Hands on Music
| Show of Hands | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Devon, England |
| Genres | Roots, folk, acoustic |
| Instruments | Vocals, mandocello, mandolin, cuatro, fiddle, guitar |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Hands On Music, distributed by Proper Music Distribution |
| Website | Showofhands.co.uk |
| Members |
Steve Knightley Phil Beer (Miranda Sykes) |
Show of Hands are an English acoustic roots and folk duo comprising singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. In recent years, they have been accompanied on tour and in the studio by double-bassist Miranda Sykes.
The duo formed in 1986. Nonetheless, having known each other since 1972, they had performed before hand, for example Knightley's contribution to Beer's first live album with Paul Downes, Live in Concept (1980), and Beer's role in Knightley's pub rock bands of the 1980s, Short Stories, The Cheats and Total Strangers, when members of those bands could not appear. This is in addition to Knightley joining Beer and Downe's early 1980s band Arizona Smoke Revue. Beer joined The Albion Band in 1984, this halting collaborations between the two for a while. Nonetheless, Beer found some free time in 1987 and suggested to Knightley they form a duo. For the recording their first album, 1987's Show of Hands, they set up their own recording studio, known as Catsley Home. The album was recorded in January 1987 to coincide with their first tour, and was sold on the tour as a cassette. The tour and release brought the band local attention, and they followed it with Tall Ships in 1990, centred around an expanded song suite, "Tall Ships", which Knightley had written prior and used with the duo.
Beer left The Albion Band in 1990, allowing Show of Hands to become his priority, and the duo went on to record one final cassette release, Out for the Count (1991).
Their first CD-released album was a live album recorded at the Bull Hotel in Bridport, Dorset, and titled Live '92. It helped them break into the festival circuit of 1993, and later that same year they toured with Ralph McTell on his autumn tour.
...
Wikipedia