As Dundee prepares to welcome The Charlatans Rocktalk’s Alan Wilson tells the band’s amazing story.
Twenty years and counting.. It’s hard to believe but The Charlatans were formed in 1990 and are still going strong, having recently released their 11th studio album, Who We Touch.
Hardcore fans of the band need no history lesson on their two-decade career, but for the new-found generation of fans who have attached themselves to The Charlatans over the past few years, it’s a rollercoaster story that deserves telling.
Hit singles and albums, a huge following during the 90s Brit rock era and round-the-world tours saw them become one of the biggest bands around.
But then keyboard player Rob Collins was first jailed for his part in an armed robbery, then killed in a car crash during the recording of fifth album Tellin’ Stories in July, 1996.
The Charlatans decided to continue, and the Primal Scream and former Felt keyboardist Martin Duffy was drafted in, performing in the support slot with Oasis at their Knebworth concerts in summer 1996, until a permanent replacement for Collins, Tony Rogers, was found.
Several years in the wilderness followed before a couple of brief resurgences, the latest of which started in 2007 when they played a number of high-profile supporting gigs, including for The Who and The Rolling Stones, at Wembley Stadium and Twickenham Stadium in London, as well as the Bingley Music Live event, Nass festival 2007, and at Delamere Forest in Cheshire.
In March 2008, The Charlatans teamed up with Xfm to become the first UK band to release an album completely free to download via a radio station. Two months later You Cross My Path, their 10th studio album, received a physical CD/LP release.
More top tours followed and the band were back on a roll.
Fast forward to January this year, and The Charlatans were back in the studio to work on their eleventh album which also coincides with the 20th anniversary of their debut album.
Who We Touch was released on September 6, charting at number 21, but tragedy struck the band again when drummer Jon Brookes collapsed on stage in Philadelphia a couple of weeks later and was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
A terrible time for Brookes and a major setback for the band, but it was quickly announced that the show would go on and former Verve drummer Pete Salisbury was drafted in for the promotional tour.
Now back in the UK following his emergency operation and treatment, Jon has left a heartfelt message for the band’s and his many fans on their website, part of which follows below.
He said, “When I first saw those strange lights in the corner of my eyes at the start of the set in Philadelphia, little was I to know that the brain tumour several centimetres across was starting to emit its electrical impulses across the bottom half of the right hand side of my brain…
“And after asking for sound levels to be lowered on stage I continued to play the set but was already hopelessly out of time and disorientated and on a different song from the set list and the rest of the band… the countdown to disorder had begun.
“Strange feelings of floating quickly replaced by violent head movements engulfed me. Then I was approached by strangely familiar faces asking me what was wrong but I couldn’t speak, my mouth wired tight by lockjaw and panic spreading across my frozen body; the first seizure had begun and was in full effect.
“My memory is patchy but I can still hear the screams of my own voice echoing out as I felt hands struggle to hold me still as I was attended to by friends and paramedics alike.
“The blessing is that I don’t have enough recollection to be totally freaked out by the first seizure/event. And I can only feel sorry for my dear friends who had to witness such a painful display.
“I was eventually brought under control and went to the nearest hospital where it was quickly discovered that another seizure was imminent and a neurological centre was the only option.
“It is now that I can fill in the later stages of that night, I was never frightened or concerned about my fate inasmuch as I knew death was not in attendance at any point I saw no flashbacks and had strong feelings of being amongst special caring people…
“I had become besieged with messages of goodwill from every direction, family, fans, friends, colleagues, strangers, hospital co-workers and nurses…
“I know that who we touch are touched indeed, and I will never be able to express my heartfelt thanks for all the love and light I received, from all of you who text me, sent me cards, made calls to me or passed on their support and best wishes that ultimately brought me back home, safe!
“I have the best chance of rebuilding my life now and will always have one eye on the lookout for those strange lights! But knowing that love is the key and I wouldn’t be here without it … it is with the deepest thanks I can express that I will hopefully be back to my old self and be returned to full heath with the ongoing treatment I am to receive.”
Harrowing stuff, but fantastic that so soon after his horrifying ordeal, Jon is able to find the time to think about others and articulate himself so well in such a heartfelt message.
The Charlatans are at Fat Sam’s on Saturday, tickets are £23.50 and doors open at 7.30pm.