2022: The Breakthrough Year!

As the year comes to a close so does the music scene for 2022, it all went by in a flash. After spending the majority of the last two years behind closed doors, this year presented the first fresh opportunity for all musicians in the industry to dust off the cobwebs, pack up the gear and head back out onto the road again. It really must have felt like eternity at home.

For Joe it was the first chance, the first taste of professional musicianship in some of the biggest leagues. No more classes, no more studying, no more lockdown collaborations. This was the big time, the chance to put all of the practice and persistence to the test…

It all kicked off in March, with a stellar opening show with Ultimate Killers followed soon after by a thrilling evening with Ultimate 90s, the shows kept on coming as we drew closer to the summer. Doris Day – The Musical was Joe’s first ever theatrical tour and along the way he worked with some incredible musicians, personnel and stage crew who made all of the shows so memorable. The biggest show of the tour came at The Hawth Theatre in Crawley and the tour also included stops in Ireland and Scotland to add to the list of many memorable places Joe visited professionally throughout the year. Click here to read the review and insight of Doris Day in full. 

Following even more sell out shows with Pure Entertainment came the summer festivals, many of which Joe excelled. He once again played alongside Ultimate Killers for a special festival at Haggerston Castle on the Scottish Borders, a perfect night with a hyped crowd, a great way to see out what was a memorable weekend. He joined Cloneplay as their sessions drummer throughout the summer, then on a permanent basis from September. A standout moment came at Castell Roc festival, playing to a 1,500 capacity crowd in a castle field. As the festival lit up with phone lights when the band played out Coldplays classic hit ‘Fix You’, the crowd sung the song back to them at the top of their lungs, it truly was a sight to see and hear from all over Chepstow. Joe also played the Weeley Tribute Festival with Cloneplay to a crowd of almost 2,000 on a night of high expectations, high standards and exceptional performances from other incredible musicians, the band certainly delivered on a memorable night for them all.

Throughout the year Joe also played many Butlins shows. Reuniting with Jeff Dingle as Bruno Mars to headline the Central Stage in Bognor and Minehead in August and September. Surely it couldn’t get any better than that…could it? Well it just did…as Joe accepted a last minute call up to fulfil a lifelong dream and play with a tribute band to Queen at studio 36, Butlins – Minehead. This is Queen and Joe played several shows together since the call up, culminating and finishing off with a headline slot at studio 36 at Butlins – Bognor on the 28th November, what a way to see it all out!

It doesn’t just stop there…there are many more incredible and memorable moments throughout the year. Some of these include Halloween at Flamingo Land, The Blues Brothers, Coldplay – Live In Technicolour and Jamie Lee Harrison. There certainly has been a lot of variety this year, Joe has since commented…

“I am truly thrilled with how exceptional this year has been for me professionally. Considering it’s my first year on the circuit and I have done Fifty-Two shows. All of these I have absolutely loved. Just to be on the stage and doing something I enjoy is always what I wanted to do. The best moment for me though has to be Castell Roc back in August where I don’t think I’ve ever played to a bigger crowd with more enthusiasm in my entire life. To hear them singing the songs back to us and the show we were able to put on for them was truly outstanding, I loved every minute of that night and it will definitely go down as one of the best in my life. I would like to thank every single musician I have had the privilege of working alongside this year, you’ve all been absolutely mega and hopefully 2023 will bring us even more success.”

With shows planned for Spain, France and all across the U.K. in 2023, Joe is looking at yet another busy year on the circuit. Many dates are to be announced and some new projects will be formed. The music industry is growing once more after the Covid pandemic and all musicians are very much taking advantage of the ever growing circuit on which they form their careers. Here’s to 2022, the breakthrough year.