Show Of Hands

“Returning by popular demand” may be a hackneyed phrase, but it’s certainly accurate when applied to Show of Hands.

Since the first Costa del Folk festival in Spain in the Spring of 2014, Show Of Hands has been acknowledged as the act most of our festival-goers want to see again.

The original duo of singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer have become a major force in British folk music, having first got together 30 years ago.

Over the years the band has moved on from their folk duo image and evolved into a hard hitting acoustic band, selling out UK and European tours and headlining some of the biggest festivals across the world.

Their accolades include being voted Best Live Act at the 2004 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, the only category voted for by the public. They went on to win the Best Duo and Best Original Song in the 2010 Awards. They’ve also been voted the Greatest Devonians in a county poll.

A new album The Long Way Home sees them returning to their musical roots in a very “English” recording with fresh arrangements of traditional English numbers and five new Steve Knightley original songs including the topical and chilling Mesopotamia. Guest musicians include Knightley’s own 13 year-old son Jack Knightley on cajon.

After such a journey it is clear that the Show of Hands story is a remarkable one and they are now, as BBC Radio 2’s Mark Radcliffe says, “at the top of their game”