England's top folk group Show of Hands will head to Bristol next month on their first standing gig tour of the UK.

Singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer – nominated for Musician of the Year in the BBC Radio Folk Awards – will perform at Fiddlers in Willway Street on December 5 at 8pm.

Last autumn Steve had to pull out of a tour after his seven-year-old son Jack was diagnosed with leukaemia.

But he played the Colston Hall gig because he could walk from the hospital where Jack was being treated.

Fans, especially those from supporters' group Longdogs, raised thousands of pounds for the Bristol-based children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent and Jack is making a steady recovery.

Show of Hands will be joined at Fiddlers by regular guest Miranda Sykes on double bass and vocals.

And indie folk sensation Ruarri Joseph, who has made appearances with David Gray, Paolo Nutini and Seth Lakeman, will open for them.

He played Show of Hands' festival at Abbotsbury, Dorset, this summer and will release an album, Both Sides of the Coin, early next year.

Steve said: "Ruarri is an excellent new singer songwriter talent from the West Country who has decided to take the independent route.

"It was obvious right from the start of his set at Abbotsbury that he was connecting with our audience so we thought it would be great to invite him to join us on our standing tour."

The hugely popular Show of Hands have sold out the Royal Albert Hall three times and were voted Best Live Act in the 2004 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, voted for by listeners.

Two years ago the Exeter band won the title "Greatest Devonians" in a Devon County Council poll, beating Sir Francis Drake, Dame Agatha Christie, Joss Stone, Muse and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

After a summer of nearly 30 UK festivals, including a debut appearance at WOMAD, Show of Hands will perform nearly 40 dates this winter.

They went on the road in September for a Theatres and Arts Centres tour, followed by Spires and Beams tour of churches, cathedrals and historic buildings with sell outs at Exeter and Ely Cathedrals. The Fiddlers gig is on their latest tour called Standing Room Only.

Tickets are available from Bristol Ticket Shop on 0870 4444 400 or www.bristolticketshop.co.uk, or See Tickets on 0870 264 3333, for £16.