Bicep’s Matt McBriar reveals he’s undergone treatment for brain tumour
Matt McBriar, one half of the Northern Irish electronic dance act Bicep, has revealed he’s undergone surgery for a brain tumour. McBriar has also announced a break from performing while he recovers.
Bicep have released two studio-albums so far, with their last effort, Isles, arriving in 2021. The album charted at number two in the United Kingdom and further cemented the duo’s place among Britain’s most established dance acts, headlining The Park Stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2022.
This summer, Bicep have been busy on the festival circuit with their new visual experience, Chroma, which included sold-out headline shows at Brighton Beach and London’s Finsbury Park. They had been due to perform at Boardmasters Festival in Newquay on August 9th, but the set was cancelled due to “unforeseen personal circumstances”, which McBriar has now revealed to be his surgery.
Understandably, due to McBriar’s health issues, he will now be focussing on his recovery after undergoing successful surgery on August 9th and taking a step back from the stage for the foreseeable future.
Taking to Instagram, McBriar shared a photo of himself from a hospital bed and explained, “Towards the end of 2023, I got some intense localised headaches matched with a weird fatigue that felt new.”
Earlier this year, McBriar underwent a series of blood tests to determine the issue “which came back indicating that something was wrong”. Therefore, his “GP arranged an MRI followed by a CT scan.”
The Northern Irish musician elaborated: “Unfortunately, they told me they had discovered a large, and pretty rare Craniopharyngioma tumour on my pituitary gland (in my brain). The good news is firstly, it’s almost certainly not cancerous and secondly, I’ve caught it in the earlier stages of damage. I’d been very lucky to get those initial blood tests followed by an MRI. Had it been much longer I might’ve lost some eyesight and a load of other problems due to the size and position of the tumour pressing on my optic nerves.”
McBriar revealed that over recent months he has “been through many many rounds of hospital appointments” before eventually having surgery on August 9th. He also highlighted the importance of continuing to perform with Bicep this summer in order to “keep my mind busy”. McBriar will now be in recovery for six to eight weeks ahead of starting “a long road of aftercare”.
He also thanked the NHS for their assistance, writing, “I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the amazing consultants, surgeons, doctors and nurses at the NHS who have looked after me and been so amazing, kind and empathetic.” Furthermore, McBriar stressed, “Our healthcare system is very precious and worth fighting for!”
As McBriar is out of action with Bicep until further notice, he confirmed that his bandmate, Andy Ferguson, would be fulfilling their scheduled performances solo.
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