Multi-platinum supergroup ASIA soon will announce an extensive US tour set to promote the 40th Anniversary of its multi-platinum debut album and a new ASIA IN ASIA box set. The tour, originally set for August as a co-bill with Alan Parsons Live Project, has been rescheduled for early 2023 to accommodate a medical procedure needed by Mr. Parsons. Dates will be announced shortly.
ASIA IN ASIA, has finally been released, featuring both Carl Palmer and Greg Lake from Emerson Lake & Palmer; within the band with YES”s Steve Howe and YES/ Buggles keyboardist Geoff Downes during their historic tour of Japan in 1983 and the first ever worldwide satellite broadcast on MTV. The current line up of the band will tour in early 2023 with The Alan Parsons Project.
ASIA IN ASIA, has finally been released, featuring both Carl Palmer and Greg Lake from Emerson Lake & Palmer; within the band with YES”s Steve Howe and YES/ Buggles keyboardist Geoff Downes during their historic tour of Japan in 1983 and the first ever worldwide satellite broadcast on MTV. The current line up of the band will tour in early 2023 with The Alan Parsons Project.
This will be the ASIA’s first tour since 2019 with founding members Carl Palmer (drums); Geoff Downes (keyboards, bkg vocals); with Billy Sherwood (bass, bkg vocals); and new member guitarist and lead vocalist Marc Bonilla.
“We were hoping to be out this August, however moving the tour to early next year so we can remain on a co-bill with The Alan Parsons Project will be well worth it,” said Carl Palmer. “I am so thrilled that ASIA has finally been able to perform after three years off the road due to the pandemic. We have much to celebrate.”
“ASIA has been through a lot during these last four decades,” adds Geoff Downes, “but the music has always endured. The fans have never left us, nor we them. This tour will be historic.”
In addition to its 40th Anniversary, the band will promote ASIA In Asia – Live At The Budokan, Tokyo, 1983, a deluxe box set containing: 2LP, 2xCD, 40 page 12″ book, Blu-ray video, memorabilia and more, through BMG Records. Also available are LP, CD and digital formats.
ASIA, Geoff Downes (Buggles & YES), Steve Howe (YES) and Carl Palmer (ELP) with special guest vocalist and bassist Greg Lake (ELP), visited Japan to promote their phenomenally successful debut album (1982) and Alpha (1983). Their performance at the Budokan Arena on December 6th, 1983, made history as first live simulcast on MTV. Lake stepped in on short notice, replacing John Wetton due to illness.
ASIA was a rock ‘supergroup’ bringing together Wetton, Palmer, Downes and Howe who had already amassed tens of millions in sales with their collective bands of the 70s. Leaving behind their progressive roots, ASIA embraced the commercial FM rock sound that dominated US airwaves and took the new MTV video channel, by storm. The single Heat Of The Moment was a world-wide monster smash while its debut album spent 9 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts becoming the biggest selling LP of 1982.
