PRESS RELEASE

World famous rock band ASIA, announced the appointment of  Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal, prior to the Royal Affair Tour in 2019, which also saw Steve Howe reunite with the band.  Bumblefoot replaced Sam Coulson who had been with the band since replacing Steve Howe in 2013.   The currrent lineup is: Geoff Downes (YES, The Buggles) Carl Palmer (ELP),  Billy Sherwood(YES), who was chosen to replace John Wetton (King Crimson, UK) by Wetton himself prior to his death on 31st January 2017 and Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (Guns N Roses, Sons of Apollo).  The band’s concerts present a solid  set drawing on their debut - 1982’s biggest selling album in the world.  One in thirteen households in America owns a copy of Asia’s debut album, Asia. It is one of Geffen Records top 3 sellers off of all time, alongside Guns N Roses, and Whitesnake. Their worldwide hits include; ‘Heat of the Moment’, 'Only Time Will Tell', 'Don't Cry' and the America’s Got Talent theme; ‘An Extraordinary Life’.

QEDG also represents the original and reunion line-up of Asia featuring Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton.

Guitar Virtuoso Dave Kilminster's radical techniques and mesmerizing  sounds captivate fans and fellow musicians alike. Dave was named  Guitarist Magazine's 1991 Guitarist of the Year. That recognition  propelled him on a super-charged career as a multi-faceted guitarist,  vocalist, engineer, producer, writer and instructor. Credited by  keyboard legend Keith Emerson for inspiring him to go on the road again,  Dave is a familiar figure worldwide to fans of progressive rock. In  recent years Dave has been on the road with Roger Waters as lead  guitarist and vocalist in the extraordinary global staging of Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Fans know Dave from his work along side rock luminaries John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Steven Wilson, Ken Hensley, and John Young, among others. Dave is currently touring the world with Roger  Waters’, on the 'This is not a drill' tour.

QEDG was delighted to accept an invitation to co-manage ELP alongside  long term manager Stewart Young, until the band's retirement. This included the band's return to  London for a 40th anniversary headline slot at the inaugural High  Voltage Festival in 2010. Considered by many to be one of rock’s  original first super-groups, Emerson Lake & Palmer formed in England  in 1970 consisting of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (bass  guitar, vocals) and Carl Palmer (drums, percussion). The band  created a brand new world of music, combining classical and symphonic  rock fused with beautiful vocals. Their penchant for appropriating  themes from classical music and the group’s more nuanced, textured  approach to symphonic arrangements set ELP apart from their more  bombastic guitar-based contemporaries of the time. Along with Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, and Rush, Emerson Lake and Palmer ushered in the Prog era and as one of the most commercially successful rock bands of the 1970’s having sold over 40 million albums. 

 Geoff Downes is originally best known as a member of The Buggles, with  whom he co-wrote MTV’s 1st ever video and international number one  blockbuster hit, Video Killed The Radio Star. As a member of ASIA, the  supergroup he went on to form after a stint with prog rockers Yes, he  co-wrote many of their hits such as; Heat of the Moment, Only Time Will  Tell and Don’t Cry and has been the band’s keyboardist  since day one.  The band’s debut album was the biggest selling album in the world of  1982. ASIA’s original line-up reformed in 2006 and has gone on to  undertake several hugely successful world tours and record 3 new studio  albums within that period.  Downes is also a current member of YES who he rejoined in 2011, and co-wrote much of their recent Fly From Here album. He has over 50 silver, gold and platinum certified awards to his name in a career spanning 5 decades. 

 Ian Danter is well known for his professional work with talkSPORT radio.  Ian used to commentate on live games in the Premier League for talkSPORT as part of their hugely successful ‘Matchday Live’ programme. Ian is also a regular commentator at UEFA.com on Champions League and Europa League matches as well as working for Everton TV as commentator on their Premier League games. In summer 2010, Ian was selected by talkSPORT to  travel to South Africa as their No.2 commentator for the FIFA World Cup.  Alongside his football commentating career, Ian performs in a well established “Kiss” tribute band, “Dressed to Kill”. Ian is a multi-talented musician predominately a drummer, his debut album “Prove You Wrong”, has Ian performing the majority of instruments from drums/bass/guitar to vocals. 

Born  in Derby, raised in Bournemouth, John Wetton first cut his musical  teeth on church music at his family’s piano. He often played the bass  parts to help his brother rehearse tunes for services, an experience  that led to John’s love of bass melodies. In his teens, John focused  those melodies on the bass guitar and honed his skills by playing and  singing with local bands. He also discovered a knack for songwriting  with an early bandmate, Richard Palmer-James; a relationship that would  continue to flourish through five decades.

John’s early work with a variety of bands allowed him to show off his  impressive bass talents, but did little to showcase his equally impressive singing and songwriting skills. Frustrated, John began to  listen a bit closer to the sales pitch of an old friend, Robert Fripp,  who set about to reform King Crimson in 1972. The eventual Crimson core of Wetton, Fripp, and Bill Bruford is often considered the “classic”  line-up, releasing three studio albums (“Larks’ Tongues in Aspic,”  “Starless and Bible Black,” and “Red”) that truly stretched the band to  its imaginative limits. But after a blistering show in New York’s  Central Park in 1974, the band took a hiatus that became permanent.

QEDG is honoured to manage the Keith Emerson estate. Hailed as a keyboard legend, Keith Emerson has been one of the most  important figures to emerge from the thriving UK rock scene of the 1960's and 70's. He is known as one of the most prominent leaders in the progressive rock movement, fusing rock 'n' roll with a myriad of  musical styles, such as classical, jazz and world music. A modern wizard of electronic and acoustic keyboards, most notably the organ and synthesizer, he has set a standard by which others multiply. With both  "The Nice" and "Emerson, Lake & Palmer," Emerson has written and recorded some of rock's most adventurous music and brought it to the masses with unmatched virtuosity and skillful showmanship. 

      With millions of album sales and concert attendances worldwide,  Wishbone Ash’s heritage as one of the most enduring and best loved  British rock acts is assured. Over four decades later, the music of  Wishbone Ash continues to delight audiences worldwide. Classic album  releases such as Argus, Pilgrimage, There’s the Rub, New England and  Live Dates defined the Wishbone Ash sound and have touched the hearts of  several generations of music fans. As lead vocalist and key creative  force, founding original member Martin Turner was central to the  critical and commercial success of Wishbone Ash’s most revered albums.  Martin Turner continues to perform the band’s best loved works with his current line-up. Martin Turner plays Wishbone Ash features guitarists Danny Willson and Misha Nikolic, and drummer Sonny Flint and remains faithful to the original Wishbone Ash blueprint.  Other ex Wishbone Ash  members, Ted Turner, Steve Upton and Laurie Wisefield also represented.  

When Roger Dean was commissioned to produce a painting for a band called YES, an  iconic logo was born that has become the visual signature of the group.  From the moment the painting became the cover for the renowned Fragile album, a fruitful partnership was born that has withstood the tests of time.  Dean has continued to create art for many on the QEDG roster including Asia, Focus and more recently DBA, with the latest album artwork being painted over lockdown and live streamed across the globe. 

From his first foray into the world of Album Art in the 1960s, Dean's art has always been elaborate, vivid and iconic in equal measure and stands in dramatic contrast to more conservative images that have traditionally adorned albums.  To hold a Roger Dean Cover is to hold a piece of Art, and it has been estimated that over a hundred million people have, at one time, owned a piece of Roger Dean work.  Dean makes art accessible, his cover art is a scaled down reflection of his work in organic architectural designs and passion for aesthetics.  Dean's M.A.  thesis was written on the psychology of space and the intrinsic need of humans to feel safe and calm within our environment.  All of his works, from the CD case to his intricate designs for living homes, consistently give access to an oasis of calm in daily life.

Full  management until Nov 2015.  Uriah Heep's rock concerts take audiences by storm as they  play their greatest hits around the world.  Uriah Heep is an English  rock band formed in London in 1969 and is regarded as one of the most  influential rock acts of the early 1970s alongside the likes of Deep  Purple and Led Zepplin.  Uriah Heep's distinctive music has always  featured massive keyboard sounds, strong vocal harmonies (an influence  for Queen) and great guitar riffs.  The band's repertoire features hits  over four decades from the 70s through to the present day including  tracks such as; Gypsy, Easy Livin', July Morning and Lady in Black.   Lady in Black has been number 1 in Germany on  no less than 3  occasions.  Uriah Heep play up to 125 shows a year impressing old and  new fans around the world.  

Oliver Wakeman is an award winning keyboardist, Pianist and composer.

​

Oliver Wakeman was born into a musical family and is the eldest son of rock musician Rick Wakeman. He has written and appeared on various albums, all of which have been released to critical acclaim.

Oliver’s newest albums Tales by Gaslight with Clive Nolan, Dark Fables with Clive Nolan and 3 CD Box set Collaborations have taken the world by storm.

(www.oliverwakeman.co.uk)