John Payne announced a reworked lineup for his tandem version of Asia in late July that included Francis Dunnery, with a tour to begin on Saturday, Aug. 2, in New Paltz, New York. The It Bites and former Syn guitarist lasted one gig.
“It is impossible for me to adapt to that role,” Dunnery admitted on Monday in a social media post. “I don’t have the personality or the playing style to fulfill what he needs. And I understand fully because it’s what I ask my band to do with It Bites.”
It Bites offered a similar prog-pop style, while the Syn once featured Asia co-founder Steve Howe‘s Yes bandmate Chris Squire. Payne recorded eight albums with Asia over a 14-year tenure as bassist and frontman beginning in 1991. He began leading his own offshoot group in 2007 when Asia bandmate Geoff Downes decided to reunite with the original lineup, which also featured John Wetton and Carl Palmer. Wetton died in 2017; Howe has since rejoined Yes.
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The new band was contractually required to call itself Asia Featuring John Payne. Current Yes drummer Jay Schellen carried over from the final pre-reunion edition of Asia with Downes, but the lineup has changed many times since. They play music from across the Asia catalog, which kicked off with their four-times platinum U.S. chart-topping self-titled debut in 1982.
“John needs a guitar player who can come in and play all the styles and all the sounds that are on the records, and unfortunately, that’s not what I do,” Dunnery said. “There are much better people at doing that than me.”
Plans for a New Album From Asia Featuring John Payne
Prior to the new tour, Payne announced that Dunnery’s arrival had led to sessions for a new album, to be titled Aviana. “To work with such a great songwriter and guitarist is so exciting,” Payne said in an official statement. “Our vocal harmonies both in the studio and live feel like we’ve been working together for years. It feels like our paths had to get here.”
The current lineup of Asia Featuring John Payne also includes keyboardist Ryo Okumoto of Spock’s Beard fame and drummers Thomas Lang and Aaron Olsen. Their U.S. tour is still set to continue with concerts in Texas later this month. Shows in Japan and the U.K. were also planned. A complete list of previously announced dates and venues is below.
Dunnery said he remains friends with Payne. “I love old John. He’s a good lad,” he added. “There are absolutely no weird or hard feelings, and I wish him and the band all the success in the world. But now I have to close this brief chapter and go back to my crazy life. … I should stick to that and do myself and everyone else a favor.”
Asia Featuring John Payne 2025 Tour Dates
8/12 – Tomball, TX @ Main Street Crossing
8/13 – Arlington, TX @ Arlington Music Hall
8/15 – Plymouth, CA @ Helwig Winery
8/17 – Saskatoon, Canada @ Rock the River Festival
8/30 – MacArthur, CA @ Inter-Mountain Fair (with Lou Gramm)
9/27 – Ashland, KY @ Page Landing Days
10/2-6 – Japan, Dates and Locations TBD
10/25 – Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater
11/15 – Great Yarmouth, UK @ HRH Prog Festival
11/16 – London @ O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
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Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
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