BICEP's Matt McBriar has undergone surgery to remove a brain tumour
The duo’s Andy Ferguson will perform solo while Matt is in recovery from the removal of a non-cancerous tumour
BICEP’s Matt McBriar has announced that he will put a pause on performing while he undergoes treatment for recent health issues.
In a post on Instagram earlier today, Matt explained that he has undergone surgery to have a non-cancerous tumour removed and is currently in recovery.
“Towards the end of 2023, I got some intense localised headaches matched with a weird fatigue that felt new,” he explained, adding that he took blood tests in the spring of 2024.
The tests came back “indicating that something was wrong”, he said, and following both an MRI and CT scan, they found “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,” he added.
Matt said that he was “very lucky” to get those initial tests done, because if it was left any longer, he may have “lost some eyesight and a load of other problems due to the size and position of the tumour pressing on my optic nerves.”
Confirming that he underwent surgery to have the tumour removed on August 9, Matt explained that the operation went well and he is now in recovery at hospital.
“Recovery will be at least 6-8 weeks and a long road of aftercare but I’m feeling incredibly grateful and lucky,” he said, explaining that Andy Ferguson will perform solo at their forthcoming shows while he rests.
“Whilst I am in recovery Andy will be performing upcoming shows as Bicep solo until further notice,” he said. “Thanks for understanding.”
Matt also thanked friends, family, work colleagues, and NHS staff for their support, adding: “Our healthcare system is very precious and worth fighting for!”
Read the full post from Matt McBriar here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter