Yes, it's just an acoustic lineup.
The ticket sales at the Arcada in IL (Chicago area) are dismal still. Really not good. The band are pushing all these videos on FB to drum up sales, with Geoff, and even Lisa Wetton giving her approval of the lineup.
I think Asia is a rare case where the members in the band outweigh the music of the band. You know we fans are not getting any younger, and the pile of ticket stubs we have is pretty tall. I was planning to go to see Focus & Curved Air (two stubs I don't have), but due to limited breaks this summer, I instead ended up planning a summer vacation that week. I have to simply shrug that I will miss Focus & CA.
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
Last edited by JJ88; 06-25-2024 at 12:04 PM.
I've seen some posts from Focus about it. But, I will say that the promotion overall (from the name of the tour to how it shows up in venue calendars, etc) seems to be very Asia-centric, so I imagine the bulk of the sales were thought to be coming from them with the others adding to that.
I don't have a sense of how long each act is playing. With 4 acts, you'd sort of think it would be about the same each, but, as you say, promo makes this look like an Asia tour with support... but then why have 3 support bands, who'll get to play what... a couple of songs each?
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
The Florida Pompano Beach show was cancelled and moved to a different venue, an indoor venue. But all sold tickets for Pompano are now invalid.
Time to change their URL from “originalasia” to “officialasia”.
I like John Mitchell’s work a lot and I think that Harry Whitley is really going to deliver the goods. Could be interesting.
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
I think the URL has existed since the classic lineup reunited around 2006 or so. I'm assuming that URL was used to distinguish this band from the Payne-led band at the time. But the classic lineup only existed until Howe left the group in 2013, so it's now been 11 years since the original Asia existed. So yeah it's probably time to retire the "original" in the url. "Asia featuring John Payne" still exists as a website, and Payne appears to still be touring as Asia.
There were two distinct occasions. One was in 1980 when a band consisting of John Wetton, Rick Wakeman, Carl Palmer and Rabin was discussed. They were all scheduled to meet up in LA or somewhere, but Wakeman had second thoughts and didn't turn up, and that was the end of that.
The second was a year or so later when the original Asia line-up had been formed but some A&R guy decided that Wetton wasn't strong enough as a frontman, and they briefly had a go at adding Rabin as fifth member. Demos were recorded and are available on YT. Rabin didn't understand why he was there and I guess the others didn't think he was needed either. An interesting footnote, and one I didn't know about until years after the Union tour which I'd assumed to be the first time Howe and Rabin had any interaction.
Calyx (Canterbury Scene) - http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr
Legends In Their Own Lunchtime (blog) - https://canterburyscene.wordpress.com/
My latest books : "Yes" (2017) - https://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/yes/ + "L'Ecole de Canterbury" (2016) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/lecoledecanterbury/ + "King Crimson" (2012/updated 2018) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/kingcrimson/
Canterbury & prog interviews - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdf...IUPxUMA/videos
Annie Haslam has posted that Geoff has invited her to be a “guest artist” at the Bethlehem and Atlantic City shows. Not sure what that entails exactly, as Annie paints as well as sings…so not sure if she will be guesting on stage or off.
Just got an email offering half price tix for the Boston area show at the Chevalier in Medford. I could grab an orchestra row D seat for about 50 shekels plus fees but it’s a holiday weekend and having just driven east for the ProgJect show I am sticking close to home this weekend. That said, this line up intrigues me. I have seen John Mitchell with Arena and will be seeing him with the David Cross band here in town in October. I saw the thunder from down under play with UK and would love to see them together but not this go-round
I also just got an email for one of the NJ shows that tickets can be had for $44. I honestly am interested in this tour/lineup, but the two closest shows to me are both weeknights and I can't swing it with work and some other stuff I already have going on, and I already have tickets to see Lachey Doley on 7/12, which is when the Asia Bethlehem show is.
Curved air and focus amazing last nite. Been wanting to see both since the 70’s. Have to admit walked out on Asia.
I'm going to the Medford show tomorrow night. In the seating chart, I see that the balcony has no tickets available. I doubt that means that the balcony is sold out. The floor seems to be less than half sold. Too bad. I'm still looking forward to it. I'm going with my daughter who appreciates good music.
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
Some interesting musings from John Mitchell on his Facebook page:
"You find me in a most philosophical mood today and I would like to (rightly or wrongly) talk about a couple of things and set a few records straight.
I realise that in my position as a musician one has to have a thick skin and suffer the slings and arrows of opinion with no right to reply but I've done that for the most part since I was 23 years old and here I am at 51 with a bit of a minor axe to grind if you don't mind.
I have spent my life replacing people in bands.
I replaced the late Keith More in Arena.
I replaced Dave Kilminster in John Wetton's band.
I replaced Francis Dunnery in It Bites.
Every time I stepped into these roles it was for a very good reason, and the people that invited me to do so put their faith and trust in the fact that I would bring something to the table and make the role my own. (With the exception of Clive Nolan in Arena who had toothache on the audition and just wanted the whole thing to be done with).
I fully understand that in doing so, one is inviting inevitable criticism and the aforementioned slings and arrows.
No, I don't play guitar as technically as More or Kilminster or Dunnery... That was never the point. I have no interest in playing 1000 miles an hour for more than about 6 seconds per album or wherever seems appropriate, there are plenty of other people in the world who already fulfil that role. There are MANY more facets to being in a band than that, being able to write music well being one of them, playing with a sympathetic ear in a melodic fashion on the music you have created being another and actually getting on with the people that you are in the band with being the MOST important.
Yes, being in a band has it's ups and downs and I have had more than most, but I do think I have fulfilled a lot of the above in all of the musical pursuits I have been involved in over the years despite being a bit of a berk at times and I do think I bring something to the table in all the things I have done over the years.
With that in mind, I am bored beyond all belief of so called 'experts' and keyboard warriors musing upon how what we are currently embarking on 'isn't Asia' and 'where is Steve Howe/Carl or John Wetton' and it's 'just a tribute band' or whatever.
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.
And that's exactly what we are going to do.
At the end of the day, the point of music is to bring happiness into people's lives and if you're that f***ing joyless as to try to head a positive endeavour off at the pass solely based on a name before we've even played a note then do you even like music?
In answer to the naysayers, Steve is happy just doing Yes, Carl is busy with his ELP thing and John is very very sadly no longer with us.
In the words of both my dear departed mum and Roger Moore..
'If you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all'.
Can we play some music now?
Thank you."
Last edited by Dan Roth; 07-05-2024 at 08:23 AM.
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