Asia - quick report, now with a pic of Wetton and his Victory

[Denis]

Last night the girlfriend and I went out for Turkish coffee and someone had dropped off fliers for Asia, which is performing in town on the 17th. If tickets are still available I think I'm going to go, since I never got to see them back in the '80s. It's the Omega tour of Wetton, Downes, Howe and Palmer. Should be cool if I can get a ticket.

[gearHed289]

That should be a good show. I've got a DVD of that lineup from a couple of years ago in Japan. Excellent! They cover Yes, Buggles, Crimson, and ELP with the rest of the set mostly pulled from the first 2 Asia records.

[uwe]

Since their reunion a few years back, they've recorded two studio CDs and one live CD plus toured the world. I saw them 2006 in London and really liked it. Wetton seems to be permanently off the drink and the jealousy of Howe towards Wetton/Downes re his lesser writing input has subsided. They should be good. The reunion now lasts longer than their initial tenure. Back then, either wetton or Howe would regularly leave in a huff only to return demanding that the other guy be kicked out.

I just heard UK in the car, the Wetton/Jobson/Bozio trio that in many ways was a blueprint for Asia. Take away the prog influences some more and add a guitar ...

Have fun!

Uwe

[Denis]

The show was good! Although I'd never seen Asia before and I know the music only from records, I'd say Wetton's voice has held up surprisingly well and he looked pretty healthy. I couldn't tell if he used a pick or had something actually taped to his thumb or index finger but at the end of the show he pulled it off and tossed it into the audience. He played a black Victory Artist through the entire show and it sounded great. Can't imagine how heavy that thing was!

Steve Howe looked very old but no different than he looked in the pics of him I've seen over the last few years. He sure can play! Funny now, seeing him for the first time since 1983, how much so many of the Asia guitar licks SOUNDED like Howe's work. He did play "The Clap" and as far as I could tell that was the only non-Asia song played.

Carl Palmer was, well, awesome. He looked like he was having a great time, clowned around behind his drums, and got a standing ovation for his ridiculously awesome drum solo. It was obvious that Palmer is easily the most liked member of the band and seemed to have absolutely no pretentious attitude.

I know the least about Geoff Downes but he looked pretty good and sure could play those keyboards.

All in all it was fun and worth the money, especially hearing all that old Asia stuff I hadn't heard in a long time. Would have liked to hear them perform some of the Buggles, Crimson, Yes and ELP songs they've played at other shows.

[Freuds_Cat]

Glad you enjoyed it Denis. I saw them in the early 90's in London supporting the Aqua album with Downes, Howe, John Payne, Vinny Burns and drummer Trevor Thornton. I know its bordering on sacrilegious but I prefer Asia with Payne over Wetton. Great band regardless.

[uwe]

Sacrilegious indeed!!! Payne over Wetton!  That is - let me think of something aptly Australian - like preferring Brian Johnson over Bon Scott. (Which I actually do!  )

The Victory? He hasn't played that since the eighties, last I saw him was with some white pointy Fernandez type thing. That said, Wetton since his King Crimson days prefers a "low bass, high presence, nothing much in between"-piano wire sound  which I'd describe as "activated P Bass sound" so he was probably playing a Victory Artist with the active electronics.

"Would have liked to hear them perform some of the Buggles, Crimson, Yes and ELP songs they've played at other shows."

They did that mostly to bolster their set because of the dearth of material after the reunion when they restricted themselves to playing the first album in full, the second album in part (already recorded under unhappy circumstances) and none of the third album by which time Howe had left the group, but declared to Geffen svengali John Kalodner that he'd play on the record as a session man "only for a king's ransom", which to his surprise Geffen accepted leading him to refuse to play after all "after I had heard the material".  Wetton (ousted from the band for his alcoholism at the instigation of Howe, momentarily replaced by Greg Lake and then returned, his alcoholism still uncontained) and Howe hated each other back then.

Follwoing the reunion, Asia have two studio albums under their "thinking man's Air Supply" belt and don't feel the need to pad the set anymore with legacy covers. That said, the Asia versions I heard of Fanfare for the Common Man, In the Court of the Crimson King, Roundabout and, yes, Video killed the Radio Star were nice and credible, but not slavish to the originals. Yes, Wetton can actually sing Roundabout and play these Squire licks at the same time ...   

[Denis]

He hasn't played the Victory since the '80s? Dang, that's pretty cool I got to see that. He had a bunch of electronics and pedals and whatnot at his feet he kept adjusting. He never adjusted anything on the Victory though.

Your explanation of why they didn't play any of the legacy songs makes a lot of sense and I never thought of it that way. Perhaps Howe playing "The Clap" was some sort of olive branch...

It was definitely a show worth going to in any case. Those guys don't have anything to prove these days!

[gearHed289]

Wetton has mostly been using a white Zon and a red Fernandez over the past several years. Surprised about the Victory. Maybe he's working with Gibson on a JW sig? 

"Legacy covers".... bring 'em!

[Denis]

Here's a pic from the show. I didn't take any that were worth a flip, but someone sent me one via Craigslist at my request. Many thanks to Doyle for the pic!

[gweimer]

Cool pic.  I have a soft spot for Wetton, despite all that's been said about him.  Who was it on the old Dudepit that knew him as a raging alcoholic?  I love his playing and his voice.  Asia, for me, had a few really good songs, but also a lot of filler.  I still remember the video on MTV, where Wetton looked like death, and somehow it made the video work.  When I was in college, I somehow went to an audition of a band that was very progressive.  There was a violinist and a drummer, and I walked into the pit.  As a kid who cut his teeth on Black Sabbath and Grand Funk, I decided to pull out my best John Wetton licks (this was about '73) and go for it.  I didn't get the gig, but I survived.  His voice, like James Dewar's, is one that can't really be learned.  It can only come naturally.

[Freuds_Cat]

Sacrilegious indeed!!! Payne over Wetton!  That is - let me think of something aptly Australian - like preferring Brian Johnson over Bon Scott. (Which I actually do!  )

Sir! I do not take kindly to being metaphoricaly slapped in the face by your fencing gloves!! 

Brian Johnson over Bon.............!*     Its not possible....

Regarding Wetton vs Payne, its more Paynes vocals that I prefer over Wetton than his bass playing.

[Dave W]

I always figured Brian Johnson must have at least one fan somewhere. Now we know who.

[uwe]

Dave knows AC/DC?!!! Scatter and run!!!

I was actually talking about Wetton's voice being the Asia voice - his bass playing today is merely competent due to carpal tunnel syndrome as he has himself admitted.

The "raging alcoholic" thing was me, but I never held that against him, the man was obviously ill. Alcohol ruined his career, his marriage etc. I have a friend who worked as a rock journo in England and it was him who said that all it tool was leak of his to have Wetton turn from perfect gentleman to raging alcoholic in restaurant, insulting the waitress etc. Like quite a few alcoholics, Wetton didn-t get drunk gradually, but went from a stone-cold sober appearance to drunken viciousness in a few minutes.

That is all over now. He's been dry for many years. Hope he stays that way, I like the man.

[GonzoBass]

I couldn't tell if he used a pick or had something actually taped to his thumb or index finger but at the end of the show he pulled it off and tossed it into the audience.

Could it have been a thumbpick?

[Dave W]

Dave knows AC/DC?!!! Scatter and run!!!

I know Brian Johnson is no Bon Scott. Still, he's lasted all these years with them so there must be some demand for hellish screeching.