Joel Baker
Joel’s set was probably been the most entertaining and most banter-filled session we have ever been fortunate enough to witness! Not only did he show up about half an hour late, presumably because of traffic (or maybe because he’s just too cool!), but also his choice of clothing and overall appearance was more than questionable. It was certainly brave!
You’re probably thinking ‘what is this guy on about?’, but picture this: white t-shirt, blue jacket, blue pants, socks, flip flops, and a hat – or on second thoughts, just check out the pictures!
Anyway, for some strange reason however, it made complete sense. It just looked right.
During the sound check, Joel’s feet were swinging, he was laughing and genuinely having a good time, and just enjoying life. He’s more fun than Big Shaq, the guy who ‘sang’ “The ting goes skrrraah, pap, pap, pap, pap” – if you’re into hip hop and rap, you know where I’m coming from!! If not, never mind… 😊 And he’s such a dude that apparently, he’ll also “come and do a show near you”. His words, not mine.
In terms of his music, most of Joel’s songs had a slow feel, and his voice was a lot rougher than I first assumed (at least based on when he was speaking during the sound check). It actually really suited and complimented the style of music he was playing.
If you were around last year and watched all the Coffee House Sessions as enthusiastically as I did, you’ll remember Mark Sullivan – Joel’s voice is a lot like that – no bad thing!
During his set, Joel also played a spontaneous jam which consisted of Let Me Love You, Shape of You, and that song where Rhianna goes ‘wah wah wah’ (to be fair that doesn’t really narrow it down does it?! 😊)
All of his songs had a slow feel, but it never got boring. Additionally, most of his songs sounded a bit similar, it was a bit hard to not think “haven’t I heard this one before?”, but due to Joel’s stage presence, he got away with it.
Overall, the entire set was just a mix of banter, music, fun, and Joel seeing things that nobody else could. Have a listen on the UBU website.
During the interview with RamAir, it quickly became apparent that Joel was the king of sarcasm and witty banter. He’s originally from Nottingham, but studied in Leeds. Some might say he’s too relaxed with the way he uses ‘bro’ a lot in his speech, but it’s cool, bro. His dream tour would be him, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince. Simply because he doesn’t “know if I’d come out alive; would be a good way to go though”. Again, his words, not mine. When it came to the question: “pineapple on pizza?”, his response was a solid ‘yes’! Team Pineapple wins again!
Songs: 5/5
Sound: 5/5
Atmosphere in Student Central: 4/5
Author: Doug Schulz
RamAir student radio legend Doug is currently doing is PhD at Bradford after completing his undergraduate in Sociology and a MA in Peace Studies.
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