Artist News

Charlatans drummer hoping to be well in six weeks

By | Published on Wednesday 29 September 2010

Another poorly drummer, The Charlatans’ Jon Brookes, is hoping to be well enough to rejoin the band for the Australian leg of their current world tour in six weeks, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour earlier this month, the band’s frontman Tim Burgess has revealed.

As previously reported, Brookes collapsed and stopped breathing on stage at the Johnny Brenda’s venue in Philadelphia two weeks ago. He received treatment in the US and was initially said to be improving, though the band postponed the rest of their American tour. Back in the UK, he underwent more tests before doctors reach the tumour diagnosis.

Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, Burgess remembered Brookes’ collapse: “Jon just stopped playing. Myself and Mark [Collins, guitarist] didn’t know what to do. We looked over at him and he gave us a really distant look. Our tour manger walked on stage and took his drumsticks out of his hands”.

He continued: “A doctor saw what was going on and said, ‘Let me on stage I’m a doctor’. Jon then started to faint. The doctor told everyone to get off stage and call 911. I think Jon would have caused quite a lot of damage to himself if [the doctor] hadn’t have been there. At first we all thought it was dehydration but then things seemed to take a turn for the worse”.

But he said Brookes could be back with them again soon: “He wants to go to Australia, which is in six weeks time. I think that’s the most realistic way to look at everything. At this moment in time things are looking on the up”.

In the meantime, The Verve’s drummer Pete Salisbury is standing in for Brookes as the band continue with their touring commitments.



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