Roots - the Best of Show of Hands

“Phil Beer can play virtually every stringed instrument known to man”- The Scotsman

SHOW OF HANDS’ PHIL BEER NOMINATED FOR TOP BBC AWARD

Phil Beer, widely recognised as one of the UK’s finest multi instrumentalists, has been nominated for Musician of the Year in the 2009 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Exeter-based Phil is best known as one half of the phenomenally popular duo Show of Hands (with singer songwriter Steve Knightley) who were nominated for both “Best Duo” and “Best Live Act” in this year’s awards.

The nominees for the 2009 Awards, which take place in London on February 2, were revealed tonight on Mike Harding’s BBC Radio 2 show.

Phil is one of the most popular ambassadors for acoustic roots music. A dazzling instrumentalist, he is perhaps best known as a top flight fiddler and plays in the all- star line-up, Feast of Fiddles. But his skills don’t stop there – he also plays slide, Spanish and tenor guitar, mandocello, viola, mandolin and South American cuatro, not to mention contributing rich vocals.

Born in Exminster, Devon, he started to play fiddle, guitar and mandolin while still at school in Teignmouth and habitually credits Davey Graham’s Folk, Blues & Beyond as his inspiration for acoustic music.

He played his first gig at 14 and started working as a duo with Paul Downes in 1974 (their Live at Nettlebed CD has recently been released). He was then in the Arizona Smoke Revue and a key member of Johnny Coppin’s band. His impressive track record also includes touring with Mike Oldfield and being a member of the feted Albion Band from 1984-1991. Show of Hands became a full-time partnership in the early 90s – a band that has gone on to sell out the Royal Albert Hall three times and who were voted Best Live Act, by the public, at the 2004 Folk Awards. Phil, who also has his own Phil Beer Band, famously guested on the Rolling Stones Steel Wheels album and Steve Harley’s Poetic Justice.

As a composer, Phil has written many numbers including the stunning instrumental The Falmouth Packet for SoH’s penultimate CD, Witness.

As a solo artist he released Rhythm Methodist in 2004 – a double album of songs and instrumentals (re-released on the Talking Elephant label this year) while his enviable versatility is shown in the imminent Hard Works compilation of two earlier albums and a long-awaited five disc boxed set of archive, new and live music and video.

Phil is also in demand as a producer, co-producing (with Steve Knightley) Jez Lowe’s Jack Common’s Anthem among others. This year Phil formed his own label, Chudleigh Roots, producing Jackie Oates’s highly acclaimed second album, The Violet Hour.

Fiddle-singer Jackie was named tonight as another nominee at the 09 Folk Awards. “Make room for another impeccable folk starlet-to-be” – The Word Exeter-based Jackie is nominated for the second year running for the Horizon “Best Newcomer” award while Lark in the Morning from The Violet Hour has been nominated as Best Traditional Track. The finely executed track also features Belinda O’Hooley on piano and Phil Beer on electro-acoustic bass.

 Phil Beer takes time off from musical commitments next summer to fulfil a lifetime ambition, crewing in the Tall Ships Race.

www.philbeer.co.uk www.chudleighroots.co.uk www.jackieoates.com www.myspace.com/jackieoates

Available albums, L to R: Rhythm Methodist, The Violet Hour, Downes & Beer Live in Nettlebed

* For interviews with Phil Beer, hi res-images and copies of his recent CDs for review or airplay or hi-res images please contact: SoH Publicity Manager Jane Brace on 01243 789554 [email protected] ** For interviews with Jackie Oates, hi res images and copies of The Violet Hour for review or airplay please contact as above.