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Led by Geoff Downes, the latest incarnation will hit the road in the USA and Canada in July. Could new material be on the way?
Yes keyboard player Geoff Downes has teamed up with Lonely Robot’s John Mitchell, Planet X drummer Virgil Donati and singer Harry Whitley for a new version of Asia inspired by the same line-up’s performance at last year’s John Wetton memorial concert.
“The reaction was just incredible, not just from the audience on the night, but also the people who were streaming it at home,” marvels Downes. “People seemed so impressed by what we were doing and it really made a big impact on me. And that kickstarted an idea: I decided it would be great to take Asia back out on the road and do it all again.”
True to his word, the new-look line-up headline the Heat Of The Moment Tour, which will take in North America and Canada this July. Named after the monster hit from Asia’s self-titled 1982 debut, the dates carry a certain symmetry for Downes.
“A lot of time has gone by since that first album,” he says. “But I think there’s a natural cycle to it, especially with me having discovered Harry. He’s not emulating John Wetton as such, but he’s always been a big fan of Asia and his voice is very similar.”
Classically trained Whitley first caught Downes’ attention through his YouTube channel, where he would upload his uncanny Asia covers.
“Harry would tell me how my music was a big influence on him, so I thought I’d check him out,” says Downes. “I was really blown away by his attention to detail, particularly his vocal intonation. He did a version of Heroine [from 2008’s Phoenix] where he managed to get all these twists and turns that I thought only John was ever capable of. To hear Harry do that was really scary and quite chilling, because John’s voice could bring people to tears. So I got in touch with him when the tribute show was coming together. I thought, ‘If anyone’s going to put their stamp on these songs, here’s the man for the job.’”
While guitarist Mitchell has history with both Wetton and Downes (appearing on the duo’s Icon pr
