|While on the Music course he was playing for Sarah-Jane Morris| (The Communards) and playing support for Geordie rockers ‘The Wildhearts’. Joel has since worked with Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Tony Lommi (Black Sabbath) and is currently racking up gigs in the UK, US and Europe - playing at the Download Festival, New York’s notorious Punk landmark CBGB, Radio 1’s Introducing, Glastonbury and Bestival.

He has also recorded sessions at the BBC’s legendary Maida Vale Studios with Riff Raff and Foals (for Jo Whiley’s Live Lounge). To add to that, Joel also holds several percussion residencies for UK clubs playing in Ibiza, London and Birmingham. A landmark success came when he was asked to be the drummer for Damon Albarn’s acclaimed opera Monkey: Journey to the West in which he performed to over 60,000 people at theatres across Europe. (He also appeared in the accompanying documentary on BBC1 and performed on Later with Jools Holland).

 He is regularly in demand for live and studio sessions and is known as a meticulous drum technician to some of today’s greatest players such as Jason Bowld (Pitchshifter, This Is Menace, China Style), Andy Edwards (Robert Plant, IQ, Frost) and bands such as The Enemy, Jack Penate and The Good, The Bad & The Queen.

Now Joel shares his skills as an inspirational teacher to over 40 students of various ages and abilities and runs popular masterclass and clinic formats showcasing his work.