Milestone year for popular Show of Hands duo

THIS is a milestone year for one of the West Country’s most popular duos who return to Sidmouth this summer for FolkWeek.

Phil Beer and Steve Knightley, who make up Show of Hands, celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary with a headline date at Sidmouth FolkWeek, August 3-10, writes Lily Thomas.

Show of Hands is one of the greatest success stories to come out of Devon, and they will bring their original folk and acoustic sound to Sidmouth once again in the summer.

The pair began their careers by playing the pubs and clubs around Exeter together, before pursuing different paths.

In the 1980’s they began gigging together again, and soon after, Show of Hands was born, with Knightley as the singer/songwriter and Beer as the multi-instrumentalist.

After recording their first album Live 92, the duo’s music exploded on to the folk scene, helping them secure three sell-out shows at London’s world famous Royal Albert Hall.

The pair are great ambassadors for acoustic music, winning three BBC Radio 2 folk awards, including the prestigious award for best original song.

At FolkWeek, Show of Hands will headline a date alongside special guest Miranda Sykes.

More acts have also been announced for the Sidmouth festival, including local singer/songwriter Seth Lakeman, legendary guitarist Martin Simpson, who recently starred on Sky Art’s First Love, and the multi-BBC folk award winners June Tabor and Oysterband.