SHOW of Hands present their Standing Room Only tour at The Electric Palace in Bridport this evening.

BBC award-winning, Albert Hall-filling Show Of Hands will make a stand this spring, showing just why they have been showered in accolades.

Steve Knightley and Phil Beer are widely acknowledged as the finest acoustic roots duo in England. Knightley, who writes most of their inspired material and Beer, a dazzling multi-instrumentalist, have built up a huge following which has seen them sell out the Albert Hall three times and perform at major festivals from Glastonbury to WOMAD.

Voted Best Duo in the 2010 BBC Radio Two Folk Awards (as well as clinching Best Original Song for Knightley’s acclaimed Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed) the jury is still out on just what kind of music they play.

It is a genre-defying mix of rock, roots, blues, country and trad, often influenced by the music of other countries, played out on an array of instruments from slide guitar to fiddle, mandolin to South American cuatro.

With a stand-out new studio album under their belt – Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed – they are ready to stand, deliver and dazzle from their rich repertoire of songs.

Miranda Sykes is a multi-talented singer, double bass and guitar player who easily slips between genres as diverse as folk, jazz, rock and pop.

Her rich, spine-tingling vocals and strident, yet sensitive double bass playing is much in demand and she has worked alongside some of the finest musicians in the world.

The event also features special guest Rodney Branigan. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets are £17.50 standing or £20.50 seated circle. They can be purchased at Bridport Tourist Information Centre on 01308 424901.

n Your next opportunity to see Show of Hands locally is when they return to Abbotsbury sub-tropical gardens with their annual summer music festival.

For an afternoon and evening, the band takes over the gorgeous site along with several other top performers, who this year include Cara Dillon and Sam Lakeman, Jim Causley and 16-year-old Luke Jackson.

The garden opens its doors at 3pm and the concert lasts into the evening, with audiences bringing picnics and sitting on the grass.

The concert is very much a family event and there will be lots to keep the youngsters entertained. The show is on July 2 and tickets cost £32 for adults, £12 children or £50 for a family of two adults and up to three children. They are available from Abbotsbury Tourism on 01305 871130.