Show of Hands has been critically acclaimed as Britain’s answer to the folk revolution in America, touring for over two decades and winning Best Live Act at the 2004 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Problem is, at first glance, the dynamic duo of Steve Knightley and Phil Beer appear to cater to an older audience. Phil Beer himself recalled a time when they last played a gig in Brighton: he walked into “that yellow and black music shop” in the Lanes where the 19-year old shop worker proclaimed “Hey, I know you! You’re in that band that my dad likes!”. Comments like these tend to pitch the band towards an older generation. But boy were we wrong in thinking their tunes might be reserved for the original folk-loving youth…and that 19-year old shop worker, whose hairstyle and musical tastes are mutually inclusive, would just plain eat his words if he heard them live.
Show of Hands’ songs of protest, love, and the human condition are undeniably young at heart. It’s definitely a good sign when the first thing heard upon walking into a concert is the 20-something bartender yelling “Holy shit, these guys are tight!”. They played a satisfyingly long set, which included a gorgeous cover of the Boss’ ‘Youngstown’, the fun and oh so relevant ‘Stop Copying Me’ about digital downloads and Facebook, the award-winning ‘Arrogance, Ignorance, and Greed’, and the breathtaking harmonies enriching the ballad ‘Santiago’. The band’s physical injection of youth came in the form of Miranda Sykes, whose poetic double bass stylings and honey tinged vocals were especially showcased with the bittersweet love song ‘Don’t Be a Stranger’.
On top of it all, they made us laugh. Steve Knightley said it himself: “we are in the pleasure capital of southern England”. We’ll take his word for it – if Brightonians are the authority on artistic delights, there were no qualms here. As we chanted along to the energetic ‘Will You Come Back to Me?’ during the encore, the words expressed matched our sentiments for the band. Controversial, exciting, tight, yet traditional – this show was undoubtedly one for both the young and old.
Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes
Concorde 2, Thursday 19th May
WORDS BY KATE DAVIES
