Asia

Asia 2024 is Geoffrey Downes, Virgil Donati, John Mitchell and Harry Whitley.

In the summer of 2023, Geoff Downes spear-headed a memorial concert to remember and celebrate the life of his late, much-loved friend and Asia co-founder member, the great 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 were 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. Together, they played a number of Asia’s chart-topping hits. The reception was uproarious and It became clear that something magical was happening. Perhaps, thought Downes, it was time to bring the songs of Asia to a whole new audience? The dragon began to stir once more.

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. The band dominated the airwaves and for many “Heat Of The Moment”, “Only Time Will Tell” and “Sole Survivor”, amongst others, were the soundtrack to their youth.

Another multi-million seller, “Alpha” followed in 1983 and in 1986 “Astra” competed the trio of MTV era hits. Greg Lake briefly joined the band for a Japanese tour where Asia’s show from the fabled Budokan was the first inter-continental simulcast.