STEVE KNIGHTLY

March 2014

“One of England’s greatest singer songwriters” Mike Harding,

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.

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 Live Act title in the 2004 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. But Steve is also enjoying success as a solo artist.

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. Calling on the English to rediscover their roots and musical identity it was a direct riposte to minister Kim Howells’s comment that his idea of hell was “three Somerset folk singers in the local pub”. It has enjoyed widespread national airplay from the likes of Bob Harris and Johnnie Walker to Radio Caroline!

Away from Show of Hands, Steve has guested on Mick Jagger’s solo album Goddess in the Doorway and performed as the “folk” element of the striking band Faith, Folk and Anarchy, which also featured songwriters Martyn Joseph and Tom Robinson.

This will form part of the "Grow Your Own Gig" tour and, at Steve's request for a more "up close and personal" gig, the Browfoot Room may be set out a little differently than usual.