If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Jon, you’d know how salt of the earth he is. An overused cliché but not in his case. He gave off the impression that he’d be happy to have a pint with you there and then and was never trying to get to somewhere a little more important. Actually, he probably did always have a pint with you there and then!

A total rare gem in an exceedingly and increasingly pushed for space world and industry in particular.

When I was looking for a studio for the band I was managing, Steve (Gigslutz) mentioned he was with Jon that night and I fancifully texted back “ask him about the studio!”, never thinking in my wildest dreams that anything would come from it. Steve texted back that not only had Jon made time to discuss that and other things, but that it was an immediate green light and Jon went out of his way to sort us out with as long as we wanted at The Charlatans’ Big Mushroom studios in Middlewich. Not only that, I texted Jon to ask him if he knew any producers and he said “I’ll get back to you”. The very next morning he had copied me in on 5 emails to the Charlatans’ favourite producers telling them they simply had to get involved with this band, vouching for us, endorsing us. Phenomenal. Almost surreal. He followed that up with texts asking how it was going and did I need any more help. Legendary.

One of the greatest moments of my life was walking in there for the first time. Standing in the studio where all of those legendary albums were made.

But perhaps Jon’s deeper influence that he may not even be aware of, was his influence on Gigslutz itself. Long before Gigslutz gave its Mother a torrid time in labour, there was a time when the two founders would spend long weekends in a flat in Honor Oak Park, coming up with all sorts of delusional life plans, business ideas and schemes. As well as writing what was at that time, without doubt the best song ever written, working title, ‘always a lighter in the drawer’. These weekends would run from Friday evening until Sunday, and went under the name of ‘Charlatans Appreciation Weekends’. 7 people invited, us and the “thinking man’s Oasis” as Steve used to call ’em. The white furry drinking jacket would be donned, various hats n clobber, all Charlatans vinyl sleeves laid out across the room, posters unrolled and up about the place, and each album would be meticulously played, rewound, sung and appreciated, picked apart with vigour always with the standard “f**king brilliant” moniker and onto the next one.

The logo on the Facebook was a snap from some point during one of these weekends and is a testament to the ethos of Gigslutz and what it stands for; getting on it and consuming music with your best mates.

Jon, a rare diamond, was and always will be a massive part of our history, and of the future. So do me a favour, go home tonight and put on ‘Feeling Holy’, close your eyes and let Jon’s definitive style roll you into that blinder of a record.

David Ham

@Gigslutz_Radio

Over to you Steve….

Although Jon Brookes’ illness was fairly well publicised, receiving the tragic news yesterday was still hard hitting and deeply saddening.

Only a few weeks ago I had been in touch with Jon about forthcoming Charlatans gigs and the Kendal Calling festival. His last words to me were “please stay in touch mate”

I wish I could.

Jon’s influence on Gigslutz goes further than the music he made. When Gigslutz was starting out we were solely doing recorded interviews. Jon was one of the first people to agree to have a chat with us. The fact we didn’t have any previous work to show him and we couldn’t give him any guarantees about how we would push the interview (I don’t think we really knew what we were doing looking back!) didn’t matter; he was a more than willing participant.

This was the drummer of one of my favourite bands and at that particular time a band I was listening to on a daily basis. The Charlatans are a special lot and criminally underrated. Keeping the beat behind all 11 studio albums and countless gigs from humble Northwich beginnings to 250,000 punters at Knebworth was Jon Brookes.

When going into the dingy dressing room to meet Jon for our interview he was nothing but polite and welcoming. Having not planned an introduction ahead, the first thing I said, as I probably do to most people I meet inside a licensed premises, was “alright mate, fancy a pint?” His response of “I’ll have a Guinness” was one I’d get used to over the night and over any forth coming meet ups.

Having got the interview out the way and the camera stopped rolling we continued to chat away as if we had known each other for longer than half an hour. Talk turned to bands he’s into, the pitfalls of drinking out of plastic pint pots, best tunes to DJ with and how he was feeling excited about a DIY ethic he was seeing back in music which had spawned his One Beat Records label and in turn The Carpels, a band he was managing and seemed really upbeat about.

Also, the story he told me about crossed wires with Pete Townshend at a party Ronnie Wood had thrown will live with me forever!  On top of this the man seemed genuinely just as interested in what Gigslutz was all about as I was to delve into his Charlatans tales.

One of our next encounters was at a time when fellow Gigslutz founder David was on the lookout for a recording studio for the band he was managing to record in. I threw this into conversation with Jon, more as to if he could recommend anyone / anywhere. Next thing after phone numbers were exchanged, the band were holed up in The Charlatans very own studio with a premier league producer on board to boot. Nothing was too big a problem for the man. Guest list for private Charlatans shows “no problem”, recording studios “no problem”. I just wish I could’ve given more back other than Guinness and numerous drooling articles of The Charlies. Maybe the signed Tellin’ Stories poster he gave me with “Steve is a knobhead, JB” beautifully scribed may go some way to level the scores!

The Charlatans are a band well acquainted with disaster and sorrow. I’m sure they will soldier on as they have done in the past and with it release their new album which Jon has been working on. I’m positive the album will be a fitting tribute.

As will Gigslutz. His part in helping us along, and for the good will and sincerity he gave us means that as long as Gigslutz is going, then there will always be a part of Jon soldiering on within us and we will always be grateful. Thanks JB

Steven Aston

@Gigslutz_steve