Phil Beer
(born 12 May 1953 in Exminster, Devon) is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands.
Beer first began to play fiddle, guitar, and mandolin whilst still at school in Teignmouth, Devon. This passion for acoustic music was especially stirred by the Davey Graham album Folk Blues and Beyond
. He played his first gig when he was fourteen in a band called Retrospect with Richard Entwistle, John Allman and Martin Pike and other musicians, and by the time he was sixteen he was performing regularly. Beer worked with Paul Downes as a duo from 1974 and also in the Arizona Smoke Revue 1980. He was a key member of Johnny Coppin's band (ex-Decameron), and together they collaborated with Nigel Mazlyn Jones on his 1979 Sentinel
album. He toured with Mike Oldfield in 1979 and also recorded some tracks at Oldfield's Througham studio. Beer joined the Albion Band in 1984 and stayed with them until 1991, touring extensively at home and abroad, and recording many albums. Show of Hands became a full-time partnership from 1991. Beer continues to do session work, most notably on the Rolling Stones Steel Wheels
album, Steve Harleys "Poetic Justice' and countless other mainstream and less high profile projects. He operates the "Show of Hands" recording studio, Riverside, in Exeter and records and produces several albums each year. Recent projects include two albums for folk fiddle player "Jackie Oates", two albums for former Spinners singer Mick Groves, An album for folk musician Jez Lowe, An album for singer songwriter Tom Palmer and an album for north Devon singer "Jenna".
"Mandoline" (1978)
- Hard Hats
(1994)
- The Works
(1996)
- Ridgeriders
(with Ashley Hutchings and Chris While) (1999)
- Mandorock
(with the Phil Beer Band) (2000)
- Live Mandorock
(with the Phil Beer Band) (2000)
- ''Once in a Blue Moon (2001)
- Phil Beer & Deb Sandland Live 2003
(2004)
- Rhythm Methodist
(2004)
"Rhythm Methodist re-release 2008. Talking Elephant Label.
"Hard Works" compilation of Hard Hats and The Works. 2008. Talking Elephant label.
Release pending. The Box Set. A five disc compilation of archive,live and new music and video.
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PHIL BEER TICKETS
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