Following the excellent surprise that was Le Vent Du Nord the previous evening, on Thursday we were back with old favourites Show Of Hands, with Steve Knightley and Phil Beer again accompanied by the double bassist and vocalist Miranda Sykes in the now familiar trio setting. The set was split between the newer material in the first half and a selection of favourites in the second.
The first forty five minutes majored on the band’s latest release “The Long Way Home“. Described as a return to their folk roots. I found the best of the new album to be the Knightley original compositions rather than the new takes on the traditional numbers, but that’s because, perversely, I’m not that big a fan the English folk tradition (with an approving nod of exception to interpretations of the same by Bellowhead and Jon Boden). I am however a massive fan of the rootsier elements of their work and the direct, literal and literate song writing skills of Mr. Knightley. So, whilst I enjoyed the first half, peppering the second half with a selection of his very best material, whether the anthemic, the angry crowd pleasers or the deeply personal proved an excellent way to pace the overall set. Interestingly, and slightly off topic, one of my favourite Knightley songs is ‘Roots’, which I have yet to see them play live and I often wonder if it’s because it’s been so badly misinterpreted in some quarters as having racist overtones; when of course a cursory listen by even the most boneheaded would attest that it’s a celebration of all cultures and creeds – but enough about material that wasn’t even played at the gig! Never seen the band perform a bad set, and this was another excellent gig performed before a packed and appreciative audience.