Joe Donegan

About Joe Donegan

I have been on the professional Music circuit for a year and I specialise in Progressive Rock. I am currently best known as the drummer for Cloneplay, a tribute band to the original award winning U.K. pop group. I also am a sessions player for the Pure Entertainment group and play in several of their projects such as Ultimate Killers, Jeff Dingle as Bruno Mars, Jamie Lee Harrison and Typically Tina. All of these groups make up a wide range of genres. Some of my biggest influences include Neil Peart, Phil Collins, Roger Taylor, Stewart Copeland and Jeff Porcaro.

Whilst growing up, I worked with some top professional players in the music industry, where I developed my technical skills and technique as I progressed through my teens and into my early 20s. One of these musicians includes John Roberts who is best known as the drummer for The Blockheads and has worked for Mark Knopfler on a number of occasions.

Having spent two years at ACM Guildford, I graduated in 2020, with a 2021 ceremony due to the COVID pandemic. Celebrating my Bachelors degree with a First Class Honours, specialising in Music Performance on the Drums. Some of my projects have also included working alongside some industry famous names, such as Paul Booth (Steve Winwood, Elton John, Eagles) and my former lecturer and friend Darren Beckett (Brandon Flowers – The Killers).

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, I spent my time working on my own materiel as a freelance musician. Frequently releasing covers on YouTube, Instagram and other forms of social media every few days, covering many different bands and artists and their styles and genres, ranging from Queen to The Specials. In addition, I have also been running a collaborations project called The JD Experience. This involves regularly working with other musicians online and bringing them together as a band.