Bicep’s Matt McBriar treated for ‘large and pretty rare’ brain tumour

The DJ, of Northern Irish music duo Bicep, was diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma tumour after scans in the spring

Bicep’s Matt McBriar ‘recovering in hospital’ after brain tumour surgery (John Marshall/PA) (PA Media)

Matt McBriar, of Northern Irish electronic music duo Bicep, has said he is recovering from surgery after a “large and pretty rare” tumour was found in his brain.

The DJ and music producer said he had blood tests in the spring, a few months after experiencing “intense localised headaches matched with a weird fatigue that felt new”.

Scans revealed “a large and pretty rare craniopharyngioma tumour” on his pituitary gland, for which he underwent surgery on Friday (9 August).

“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, sharing a picture of himself in a hospital bed on Instagram.

“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.

“I’ve been through many many rounds of hospital appointments and tests since and finally had surgery on August 9.”

McBriar said up until the surgery, he had decided to “carry on living life and playing shows as normal”, citing the importance of keeping his mind busy.

“The operation went well and I’m currently recovering in hospital,” he said.

“Recovery will be at least six to eight weeks and a long road of aftercare but I’m feeling incredibly grateful and lucky.”

McBriar said while he is in recovery, the other half of his band, Andy Ferguson, will be “performing upcoming shows as Bicep solo until further notice”.

Bicep released their self-titled debut album in 2017, featuring the hit song “Glue”, followed by Isles in 2021, which reached No 2 in the UK album chart and earned two Brit nominations.

In recent years they launched Chroma, an audiovisual project spanning new tracks and shows that mix DJing and live performance. Their Chroma set was so popular at Glastonbury this year that it had to be cancelled due to overcrowding.