Bicep's Matt McBriar recovering from surgery for 'large and rare' brain tumour

One of the Belfast artists behind Brit Award-nominated dance music act Bicep is recovering in hospital after revealing he has been treated for a rare brain tumour.

Matthew McBriar, one half of the electronica act that has taken the Irish and UK dance scenes by storm, said that he underwent surgery last week and faces a "long road" to full recovery.

McBriar, 38, described his illness and treatment in an Instagram post, explaining he had begun to experience severe fatigue and headaches late last year, with follow-up scans showing a craniopharyngioma tumour on his pituitary gland, which regulates hormones.

 

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"The good news is firstly, it’s almost certainly not cancerous and secondly, I’ve caught it in the earlier stages of damage," he wrote. "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 had surgery on Friday 9 August. Bicep had been due to perform at Boardmasters festival in Newquay over the weekend, but cancelled that sit, citing "unforseen personal circumstances" at the time.

The Bicep artist said the operation was successful, and that he will be in recovery for the next two months, followed by "a long road of aftercare". He thanked NHS staff, deeming them "amazing, kind and empathetic".

Andy Ferguson, Bicep's other half, will continue to perform as Bicep solo in the meantime, including a set at Creamfields festival, which kicks off next weekend, 22-25 August.

Bicep first rose to prominence following their 2017 self-titled debut album, which made the UK Album Char top 20, while its lead single, 'Glue', was named "Track of the Year" by DJ magazine.

Their second album, Isles, dropped in 2021 and entered the UK Album Chart at number 2, while it was nominated in the Best Irish Album category of the RTÉ Choice Music Awards. That same year the pair were nominated in the Best British Group and Breakthrough Artist categories at the Brit Awards.

Just yesterday, the lads were nominated for "Best Live Performer" at the upcoming 2024 AIM Independent Music Awards.