou Gramm
(ex-Foreigner), or just with Gramm. Thus 2024 touring
covered various formats: as AFJP, AFJP with Lou Gramm, as 80's Rock
Tour, or as Voices of Classic Rock. There was a 6 Apr 2024 show
under the name The 80's Rock Tour featuring vocals from Gramm,
Payne, Steve Augeri (ex-Journey) and Fran
Cosmo (ex-Boston). There was a 9 Nov 2024
show in California of Gramm with Asia Featuring John Payne, which I
think means Gramm supported by the AFJP band and AFJP also playing
as the opening act. Advertising for that promised a set including
"Heat of the Moment", "Only Time will Tell", "Don't Cry" and "Sole
Survivor". AFJP are to headline HRH Prog 15 on
13-16 Nov 2025 in Great Yarmouth, UK.
In a Jul
2020 interview, Payne said he was working on a new AFJP album.
He also spoke of plans to re-release his Asia back catalogue. In the
Feb 2022 interview, he announced the album will be called Aviana
and that Rodney Matthews (worked with Oliver
Wakeman) has done a cover. There was a suggestion it would
be out in 2024, but it has yet to appear.
Prior plans for an album under the AFJP name
were re-directed into becoming the eponymous debut by Dukes of the Orient.
They are Payne (vocals, bass, additional lead and rhythm guitar) and
Norlander (keys), with their first album also involving Kollman,
Govan, Schellen and others. A second Dukes of the Orient album, Freakshow
was released Aug 2020 on Frontiers. In the Feb 2022 interview, Payne
said they are talking about a third album and would like to tour,
but it has not proven financially viable to do so.
On to CIRCA: and related projects news
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Any news, additions or corrections, please e-mail Henry Potts.
Thanks.