Sent to the edge of the world 

Now I've got to serve my time 

Banished to a new kind of hell 

Penance for a wicked crime

–"Sent to the Edge"

For a period between March 2007 and October 2008, the incomparable Geoff Achison called the United States home. Those lyrics, the first uttered on the recently released full-length One Ticket, One Ride (Jupiter 2 Records), sound like an indictment (fair assessment?) of a country enduring a mortgage crisis, that lame-duck president, and the will-he-or-won't-he retirement waffling of Wrangler jeans model Brett Favre. Not exactly the era time-travelers  of the future hope their worm-holes spill into.

Truth is, the Melbourne, Australia-based guitar virtuoso and his family actually enjoyed their stateside sojourn. The blues, however, are born from heartache and helplessness—not high-fives and happily-ever-afters. But for Achison there were only standard, minor inconveniences, like airline luggage restrictions. "I probably would have brought my own amplifier," he admits with a chuckle, adding, "I've got a buddy back in Melbourne who makes his own hand-built amplifiers. It's a pretty expensive piece of equipment and also very heavy. Yeah, I would have liked to bring some of my own amplification, but it just wasn't possible. But, you know, things work out—there are plenty of guitar amps in this country." The amp didn't receive a wish-you-were-here postcard from Achison, as he'd had enough of black ink and red tape. "The hardest thing was simply the amount of paperwork: the number of forms you have to fill in, the different departments you have to establish your identity with… So, that was pretty dull. I don't enjoy that part of the process at all. Although I kind of understand why it's there..." 

An inordinate amount of administration and acute amp-inspired homesickness didn't sully the spirit of the troubadour and his band, The Souldiggers, while recording the aforementioned record at Bakos Ampworks and Exocet Studios in Atlanta and extensively touring the Dirty South and eastern seaboard. "As far as the music goes, going out and performing what we do in America, for me, has been an absolute joy. I think American audiences are wonderful, and they're very responsive, and I'm hooked on them. That's why I keep coming back," gushes Achison from behind the wheel somewhere between Charleston and Atlanta.

As for Achison's style and skill, The Times, London, recently professed him to be, "One of the most gifted artists to arrive on the scene. His playing verges on the miraculous" and Guitar Player magazine placed Achison on their "Top Ten Hottest New Guitarists" list of 2008. Flagpole will exercise restraint and refrain from using the "Blizzard of Oz" or "Thunder from Down Under" headlines and introductions that seem to accompany Achison while touring the States and, instead, let quotes from European newspapers and comprehensive lists do the espousing. 

What the lists and positive press bytes don't immediately reveal is Achison's bare-bones brilliance, born of humble backwood beginnings. He never incorporates pedals or gadgetry into his performances. Is this aversion to bells and whistles the result of being intimidated by technology or dissatisfaction with the results it delivers?

"Early on, I guess I was kind of isolated in a little country town I grew up in, and I did get hold of recordings," says Achison. "I used to tune into a blues radio show, and I'd sit there with my brother's tape recorder and tape the show and listen back to it. And when they played these songs by people like Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin or things like that, there'd be all these freaky sounds on the guitar. And because I was learning by myself, I had no idea. I simply didn't know that there were studio tricks and pedals and wah-wahs. I spent a lot of time driving myself crazy... Later on, when I moved to the  big smoke (Aussie speak for city), I learned about these gadgets... I just felt it had been a lot more fun trying to make these noises myself, physically, instead of just stomping on a button... It just became my path... I keep it as organic as possible."

The Athens stop on the One Ticket, One Ride tour promises to be a unique, one-off event as Yonrico Scott (drummer for the Derek Trucks Band) and his band will share the bill and the stage at the Melting Point with The Souldiggers for a collaborative evening of scorching blues and funky improv. "I'm sure there will be a few unexpected, spontaneous inventions onstage," promises Achison.

David Eduardo

WHO	Yonrico Scott Band, Geoff Achison
WHERE	The Melting Point
WHEN	Thursday, June 18
HOW MUCH	$8 (adv.), $10 (door)