In our chat with singer, songwriter, guitarist Geoff Achison we discuss a packed run of live performances, workshops and special events, while also reflecting on the importance of live music photography, his acoustic-guitar weekends and his ongoing recording projects.
Captured Live: Celebrating the Photography of Jason Rosewarne
A major upcoming event presented by Australian Musician magazine and Empire Music Studios is “Captured Live: Celebrating the Photography of Jason Rosewarne”, a special exhibition and live music fundraiser supporting photographer Jason Rosewarne, who has been diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. It’s happening at Empire Music Studios 9 Northern Road Heidelberg West. The photo exhibition opens at 5.30 with performances from 7.30pm. The show will be recorded with the view to realease a fundraising live album.
INFO AND TICKETS https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/1655718
Achison is among a strong lineup of Australian musicians performing on the night, alongside Jimi Hocking, Kathleen Halloran, Shannon Bourne, Lloyd Spiegel, John McNamara, Andrea Marr and Joshua Batten, plus some special guests.
Achison speaks warmly about Rosewarne’s photography, describing him as one of those rare photographers who can capture the energy and atmosphere of a performance. For Achison, a great concert photograph can almost tell the entire story of a gig, you can practically “hear” the music in the image.
He also reflects on how important quality photography has become for musicians, particularly through social media. Rosewarne has documented Australia’s live music scene for over a decade, creating an archive of performances and musicians that Achison believes will remain valuable for generations.
The event was already close to selling out at the time of the interview, with Achison looking forward to what he describes as a great opportunity to celebrate Rosewarne and his work.
Acoustic Guitar Weekend – Balnarring
Geoff also talks about the Acoustic Guitar Weekend at Saltbush Balnarring on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, running from 13-15 November. He’ll be joined by guitarist Nick Charles and luthier Andy Allen.
It’s the second Balnarring weekend and is based on a concept Achison experienced in the United States at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch in Meigs County, Ohio, where he participated in numerous guitar weekends.
Rather than being a conventional guitar course, the weekend is designed as an immersive experience where participants stay, eat and play together with professional musicians. There are workshops during the day, but plenty of time is also devoted to informal guitar playing, conversations and “nerding out” about acoustic guitars and music.
Achison emphasises that the appeal is spending time with musicians who actually make their living playing and touring, rather than simply attending lessons with a traditional guitar teacher. The format has become popular internationally, with similar events taking place across the US, UK and Europe. https://acousticguitarweekends.com/
Yakandandah Guitar Weekend
Achison also mentions another guitar weekend at Yackandandah, which was taking place around the time of the interview. Like the Balnarring event, it brings musicians and guitar enthusiasts together for workshops and plenty of informal playing.
https://www.geoffachison.com/new-events-1/2025/5/16/acoustic-guitar-workshop-weekend
Frankston Guitar Workshop
Another upcoming engagement is a three-hour electric guitar workshop in Frankston, held at Achison’s local music store for a small group of around 10-12 participants.
This particular workshop is focused on jamming, with Achison planning to explore blues jams and related ideas. Importantly, he describes the workshop as a conversation rather than a rigid lesson. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and raise specific issues they’d like advice on. Book now at https://acousticguitarweekends.com/
Other Victorian shows
Achison also has a series of live dates around Victoria, including appearances at the Yarraville Club, Wesley Anne, The Pixies in Eildon and Archie’s Creek Hotel.
The Pixies and Archie’s Creek shows are with Australian guitar great Dave Hole. Achison explains that he sees these largely as Dave’s shows, with Achison opening with a short acoustic set before joining Hole and the band later in the performance.
NSW shows with Brothers Down Under
Achison then heads north to Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, where he’ll perform with Brothers Down Under, an Allman Brothers Band tribute/celebration project. He says the music is particularly well suited to him and that he’s really looking forward to these performances.
New Year’s Eve at the Yarraville Club
The year’s live schedule culminates with a New Year’s Eve performance at the Yarraville Club, where Achison will perform with The Algorithms, also featuring Jimmy Hocking and The Internationals. He jokes that the combination should make for an eventful way to finish the year.
Recording and what’s ahead
Despite the busy touring and workshop schedule, Achison is also continuing work with The Souldiggers on an ongoing recording project that has been developing for around seven years. The band records largely from home, with Achison sending ideas and demos that are gradually developed and layered as everyone finds time. There’s no immediate release date, but he says they’ll eventually package the material and release it.
Achison also hints at major tours with international artists in the following year, for which he’s already learning material. He says that although the workload is substantial, working with different bands and learning different repertoires is rewarding and beneficial to his musicianship.
More information on the above at: https://www.geoffachison.com/