ASIA
In 1982 John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe became the founding fathers of super group Asia, responsible for a string of multi-million selling albums and chart topping hits across the globe. Asia’s self-titled1982 debut album was the biggest selling album in the world powered by the classic rock anthem “Heat Of The Moment”, along with other timeless hits. Another multi-million seller, “Alpha” followed in 1983 and in 1986 “Astra” completed the trio of MTV era hits.
In 2006, the founder members reformed and released several new albums before John Wetton’s untimely passing in 2017. After some tours in the USA with different musicians, in the Summer of 2023, Geoff Downes spear-headed a memorial concert to celebrate the life of John Wetton. At the concert, he invited rock n roll veteran John Mitchell - who had played with both Wetton and Downes in Icon and in Wetton’s own band - to join him on stage, taking on lead guitar duties. The duo was joined by new-comer Harry Whitley, who Downes had discovered and whose vocal talents so closely resembled that of Wetton’s. It was nothing short of spine-tingling. So it was that Geoff made the decision to take a fresh, new-look Asia back out on the road, recruiting Mitchell and Whitley as new members and bringing in the drumming excellence of Virgil Donati.
This line-up is here to stay and will present their elegant and riveting music on the stage in Trezzo.