Gig Review
Geoff Achison
& the UK Souldiggers
Saturday, 23 June 2007:
A very welcome and eagerly awaited return to Bluesnights of Geoff Achison, superbly supported by Sam Kelly (drums), Paul Jobson (keyboards) and Dave Clarke (bass). Geoff started each of the two sets with a solo spot before calling up his sidemen. In the first set he played a couple of instrumentals – one, "Begging Bowl", had interesting flowing chord changes with a very pleasant rhythms. An especially innovative number was "The Apparatus Song", based on Geoff’s pre-music work in a plastics factory, where he noted that the machines made particular noises and rhythms. From these he constructed a song that very cleverly built up a sense of boring, monotonous factory-floor life. The audience loved it! Another high point (and a personal one for me) was Geoff’s take on Stevie Wonder’s "Very Superstitious". A wonderfully frenetic version with his fingers flowing up and down the fret board, not only playing the basic rhythm but plenty of frills and fills in between. With the full band on Muddy Walter’s "Sugar Sweet" it was a great workout with superb syncopation and a particularly skilful organ solo from Paul Jobson. "Crazy Horse", one of Geoff’s own, proved to be a quite haunting composition with an intense guitar solo.
Note: Click thumbnail to view full artist image.
Photo credit: Paul Martin.
... continued
The second set started with Jimi Hendrix's “Castles Made Of Sand”, which had a lovely languid riff, really beautiful! “Little Big Man” – the title track from Geoff’s most recent band album - was a very inventive piece. With the full band on stage again, they played the UK Souldiggers' theme tune - a swinging punchy number that was really cooking. A Neville Brothers' song was very rhythmic with an excellent organ/guitar duet. “Feel Like A King” was buzzing and had excellent chops from Geoff. The real bluesy feature was Albert King’s “If The Washing Don’t Get You, The Rinsing Will”, a very hot guitar solo and excellent organ. When the set finally ended we would not let them go, so they came back on and performed the aptly titled “Overtime”, where all members of the band got to solo, really (really!) good. We all enjoyed an evening of first class quality. Geoff as ever, inventive, flowing, pushing things along; Sam Kelly grimacing, grinning, always on the beat, egging everyone else on; Dave Clarke quiet but on the spot, sometimes understated but always meshing with Sam whilst Paul Jobson's work on the keyboards was excellent with deft touches and frills. Geoff used two guitars, a Gibson Jumbo acoustic and a Paul Reed Smith electric decorated with aboriginal artwork on the body – and not an effects pedal in site! Absolutely superb! A great evening. They are a must see, not to be missed band!
Review by: Lewis A Harris.
© Bluesnights. The Dorset Blues Society.
23 June 2007.
