Knightley’s years performing in tough London pubs and bars and Beer’s folk/rock experience of venues throughout Europe began to pay off. "We were playing loud and hard. People would still be clapping and we’d be already counting in the next tune. Sometimes we’d have to tone it down a touch in the folk clubs, but it was great grounding for festival gigs." 'Nailing it' live, Show of Hands were building firm foundations for their famously close relationship with their audience as the '90s dawned. And in 1991, as their gigging schedule became increasingly hectic, Beer left ‘The Albion Band’ to concentrate full-time on Show of Hands.