Gulbenkian

Description

Steve Knightley is the songwriting force behind Show of Hands, widely acclaimed as the finest acoustic roots duo in England and with three Royal Albert Hall sell-outs to their name.

In 2010 Steve won the best original song for “Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed” at the BBC Radio2 Folk Awards. The Exeter-based singer-songwriter writes the majority of material for the band, which also features multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer, and together they won the Best Duo in the 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Steve is also enjoying success as a solo artist. In June 2007 he released the understated but powerful Cruel River, his first solo album in seven years and in May 09 he will release Track of Words-Retraced, so called as it subtly revisits and deconstructs his more mainstream-sounding album of the same name from a decade ago. 2011 saw the release of his first live album of solo material. He is renowned for his strong, trademark narrative songs which reflect the escapades, hopes and fears not only of people in his native West Country but beyond and he pulls no punches when writing highly literate songs about bigger, global issues.

BBC Radio 2’s Mike Harding recently described Steve as “one of England’s greatest songwriters” while MOJO wrote: “Steve Knightley’s songs have developed such an edge it’s hard to deny them any longer.”

His special guests will be fellow Devon musicians Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin (left), the innovative and distinct young songwriting duo who are making waves on the roots scene. Steve first saw the duo busking on the seafront during the 2009 Sidmouth Festival and a year later they were firmly on the festival’s bill. Henry and Martin went on to join Show of Hands for some dates on their 2010 “Spires and Beams” tour, including the memorable show in Wells Cathedral, Somerset.
They combine influences as diverse as English folk music, Indian classical and American blues using slide guitar, fiddle, harmonica, banjo and beatbox. Their debut album, Singing The Bones, has won praise from the likes of Radio 2’s Mike Harding and Radio 3’s Fiona Talkington and their festival circuit appearances include Glastonbury and Sidmouth. See them performing Death and the Lady at Barnsley Acoustic Festival www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4XznfS7mHM and the haunting The Boy That Wouldn’t Hoe Corn
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7oidayFoSo&feature=related

Tickets £16

Website

Steve Knightley's BBC webpage