Asia featuring John Payne announce double anniversary tour

[Old Frothingslosh]

Asia featuring John Payne have announced plans for a double anniversary tour to celebrate the original band's 1982 debut album, as well as 1992's Aqua, the first album from the line-up that featured Payne, along with keyboard player Geoff Downes and briefly Steve Howe and Carl Palmer.

“This is going to be very nostalgic for me, I haven’t played some of these songs in 30 years and I’m extremely excited to do this tour with our band," says Payne. "We want the shows to sound as close to the original recordings as possible."

https://www.asiafeaturingjohnpayne.com/

[altaeria]

Remember how disappointed you were during that original AQUA tour?
Well, now you can experience that profound dejection all over again!

[Old Frothingslosh]

Remember how disappointed you were during that original AQUA tour?
Well, now you can experience that profound dejection all over again!

oddly enough I did go to the Aqua tour and yes it was a bit of a shit show. For me no Wetton, no Asia, no thank you

[Gtkgasman]

Got to walk right up to the stage though and see Howe .....👍. That was worth it on Aqua for me!!!

Saw Payne Asia a few times. Wasn’t preferred version. Live shows were fun and very accessible tho as I recall - low price, small venues, etc. prob would never have gone to see Uriah heep other wise too. And I will say that Payne was a very nice individual when meeting him just hanging out.

Was good fun. I’d see him again for fun of it.

[Soundwaveseeker]

I did see that original 1992 Aqua tour, they played a good 60% of the Aqua album I remember. It was indeed a club, low price - something like 23 bucks at the time. General admission tables. John Payne wore that ridiculous feathery top hat. I remember some people really hating the Aqua show, yelling out 'Lose the hat' and 'Play something that doesn't suck!'. Man, they weren't too kind to Payne. What were they expecting them to play, Close To The Edge? Jeez, give the dude a chance. I enjoyed it well enough. He sang a solid version of Rock & Roll Dream from Astra. Steve Howe came on after 5 songs as 'special guest', so he was there for most of the show actually.

I got my ticket for the Annapolis show in July. As I am with Yes, I'm not too 'lineup specific' and I tend give different incarnations of a band I like a chance as long as the material is in the same ball park more or less. John Payne is alright in my book. You can't replace the golden voice of John Wetton, but at least Payne has his own voice and doesn't try to sound like Wetton, he's not from a tribute band. I hear there is an Asia Featuring John Payne album in the works. In the absence of an official Asia album with Downes & pals, this will do for me, though I don't expect a release by the time of the tour.

[Gtkgasman]

I did see that original 1992 Aqua tour, they played a good 60% of the Aqua album I remember. It was indeed a club, low price - something like 23 bucks at the time. General admission tables. John Payne wore that ridiculous feathery top hat. I remember some people really hating the Aqua show, yelling out 'Lose the hat' and 'Play something that doesn't suck!'. Man, they weren't too kind to Payne. What were they expecting them to play, Close To The Edge? Jeez, give the dude a chance. I enjoyed it well enough. He sang a solid version of Rock & Roll Dream from Astra. Steve Howe came on after 5 songs as 'special guest', so he was there for most of the show actually.

I got my ticket for the Annapolis show in July. As I am with Yes, I'm not too 'lineup specific' and I tend give different incarnations of a band I like a chance as long as the material is in the same ball park more or less. John Payne is alright in my book. You can't replace the golden voice of John Wetton, but at least Payne has his own voice and doesn't try to sound like Wetton, he's not from a tribute band. I hear there is an Asia Featuring John Payne album in the works. In the absence of an official Asia album with Downes & pals, this will do for me, though I don't expect a release by the time of the tour.

Playing about an hour from me in Sellersville Pa. Been wanting to go there. They have all of 4 accessible seats in the place and are gone. That’s the usual case for us. I’ll give em a buzz when it gets closer and see if they can help me out. Small places are usually pretty good about that stuff if you can get a person on the phone.

I had to look up our ‘92 show. Good ole Chestnut Cabaret! Tables and bar and floor if memory serves.

[Soundwaveseeker]

Also saw Asia in Hershey Park in 2001 in one of those amphitheaters. 'Puppet Show....plus Spinal Tap' came to mind. Walked past Geoff Downes while going to the concession stand to get a drink. But I saw both 45 minute sets that day. Asia, chocolate and roller coasters, what wasn't to love. But odd venue to hear things like 'Free', 'Days Like These' and 'Bad Asteroid'.

[downbyariver]

I did see that original 1992 Aqua tour, they played a good 60% of the Aqua album I remember. It was indeed a club, low price - something like 23 bucks at the time. General admission tables. John Payne wore that ridiculous feathery top hat. I remember some people really hating the Aqua show, yelling out 'Lose the hat' and 'Play something that doesn't suck!'. Man, they weren't too kind to Payne. What were they expecting them to play, Close To The Edge? Jeez, give the dude a chance. I enjoyed it well enough. He sang a solid version of Rock & Roll Dream from Astra. Steve Howe came on after 5 songs as 'special guest', so he was there for most of the show actually.

One of the nice things about living in a time where the Internet is much more established and accessible than 1992, with a wealth of information, is that I think people can and perhaps often do check out in advance who is likely to perform in a band they may see (Barring last minute lineup changes due to illnesses and such) and what approximately they might play in their setlists, if that sort of thing matters to them and they won't be happy just hearing a band with the right name playing music from said band's catalog (If they really don't care and are just happy to see some version of the band playing any selection of it's music, they may not bother to check, but they don't need to, because they'll be happy with whatever).

So, these days, in theory, those hecklers either don't buy the tickets, or they come to terms with who will be performing and what they will be performing in advance and decide to go and enjoy the show for what it is. Anyone who doesn't check when the information is widely available also I think kind of forfeits their heckling privileges. . Probably not so in 1992, but in 2022, everyone should be able to look up that Asia Featuring John Payne includes "the guy in the hat" and that the show will feature most or all of the Asia and Aqua albums (Whether it's most or all varying by the time the venue allots the band).

I hear there is an Asia Featuring John Payne album in the works.

I'd definitely buy a digital download of an Asia Featuring John Payne album of original music. John mentioned the name of the album, Aviana, and a Rodney Matthews cover in a recent interview, so it sounds like he's serious about it, but of course they've been talking about an AFJP album since 2006 or 2007, and while we've gotten some good albums from other bands that feature John Payne, including some songs that were originally intended to be AFJP songs, we still don't have that AFJP album, so I'll believe it when I see it, with all due respect to Mr. Payne.

He has done two great Dukes of the Orient albums, so I'd happily buy a third one of those, too.

And if what the Downes/Palmer Asia ever puts out another Asia album, I'd love to add that to my collection as well.

It'd be pretty awesome if all three bands ramped up their studio output simultaneously, wouldn't it? I mean, it's all good.

I feel like the Downes/Palmer Asia is the real one, but those other two groups are also good, musically speaking.

I doubt I'll be seeing any live concerts this year between being at high-risk for coronavirus and financial stuff, but I'd be happy to get the albums, if there are any, whether it's one, two, or three groups putting them out.

[Soundwaveseeker]

What's interesting is that in 2001, that incarnation of Asia was better accepted than in 1992 and people seemed to know the Payne material when I saw them numerous times from 2001 to 2005. Nobody said 'Lose the hat!'. Indeed, by then he did lose the hat and was sporting that thin beard thing.

I first got Aqua as import at a record show in the summer of 1992. I believe it wasn't released in the US until September. In those pre-internet days, you didn't know right away when a change took place. Looking at the credits in the cd booklet back then, I was....well they spelled the singer's name wrong! It's W-E-T-T-.....
But now, in this age, where you have access to the information, I don't think we'll see the hecklers. Maybe somebody yelling 'Bring back the hat!'

The period from the split in 2006 to fairly recently was definitely a period of 'I'll believe it when I see it'. When Payne and Geoff Downes split, I assumed Payne would go on with solo albums and Asia featuring, since he had GPS pretty quickly after that, while the original Asia did their reunion/nostalgia tour and milked that. My money was on Payne - I thought the original Asia wouldn't sustain itself in the long run and fizzle out while Payne would be the more prolific one. It happened the other way around! There was talk of a AFJP album called 'Americana' for the longest time, but then he got involved in Vegas shows and stuff. The only thing so far under the Asia Featuring John Payne moniker so far is a cd single of Military Man and Recollections - a prog covers album.

However in recent times we did get Dukes Of The Orient, which definitely scratches that Payne Asia itch. True, it was years in the making and was actually the remnants of the 'Amercana' project. But the second one, 'Freakshow', came out rather quickly - like a surprise release. I didn't see it coming, but it sure brightened up a strange 2020 pandemic summer. A third one is an automatic buy for me. Anyone who like AFJP would certainly enjoy these - it's basically Asia Featuring JP - though 'Freakshow' does go into other musical avenues with added saxophone, giving it a slightly Toto or Alan Parsons Project vibe in a few places.

The Asia with Downes and Palmer is indeed the real/official Asia. Where Downes goes, Asia goes with him, as he's the only member on every Asia album from the beginning. He is the Chris Squire or Fripp of Asia. Hopefully they sort out whatever they got to sort out and release another wave of great stuff. As for Payne, maybe he is serious out it now and Aviana - 'bird-like' - is released sooner than later, hopefully quicker than it took to get a covers album, an EP and a digital single.

[altaeria]

I actually enjoy every Payne-Asia album (to varying degrees), but I do not appreciate his vocal style in live shows at all. Too much snarl and howl for Asia.
I think his best approach was during the Aura recording sessions, when the producer suggested that he smooth out his delivery.

Payne has done a nice job recording and producing those GPS and Dukes albums. It's a shame he wasn't hired to produce or maybe just engineer Heaven and Earth for Yes.
Downes could've extended an olive branch by offering him a job like that, and I bet Payne would've been thrilled to get involved.
Besides- I think Schellen, Sherwood, and Howe all got along well with Payne over the years.

[RelayerI]

oddly enough I did go to the Aqua tour and yes it was a bit of a shit show. For me no Wetton, no Asia, no thank you

I'm the exact opposite.

I'm no fan of Wetton and truly prefer the Payne albums and lineup(s). Especially with Steve guesting.

[RelayerI]

I'm the exact opposite.

I'm no fan of Wetton and truly prefer the Payne albums and lineup(s). Especially with Steve guesting.

Blimey, I got a "like" !

Could someone agree with me ?

[Gilly Goodness]

Blimey, I got a "like" !

Could someone agree with me ?

Yes.

/AURA\ is one of my fave albums. Musically. It's a rush. Dynamic. Best Dean cover as well.

I like Wetton, but more in UK.

[RelayerI]

We should form a club with everyone that agrees with us and we can all take it in turns to be in charge.

You first, then me, then...you again, then me...

[Gilly Goodness]

SNAKE AND SEAL CLUB

Meet every Thursday note at virtual pub for trivia quiz, Guinness and shepard's pie with Tomato sauce. Fully in agreeance. Heaven.