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Local Food: $0
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Local Food: $458,465
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On Stage 6/7- Geoff Achison

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Geoff Achison has a reputation as a guitarist’s guitarist.

Having taught himself to play in the isolation of rural Australia, he has developed a blues/funk style all his own that can be delicate one moment and explosive the next. Unaware of how the sounds he was hearing on his limited record collection were produced, he invented some of his own techniques – without the aid of pedals or gadgets. As a result, watching this guy wrench sounds from his simple set-up can be something of a spectacle.  Geoff also possesses a soulful voice that has evoked favorable comparisons to Joe Cocker or Warren Haynes. An award winning songwriter to boot, Geoff’s live set features an infectious mix of catchy original tunes, improvised jamming and inspired versions of blues & soul classics.

He has toured regularly around the globe and won honours on 3 continents. Years of touring, recording and performing has seen him share stages and open shows with such high calibre artists as Jorma Kaukonen & Hot Tuna, John Mayall, Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown, Hubert Sumlin, Levon Helm and John Mayer as well as top Aussies ‘Dutch’ Tilders, Phil Manning, Jeff Lang and Tommy Emmanuel.

Growing up in the small town of Malmsbury, Geoff somehow developed a passion for American blues music and taught himself to play on a beat up instrument he discovered ‘under the stairs’ of the family home.  In his early 20’s he found employment as lead guitarist with Melbourne’s top blues band ‘Dutch Tilders & The Blues Club’. After 5 years relentless touring around Australia Geoff departed to pursue his own musical ideas and formed the first incarnation of his own band  ‘The Souldiggers’.

“The idea was to have a name that described the music and I greatly admired the blues philosophy – tapping into one’s soul for honesty and truth. That’s what ‘Souldiggers’ is meant to convey.”

Unimpressed with local recording lables, he formed his own Jupiter 2 Records with fellow music enthusiast Nic Quittner and released the first of many recordings of his original blues/funk/soul flavoured materiel in 1994.

Geoff started his worldwide explorations in 1995 with his first trip to the USA.
He represented the Melbourne Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis and won the coveted Albert King Award for his guitar skills. He went on to accept an endorsement deal with the Gibson guitar company’s acoustic division. He formed a US based Souldiggers group in 1998 and recorded his 3rd album ‘Gettin’ Evil’ in Portland, Oregon. He returns regularly to America playing a vvariety of clubs and music festivals. Jorma Kaukonen (of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna fame) has invited Geoff each year since ‘98 as a guest instructor at his Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp in Ohio.

Moving to London in 1997 Geoff established a UK following and recorded a live album with a British version of The Souldiggers.
Whilst working the US and Australian circuits Geoff also kept up a presence in England and formed yet another competent group of musicians. His popularity amongst fans in the know has grown with each visit and Geoff has garnered something of a cult following in each of these regions. His list of awards is formidable. Most recently he was honoured as an official patron of the Frankston International Guitar Festival (hosted in his new home town) and also won the Melbourne Blues Society’s awards for ‘Best Blues Band’ and ‘Best Male Performer’.

Geoff is actively touring and producing new music.
With a seemingly never ending schedule of gigs and tours Geoff has managed to find time to release the live Souldiggin’ DVD featuring the Aussie Souldiggers in an energetic performance at one of their regular venues. A new batch of original songs Little Big Men hit the shelves in 2006 and Geoff’s 10th album Acho Solo , a collection of solo acoustic songs was released in February 2007.
In October of 2007 Jupiter 2 Records released a CD version of the ‘Live’ DVD session simply titled Souldiggin’ CD.

Geoff has recently returned to Australia after touring in the USA throughout 2007/2008.
In an exciting career move, Geoff re-located his family to Atlanta, Georgia where he worked with management/booking agency Brilliant Productions.
He has now resumed his residency in Melbourne, Australia and enjoying re-connecting with teh vibrant Oz Blues/Roots scene. A new album, recorded in Atlanta, is due for release March 2009.

June 1st, 2009 | Category: | Leave a comment

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