Phil Beer

Phil Beer is the multi-instrumental half of the west country’s award-winning acoustic duo, Show of Hands. With a professional career of over 36 years, Phil has a great deal of material to draw on for his solo appearances, which are an eclectic mix of traditional tunes, covers of Springsteen or The Hollies, together with his own compositions and songs from his contemporaries.

All are songs and music of memory and significance sung in the subtle and melodic Phil Beer style and interjected with musings and amusings to an almost personal audience. It is a treat of past and current favourites from one of the most popular musicians on the acoustic circuit.

Charming, disarming and exceptionally talented, multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer is something of a national treasure on the folk, roots and acoustic scene. One-half of award-winning powerhouse Show of Hands, Beer is equally as in demand for his solo shows. Phil sets out to share some of his most-loved songs at carefully selected venues across the UK. With the odd laugh thrown in for good measure, Beer’s flawless musicianship and rich vocals will leave you wide-eyed and wanting more.

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 has 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 achieved a life time ambition at the Trowbridge Festival by introducing and appearing with legendary American Band Little Feat. This encounter led to him being invited to join Paul Barrere and Fred Tacket on several of their acoustic shows.

Phil is also in demand as a producer, co-producing (with Steve Knightley) Jez Lowe’s Jack Common’s Anthem among others.