WE NEED ROOTS!

WE NEED ROOTS! Flavio Goncalves interviews Steve Knightley regarding the latest, polemic, single “Roots” from the album “Witness” by English band: Show Of Hands

Are you surprised by the acceptance of your last single, “Roots”? Any negative responses so far?

We were delighted at how much airplay and publicity the song received. It also attracted the attention of some right-wing political parties that wanted to adopt it as their anthem, so we had to explain that the song is more to do with music and culture rather than a narrow expression of English patriotism.

What inspired you to write such a patriotic song, was it just the comments of former minister of culture Kim Howells or something more?

I don’t regard the song as ‘patriotic’ in that sense. Kim Howell’s comments were the spark that prompted the point that it’s every citizen’s right to make music in their homes and bars and clubs. It’s not an area that should be over-regulated by central government. I happen to believe in organic, acoustic music that seeks to express the everyday lives of the community that creates it. But whatever the genre, It has to be possible to throw back the relentless spread of wide screen TV corporate entertainment.

We searched Portugal’s major record stores but we were unable to find your records, do you have European distribution? Were can our readers buy your CD?

Best from showofhands.co.uk or a good independent record shop!

Sadly nowadays any manifestation of patriotism is linked to the “far right”. Do you think some people will try to connect you to the likes of UKIP and BNP?

Well, as I mentioned above this has happened already. Obviously we are talking about definitions of Patriotism again. I don’t consider the celebration and promotion of Irish music to be a patriotic act. It’s a celebration of ‘Irishness’ and the English should feel free to feel the same about their own music and traditions.

“The Independent” stated you have been playing for 15 years, but your first recordings go as far back as 1987. For how long have you been on the road?

As a full time band since 1992, although we have known each other since we were 16.

Can you live of folk music in England or do you have regular 9 to 5 jobs?

We are fully professional musicians and earn about the average wage for our ages. Those without mortgages and families could live off a lot less!

In Portugal hardly anyone listens to traditional songs these days, we have also a huge flood of soap operas from Brazil and Portuguese “copy cat” American rappers. Can we blame MTV for this or are we losing ourselves, our Roots, to a Multicultural world?

It’s a hard struggle. We are not traditional musicians in the narrow sense. I write original songs but try to base them upon the lives, situations and language of English people. I’m aware of other musicians attempting the same in their own countries, and it is in the face of the same, not multi-cultural, but global corporate threat.

Have you guys ever visited Portugal?

We came to Portugal with Ashley Hutchings as part time members of the Albion Band about ten years ago playing in four wonderful city squares. We would seize the opportunity to return!

Will you be surprised if people start calling you a political band?

I would be delighted; at least it would open the doors to discussion and debate and eventually to our music.