Asia The Heat of the Moment US Tour 2024

Asia is absolutely delighted to announce The Heat of The Moment Tour, headlined by Asia and also featuring Focus, Martin Turner ex Wishbone Ash and Curved Air and MC’d by artist Roger Dean.

The tour will commence on 3rd July 2024 and will incorporate 21 dates across the USA and Canada.

The tour has been masterminded by rock music keyboard legend and original Asia member, Geoff Downes (Buggles, Asia, Yes).

Asia was the biggest selling album of 1982, number 1 on Billboard for 9 weeks and pioneers of the MTV era! Downes’ brand new iteration of Asia first began to evolve last Summer, at the concert held in memory of late lead singer, songwriter and bassist, John Wetton (King Crimson, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, UK, Asia, John Wetton Band, Icon). Downes invited old friend John Mitchell (It Bites, Frost*, Lonely Robot, Kino, John Wetton Band, Icon) and new-comer Harry Whitley to join him on stage to celebrate Wetton’s life by performing some of the classic Asia hits. Such was the uproarious reception to their set, that Downes wondered if something magical was beginning to take shape.

“And so it was that the John Wetton tribute last August really reminded me how much Asia’s music belongs on the stage. The response to it all was literally…spine-tingling.”

Downes’ new-look Asia will once again feature Mitchell on guitars and Whitley on lead vocal and bass. The quartet will be made complete by the addition of Virgil Donati (UK, Southern Sons, Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth) on drums.

Downes continues, “With the addition of Virgil Donati & John Mitchell, two of the finest musicians in the world in their respective classes, this is almost going full circle bearing in mind their previous close collaborations with John W. Completing this circle is also the amazing Harry Whitley who absolutely floored the audience with his incredible vocal interpretation of the Asia songs that John W and I so lovingly wrote over the years.”

The tour will also feature sets from other classic acts, Focus, Martin Turner ex Wishbone Ash and Curved Air. All three support acts boast their founder bandleaders and have deservedly attained the status of legend.

Focus will be releasing a brand new studio album later in 2024. Led by the indomitable Sir Thijs van Leer, featuring original 1970’s drummer Pierre Van Der Linden, plus the virtuoso talents of Menno Gootjes on guitar and Udo Pannekeet on bass.

Martin Turner was lead vocalist, bassist, founding member and creative force behind 70’s rock music behemoth Wishbone Ash, best known for such classic albums as Argus and Pilgrimage.

Formed in 1970, Curved Air are one of the founders of progressive rock and a retrospective collection of their most influential and ground-breaking material is currently in the planning stages. Sonja Kristina (vocals) and Kirby Gregory (guitar) will treat audiences to an acoustic set featuring some of the band’s most memorable musical moments. They will be joined by violinist Grzegorz Gadziomski.

Each performance on the tour will be MC’d by legendary artist Roger Dean. For so many, Dean’s artwork is synonymous with the music of the time and stands to represent the very best of British rock music.

The final word goes to Geoff Downes, “I am convinced that John (Wetton’s) spirit is with us as we set out on this new adventure.  After all, it is the Year of the Dragon – just as it was in 1982, when we released our first Asia album. It’s as though it was meant to be. Looking forward to seeing you there, my friends – bring it on!”

Heat Of The Moment 2024 Tour Dates:

  • Wednesday, July 3: Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
  • Thursday, July 4: Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls, ON
  • Saturday, July 6: Chevalier Theatre, Medford, MA
  • Sunday, July 7: The Paramount, Huntingdon, NY
  • Tuesday, July 9: Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ
  • Wednesday, July 10: Count Basie Center, Red Bank, NJ
  • Friday, July 12: Tropicana Showroom, Atlantic City, NJ
  • Saturday, July 13: Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, PA
  • Sunday, July 14: American Music Theatre, Lancaster, PA
  • Tuesday, July 16: Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Spartanburg, SC
  • Wednesday, July 17: Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
  • Thursday, July 18: Columbia County Performing Arts Center, Evans, GA
  • Saturday, July 20: Hard Rock Live, Orlando, FL
  • Sunday, July 21: Pompano Beach Amphitheater, Pompano Beach, FL
  • Monday, July 22: Seminole Hard Rock, Tampa, FL
  • Wednesday, July 24: North Charleston PAC, North Charleston, SC
  • Thursday, July 25: Macon City Auditorium, Macon, GA
  • Friday, July 26: Saenger Theatre, Mobile, AL
  • Sunday, July 28: VBC Mark Smith Concert Hall, Huntsville, AL
  • Tuesday, July 30: The Arcada Theatre, St Charles, IL
  • Wednesday, July 31: The Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI

ASIA

  • Geoffrey Downes – Keyboards, Vocals
  • John Mitchell – Guitars, Vocals
  • Harry Whitley – Bass Guitar, Lead Vocal
  • Virgil Donati – Drums

Website: https://originalasia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asiatheband

FOCUS

  • Thijs van Leer – Hammond Organ, Flute, Vocals
  • Menno Gootjes – Guitars
  • Udo Pannekeet – Bass Guitar
  • Pierre van der Linden – Drums

MARTIN TURNER ex Wishbone Ash

  • Martin Turner – Bass guitar,Vocals
  • Danny Willson – Guitars, Vocals
  • Misha Nikolic – Guitars, Vocals
  • Sonny Flint – Drums

CURVED AIR

  • Sonja Kristina – Vocals
  • Kirby Gregory – Guitars
  • Grzegorz Gadziomski – Violin

Classic Rock Legends Wishbone Ash Celebrates the 50th Anniversary With US Spring Tour 2020

TWIN GUITARS – FIFTY YEARS – 100 RELEASES

Wishbone Ash continues a milestone year with a tour of Southern, Western United States

Wishbone Ash celebrates a half-century of live twin-lead guitar power in 2020. Fans can look forward to enjoying repertoire from the band’s vast catalog of exactly 100 unique releases – 27 studio albums, 24 live albums, 43 compilations and box sets, and five live DVDs, along with a DVD rockumentary (“This Is Wishbone Ash”). Continually pushing their creative process, the band will release their next studio album, “Coat of Arms,” through SPV/Steamhammer on February 28th, 2020 as CD DigiPak, 2LP version (incl. bonus track), download and stream: https://WishboneAsh.lnk.to/CoatOfArms

The first single, “We Stand As One,” was officially released on Jan. 10. 
Watch the video.

The first leg of the 50th-anniversary tour in the States begins in Melbourne, FL on Feb. 15, traversing the country’s Southern swath from Florida to California and up the Pacific Coastline. The band will return for a Fall Tour in the Northeast and Midwest.

Formed in October 1969 in London, England, Wishbone Ash is one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock. Inspired equally by British folk traditions, American jazz, and R&B, the group vaulted to public and critical acclaim, touring arenas, stadiums, and theaters throughout Europe and the United States. Power and melody have made the Ash a hard act to follow, while they are currently being discovered by new generations of loyal rock fans.

Through the years the band has delved into various musical genres, from folk, blues, and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica. Whatever the style, Wishbone Ash’s signature is the distinctive twin-melodic lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and, more recently, Opeth.

“The blueprint and musical roots that we laid down in the early 1970s must have been really strong to have lasted this long,” says founding member Andy Powell (guitar, vocals). “Every band needs a plan and most importantly, to find THEIR own sound.”

The 50th-anniversary tour officially kicked off in October 2019 with 31 shows in the UK, followed by January and early-February dates in Europe that included a package tour with Nazareth and Uriah Heep. Following the US tour, the band embarks on their second On the Blue Cruise adventure, with more exciting shows to be announced later in the year.

True road warriors, each year Wishbone Ash logs around 30,000 road miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth.

“The band basically lives together year-round on the road, so we have a very strong level of communication that translates in our performances and recordings,” says Powell. A key ingredient in the band’s recipe for success is a devoted fan base, many who have followed Wishbone Ash from the beginning, and which often includes their children and even grandchildren. “We value our fan community above all else,” Powell says.

In 2015, Powell released his musical memoir, “Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior,” co-written with renowned Irish music journalist Colin Harper and available in Kindle and Apple iBook formats.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes in the music business and the world in general, as you can imagine,” Powell says. On looking back over the 50 years of the band, he muses, “Like all success stories, a career like this has its downs as well as its ups, and the true ups can only be measured in this way.”

There is no other rock band in history that has done more with the twin guitar concept than Wishbone Ash. Visit www.wishboneash.com for more information, and follow the band on Facebook (@wishbone.ash.official) and Twitter (wishboneash_com).

2020 US Spring Tour
15 FEBRUARY King Center – Melbourne, FL
16 FEBRUARY Skipper’s Smokehouse – Tampa, FL
18 FEBRUARY Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL
19 FEBRUARY House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
20 FEBRUARY Dosey Doe The Big Barn – The Woodlands, TX
21 FEBRUARY The Guitar Sanctuary Music & Event Center –McKinney, TX
22 FEBRUARY Sam’s Burger Joint – San Antonio, TX
23 FEBRUARY One World Theatre – Austin, TX
26 FEBRUARY Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
27 FEBRUARY Boulder Station – Las Vegas, NV
28 FEBRUARY Ramona’s Mainstage – Ramona, CA
29 FEBRUARY Arcadia Blues Club – Arcadia, CA
1 MARCH The Coach House – San Juan Capistrano, CA
4 MARCH Yoshi’s – Oakland, CA
5 MARCH The Fox – Redwood City, CA
7 MARCH Abstract Entertainment – Sacramento, CA
8 MARCH Moe’s Alley – Santa Cruz, CA
11 MARCH Aladdin Theater – Portland, OR
12 MARCH Jazzbones – Tacoma, WA
13 MARCH Triple Door – Seattle, WA
01-08 APRIL Miami, FL US/St. Maarten, AQ /St. Thomas, VI/Great Stirrup Cay, BS

2020 US Fall Tour
09 SEPT Bull Run – Shirley, MA
10 SEPT Daryl’s House Club – Pawling, NY
11 SEPT Mauch Chunk Opera House – Jim Thorpe, PA
12 SEPT Rams Head on Stage – Annapolis, MD
13 SEPT Tin Pan – Richmond, VA
16 SEPT Ludlow Garage – Cincinnati, OH
17 SEPT The 210 – Highwood, IL
18 SEPT Arcada Theatre – St.Charles, IL
19 SEPT Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL
20 SEPT Wildey Theatre – Edwardsville, IL
22 SEPT River Music Experience – Davenport, IA
23 SEPT The Black Room at Colectivo – Milwaukee, WI
24 SEPT The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN
25 SEPT The Kent Stage – Kent, OH
26 SEPT Fur Peace – Pomeroy, OH (sold out)
28 SEPT Club Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA
29 SEPT Sportsmen’s Tavern – Buffalo, NY
01 OCT Tupelo Music Hall – Derry, NH
02 OCT Wall Street Theater – Norwalk, CT
03 OCT Record Collector – Bordentown, NJ
04 OCT Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA

Band photo at top from left to right: Bob Skeat, Andy Powell, Joe Crabtree, Mark Abrahams.

For more information:
www.wishboneash.com
Facebook: @wishbone.ash.official
Twitter: @wishboneash_com

The Maiden Voyage of “On The Blue Cruise” Sets Sail in 2019

The Inaugural On The Blue Cruise

We are pleased to announce the inaugural, 2019 On The Blue Cruise, featuring special performances by your host, Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, along with one of the finest Classic Rock lineups in the history of our company. This incredible 5-night Classic Rock Cruise, sails from Miami, Florida February 10-15, 2019 for five days and nights, visiting Nassau/Paradise Island, Bahamas and the Private Isle of Labadee!

Expect all the great events and production that sets our cruises apart from the rest. This is going to be a cruise to remember, showcasing the talents of Justin and our featured Artists and Bands!

Our line-up rivals any in our history and includes not only Justin Hayward, but, The Zombies, Dave Mason, Steve Hackett, Al Stewart, Wishbone Ash, POCO, Vanilla Fudge, Colin Blunstone, Danny Seraphine from the band Chicago, Rick Derringer, Randy Hansen and our favorite Irish band, the Young Dubliners…with more to come soon!

We are delighted to announce that our home for the 2019 On the Blue Cruise is the magnificent Royal Caribbean, Mariner of the Seas. This is one of our favorite ships for Music Festivals at Sea because it has not just one, but two, huge music venues inside the ship. No chance of rainout on the concerts you don’t want to miss!

In addition, the Mariner is getting the biggest facelift in the history of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. This is a stem to stern makeover of epic proportion…over $100 MILLION! Even better, they will be completing the renovation before we sail, giving us a pristine vessel for the kickoff of the inaugural On the Blue Cruise!

The new Mariner of the Seas has more ways to play, delicious new dining concepts and a few surprises to thrill even the boldest cruisers. Launch yourself into a virtual world on a new bungee trampoline experience — Sky Pad. Hang ten on the newly added FlowRider surf simulator or race down The Perfect Storm waterslides. Have a tiki-chic rendezvous over rum punches in The Bamboo Room or bond over family-style Tuscan eats at Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver. This is going to be a “WOW” ship with some of the finest music and events featuring some of the greats in Classic Rock…what a show!

Tickets will go on sale to our past Moodies Cruise Alumni on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at 2 pm Eastern. Alumni will receive an email prior to this date with their personalized booking link. Later in the month, our general on sale to new guests will open up at www.OnTheBlueCruise.com/booknow so be sure to grab your spot aboard!

On The Blue Cruise is a playground for the serious fan where music and a luxury cruise unite for the vacation of a lifetime.

Website
http://onthebluecruise.com

Classic Rock Legends Wishbone Ash Hit the Open Road on Spring US Tour

Wishbone Ash, one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock, will be coming to the States in April 2018 on the Open Road Tour. True to its name, the tour will see the band clocking some serious miles as they return to America’s Southern swath, from North Carolina and Florida to California. Longtime fans and new converts alike will revel in the group’s signature twin-guitar mastery and powerhouse rhythm section as they present classics spanning their career.

Formed in 1969, Wishbone Ash is gearing up for its 50th anniversary on the heels of a limited-edition deluxe 30-disc box set, “Wishbone Ash: The Vintage Years,” available April 2018 through Madfish Records while supplies last.

True road warriors, each year these British rock legends log around 30,000 miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth. “We are breaking with our usual U.S. tour schedule and hitting the road early in 2018 to take in some cities that we haven’t been to for quite some time,” says founding member Andy Powell (guitar/lead vocals). “The tour will be heavy on Southern dates like North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and then into Texas, Arizona and, finally, California.”

In the fall, the band will return to North America for some Canadian shows. “Everyone is rested and fighting fit, and looking forward to introducing new audiences to wunderkind Mark Abrahams on guitar, while hopefully surprising folks with some tunes from the vaults,” Powell says.

Abrahams, who replaced 12-year veteran Muddy Manninen last summer, will be trading licks with Powell; he’s already been earning rave reviews from fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Longtime rhythm section Bob Skeat on bass and Joe Crabtree on drums continue to provide the solid groove that is their hallmark.

Through the years the band has delved into various musical genres, from folk, blues and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica. Whatever the style, Wishbone Ash’s hallmark is the distinctive twin-melodic lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and, more recently, Opeth.

“The band basically lives together year-round on the road, so we have a very strong level of communication that translates in our performances and recordings,” says Powell. “We’ve come to an era where the industry has to pigeonhole a band as Classic Rock, Prog Rock, Heritage Rock and so on. The truth is that we have always kept our options open and always relied on the musicianship of the players to lead the way. It’s fun to be stylistically diverse and this has, in its way, contributed to our longevity.”

Wishbone Ash has to its credit 24 original studio recordings, 11 live albums and five live DVDs along with a DVD rockumentary (“This is Wishbone Ash”). Released April 2018, “The Vintage Years” 30-disc box set, three-and-a-half years in the making, is a special collection dedicated to the band’s output from 1970 to 1991, including all 16 studio albums, three live albums, eight previously unreleased live shows from 1973 to 1980, a 156-page coffee-table hardcover book and an assortment of memorabilia. Also now available are the first official re-releases in decades of “Twin Barrels Burning” from 1982 and “Raw to the Bone” from 1985, plus definitive editions with all new 2017 remasters.

In 2015, Powell released his musical memoir, “Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior,” co-written with renowned Irish music journalist Colin Harper and now available in Kindle and Apple iBook formats. “It’s quite an undertaking to put 46 years of being a touring musician in this one band into book form,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of changes in the music business and the world in general, as you can imagine.”

There is no other rock band in history that has done more with the twin guitar concept than The Ash. Be sure to catch them on the Open Road US Tour in April 2018. Tour dates and more information can be found at www.wishboneash.com.

Wishbone Ash US Tour Dates
April 2018
03 – Harvester Performance Center – Rocky Mount, VA
04 – Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC
06 – City Winery Atlanta – Atlanta, GA
07 – Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts – Melbourne, FL
08 – Skippers Smokehouse – Tampa, FL
11 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
13 – Keys Lounge – Fort Worth, TX
14 – Sam’s Burger Joint – San Antonio, TX
15 – One World Theatre – Austin, TX
18 – Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
19 – Railhead, Boulder Station Hotel Casino – Las Vegas, NV
20 – Canyon Club – Agoura Hills, CA
21 – The Rose – Pasadena, CA
22 – The Coach House – San Juan Capistrano, CA
25 – Yoshi’s Jazz Club – Oakland, CA
26 – The Fox – Redwood City, CA

For more information: www.wishboneash.com

North American Booking: Steve Ozark, Ozark Talent (785) 760-3143, OzarkTalent@gmail.com

Press Inquiries: 
Glass Onyon PR, Billy James, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com
Kate Goldsmith, kate_goldsmith@wishboneash.com

Wishbone Ash’s Twin Barrels Burning and Raw To The Bone Given First Official and Remastered Definitive Edition Re-release!

Each album is available on 2CD and Picture Disc LP with extensive bonus materials, just in time for Christmas!

These are the FIRST OFFICIAL re-releases of Twin Barrels Burning from 1982 and Raw to the Bone from 1985 in decades and DEFINITIVE EDITIONS with all new 2017 REMASTERS.

Both albums feature new liner notes by rock journalist Dave Ling, including new interviews with all the surviving members and archive quotes from the late Trevor Bolder.

Twin Barrels Burning – This smoking hot 21 TRACK 2CD set includes the American Remixes of the album on a second disc, which have NEVER BEEN ON CD BEFORE.

Raw To The Bone – This mammoth 23 TRACK 2CD set has bonus tracks including a HOLY GRAIL for Wishbone Ash fans – ALL FOUR UNRELEASED SONGS from the post-album 1986 SESSIONS. The bonus CD also includes The Friday Rock Show BBC Sessions, which are often described as better than the album versions, plus four live tracks from Hammersmith.

These re-issues are FULLY APPROVED by Steve Upton, Laurie Wisefield, Andy Powell, Merv Spence, and the estate of Trevor Bolder.

These 2CD sets and Picture Disc LPs are IN STOCK NOW with PledgeMusic orders being sent out in time for Christmas – ahead of being released by Cherry Red on 2nd February 2018.

The second disc of bonus tracks accompanying each CD will not be available with any other product or box set.

The editions are IN STOCK NOW and can be ordered from: http://pmusic.co/lvPp2D

Twin Barrels Burning 2CD Track List

DISC ONE:
1. Engine Overheat
2. Can’t Fight Love
3. Genevieve
4. Me and My Guitar
5. Hold On
6. Streets of Shame
7. No More Lonely Nights
8. Angels Have Mercy
9. Wind Up
Bonus Tracks:
10. Cat and Dog Fight
11. Go for the Gold
12. Night Hawker

DISC TWO – The American Remixes
1. Engine Overheat
2. Can’t Fight Love
3. No More Lonely Nights
4. Wind Up
5. Streets Of Shame
6. My Guitar
7. Hold On
8. Genevieve
9. Angels Have Mercy

Raw To The Bone 2CD Track List

DISC ONE:
1. Cell of Fame
2. People in Motion
3. Don’t Cry
4. Love in Blue
5. Long live the Night
6. Rocket in my Pocket
7. It’s Only Love
8. Don’t You Mess
9. Dreams (Searching for an Answer)
10. Perfect Timing
Bonus Tracks:
11. She’s Still Alive
The 1986 Sessions
12. Apocalypso
13. Valley of Tears
14. Nkomo
15. Talk To Me

DISC 2:
The Friday Rock Show
1. Long Live the Night
2. Cell of Fame
3. Love in Blue
4. People in Motion
Live at Hammersmith on BBC local radio
5. Living Proof
6. Cell of Fame
7. The King Will Come
8. Blowin’ Free

Available for order:
Twin Barrels Burning 2 CD
Raw To The Bone 2 CD
Twin Barrels Burning Picture Disc LP
Raw To The Bone Picture Disc LP
CD Bundle
Picture Disc Bundle
All Formats Bundle

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com