ASIA IN ASIA BOX SET AND 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR COMING

Supergroup ASIA will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band’s multiplatinum Geffen debut. It will be ASIA’s first tour since 2019 and will feature original members Carl Palmer (drums, percussion), Geoff Downes (keyboards, background vocals), as well as Billy Sherwood (bass, background vocals), and Marc Bonilla (lead vocals, guitar).

Founding member Carl Palmer says, “I am so thrilled that ASIA has finally been able to return to performing 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.”

According to Pilato Entertainment Marketing & Media, in addition to its 40^th Anniversary, the band will be promoting the release of ASIA in Asia–Live at the Budokan, Tokyo, 1983, as well as a deluxe box set featuring 2LPs, 2CDs, a 40-page 12″ book, a Blu-ray video, memorabilia, and more. It will be released through BMG Records and additionally available as a gatefold 2-LP set, a single CD, and digital format.

SOME ASIA BACKSTORY (from press release)…

ASIA, Geoff Downes (Buggles, Yes), Steve Howe (Yes) and Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) with special guest vocalist and bassist Greg Lake (also ELP), visited Japan to promote their phenomenally successful debut album (1982) and Alpha (1983). Their performance on December 6, 1983 at the Budokan arena made history as first live simulcast on MTV. Greg Lake stepped in on short notice following the sudden departure of John Wetton due to illness. 

ASIA began as a rock “supergroup” featuring 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 was a superhit on MTV.  The single “Heat Of The Moment” was a worldwide monster smash while the band’s debut album spent 9 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and was the biggest selling LP of 1982.