Award winning guitarist, vocalist & songwriter from Australia
www.geoffachison.com/biography
Melbourne, VIC
VIC 3000
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After serving an apprenticeship with veteran bluesman Dutch Tilders, Geoff Achison released his first solo album Big Machine in 1994. He held some popular residency’s around Melbourne most notably at The Espy and St Andrews Hotel. In 1995 Geoff represented the MBAS in Memphis, USA winning the Albert King Award in and scoring an endorsement deal with Gibson Guitars’ acoustic division. By 1997 Geoff had relocated to London and began to establish a presence on the UK scene. He later moved to the USA seeking artist representation which he eventually achieved at Brilliant Productions in Atlanta GA To combat the difficulties of traveling internationally, Geoff expanded on his Souldiggers concept, hiring the best local musicians available whether in the USA, UK, or at home in Oz. In Melbourne he gathered what became known as the ‘A-team’ featuring the legendary Mal Logan on keys, the great bassist Roger McLachlan and the wonderful Gerry Pantazis on drums. The group has always had a home in the blues/roots scene but like many contemporary roots music acts, The Souldiggers transcend any specific genre. Inventive and adventurous, this line-up gained a reputation for delivering spontaneous and exciting improvisations within Geoff’s original compositions. “The songs are all designed to be fluid so they can take whatever turn we want on the night. To achieve this, the musicians need to play instinctively; from the heart. That’s what ‘Souldiggers’ is meant to convey” On tour Geoff has had many top musicians join him on stage as itinerant Souldiggers including top drummers Yonrico Scott (usa) Tyler ‘Falcon’ Greenwell (usa) & Sam Kelly (uk) bassists Ted Pecchio (usa), Charlie Wooton (usa), Spy Austin (uk) & Andy Hodge (uk) as well as keyboardists Paul Jobson (uk), Kevin Thomas (usa) & Marty Kearns (usa) (plus many others too numerous to list here) In his popular Solo Acoustic shows, Geoff performs a variety of blues, soul and folk styles including some world-class original songs. Performing with a simple acoustic guitar he also includes fascinating stories and anecdotes that have led him from shy country kid to international touring artist. He tells of finding his first guitar and ultimately jamming with musical heroes in New York City. Geoff relates these tales with his lively sense of humour and encourages anyone with artistic ambition to dream big and follow their heart In 2014 Geoff celebrated 20 years working with The Souldiggers releasing a live concert album & DVD. Long term Souldigger Mal Logan departed for sunnier climes (in sub-tropical QLD) and Richard Tankard took over keyboard duties. In 2016 the group got to work on Geoff's next studio album released world-wide on ‘Landslide Records’ in 2017. Featuring 14 new original songs and delving stylistically into blues, country, folk and a little funk, 'Another Mile Another Minute' enjoyed wide critical acclaim (including 5 trophies at the 2017 'Chain' Australian Blues Music Awards) and provided more touring opportunities for Geoff in the UK and US.
