The Charlatans drummers Jon Brookes rejoined that band on stage at the weekend for the first time since suffering a brain tumour.

Brookes, who was taken ill at a gig in Philadelphia last month, played the final song of the night at the Academy in Birmingham on Saturday (October 23).

In a blog post, Brookes admitted that he was nervous before going on stage.

“I took the deepest breath and tried to let it flow,” he said. “I hope it sounded OK, but to be honest I have no real measure, it was like I would imagine doing the 100 metres in the Olympic games would feel like.”

It was the first time Brookes had performed with the band since he collapsed during a gig in Philadelphia. He was later treated for a brain tumour in the UK.

The Verve's Phil Salisbury has been filling in for Brookes during the band's UK dates.

(by Jason Gregory)