The Drummer Boy - Joe Perry

Joe’s first trip away with us was the High Alps Challenge back in 2014. Since then he has been on many a trip and even shacked up with my sister! I guess that means that he will be out here more and more. I caught up with him to talk about the drums.

Hey Jojo, my nickname for you is not really catching is it?

Nah, my mates from school always called me Pia because they thought that I played the piano. An inventive bunch!

So, you drum, but what exactly are you involved with?

First and foremast, I play in a couple of party or function bands. I have been lucky enough to go to some cool venues around the world - Beirut, Antwerp and Berlin. Beirut was really memorable, you could still see all the shell holes in the walls; it was for a whiskey company who were launching in Lebanon and throwing a party. The main band at the moment is London Anthemic - it is great fun, we play 90s club tunes but as a rock band so the sound is a bit different, but it seems to work.

Joe riding up the mini-Stelvio in Bormio. One of the best climbs that I have done…

How about practice?

Well, we normally go to a studio as a band and practice a set for about 2 weeks. We then play that at the venues and so we are practicing and refining as we go along. It is down to all the individuals to practice their own instruments and that is daily for me.

Do you tutor as well?

Yes I go into a school once a week to give drum lessons and have some private lessons too. I am also involved in building and setting up a music studio in Horley. So it is pretty varied.

When did you start cycling?

When I was about  23, I  started with one of my mates and used his brother’s bike. I got hooked. I got myself a white Trek but soon upgraded to an S-Works Tarmac - I love it.

At the end of a set or gig do you feel as tired as you do after a bike ride?

Erm - probably not, the difficulty with gigging are the late nights and the mental tiredness. When you are getting home at 3 or 4am in the morning during the weekends, it is difficult to flip to the weekday routines. It also makes cycling at the weekend a challenge.

Did you go to music school to learn the drums?

Technically no, I went to the Brit School to study Performance and Practice, it was basically how to perform as a group and work in that environment. It was for 2 years instead of 6th form and I was just continuing with the drums on the side.

Anyone “made it” from your year group?

Well there is a girl called Georgia who is good, check her out. She is in the charts

What is your favourite beat to tap in your head whilst cycling? 

Nope, I do not do that

Is there anything that you find difficult or that you are currently working on in your drumming repertoire,  like a technique or anything? 

At the moment I am practicing and learning new genres, latin is my current focus. It is awesome. It is on a full drum kit and there are lots of different types of complex rhythms, it is much trickier than a rock beat.

What is your favourite local ride?

I love going to Haywards Heath and Ardingly but actually yesterday, I went out with Liz on brilliant ride to White Down Lane and onto Ranmore behind the Box Hill area, it was stunning. 

 What is your favourite piece on the drum kit?

Its a collective  

Gun to your head…

Snare drums 

Do you have a most memorable moment on your bike?

Oh that climb from Aosta to the Grand Saint Bernard Monastery that we did on your Mont Blanc Tour, it was so hot and tough. 35 degrees and was it about 30km. So, so hard. We asked for a cool down from a man watering his garden!  But to finish at the Monastery was quite something and a great experience to be up that high in a building like that.

Joe playing the drums…