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Charlatans Drummer back on the road

Jon Brookes, Drummer for Rock band 'The Charlatans' is now back on the road and enjoying life as a drummer again after suffering from a brain tumour.

Brookes, 42, collapsed after a seizure on stage during a gig in the  USA last summer. He has battled back to full health from the cancer and played a sell out show in Valencia recently, The Charlatans have also planned a tour of the far east.

Jon recently said “I’m feeling great, fighting fit and on the mend. The world came crashing down around me when I collapsed on stage.

‘‘But with the love and support from my family and friends, I’ve refocused and I’m really excited about the future.

‘‘I’m still having check-ups and precautionary treatment, but things are looking up.”

With a strong determination to get back to his pashion - playing the drums - he has undergone weeks of  radiation and chemotherapy to tackle the tumour and regain his health.

“We’re back playing festivals and have just returned from Valencia in Spain, and now we’re off to Indonesia,” he said. “It’s a really great feeling being back out there, travelling, playing, and seeing the world.

“I’ve got a new lust for life, a lust for drumming, I just can’t get enough.

 “That was one of the biggest fears when I was diagnosed, that I might not be able to play at the same level. But here I am.

“In terms of health, I feel good, it’s just a case of taking it steady and maybe going to bed a bit earlier than I used to. The band is really on top form, we are going to be recording a new album, and we’re already thinking of new material.

“Like all bands, when we’re out on the road we want to be in the studio, and when we’re back in the studio we want to be playing live.”

Jon also plans to bring help to young bands in the Midlands with his own label 'One Beat Records' and has also set up recording facilities for bands at his JB's rehearsal rooms.

Jon credits his wife Deborah and kids Lola Primrose, 10, Ruby Rose, seven, and two-year-old Coco Dahlia with helping him recover from his illness.

He added: “I’ve always been incredibly close to my family, but I appreciate my wife even more now – she keeps my spirits up and I couldn’t have done it without her.”