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ASIA @ Casino de Paris

April 30th 2010

John Wetton (Bass & Vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Carl Palmer (Drums) & Geoffrey Downes (Keyboards) aka ASIA are playing the beautiful Casino de Paris near St Lazare.

These guys are in the business for more than 40 years and they have played one time or another in all these bands : King Crimson, Yes, Uriah Heep, The Crazy world of Arthur Brown, Roxy Music , Wishbone Ash, GTR, Buggles, ELP.

This is the original formation of ASIA.
It looks like nobody gives a shit in France. It's 8:00PM and there's NO ONE outside, I thought I was at the wrong place, in fact everybody is already in, the balcony is closed and the seated pit is far from being full.
There's probably 500 Fans, no more.
Once again tickets were really expensive between 60 & 80 euros, it remembers me of Don McLean last week and there was no one as well.
Maybe next time the promoter will keep prices down.

There's no opening band and it's an early start 8:15PM.
Well What Can I say ?
The atmosphere is dead, the sound is neat as you can guess these guys are killers in their own fields unfortunately the music is... complete shit for most of it.
The songs are so dated and a cliché from the 80's AOR for American radio stations.
The lyrics are stupid : "I'll catch you when you fall" and so on...
Hard to believe bands like this are still alive.
They also should make an effort to be dress properly.

Steve is having a short solo spot and we're having a duet between John and Geoff.
Carl Palmer is also having a short solo spot with a great drum solo.
After less than an hour there's an intermission.
My friends are telling me that the second part will be much better... and they were right.

For the second part they've done more songs from their first two records and it's much better more technical, more jazz-rock for some songs.
Steve is having a couple of tech problems but that's alright , his guitar playing is stunning.