The family of live music superfan Big Jeff Johns have shared another update on his condition after he was seriously injured in a house fire earlier this month.
In a statement released earlier this month it was confirmed that the much-loved gig-goer was “very seriously injured” in a recent fire at his home in Bristol, and that he was receiving treatment in a specialist burns unit in Swansea.
Johns’ family, along with his art manager Lee Dodds, then followed the news up with an update on his condition, explaining that he was “stable in intensive care, but still under heavy sedation and unconscious whilst a series of procedures and skin grafts are beginning”.
Today (June 29), his family and Dodds have revealed that Johns is now off his ventilator and conscious.
“We are pleased to be able to share with you that Jeff has made some good progress with his recovery over the weekend,” the new statement reads. “He is now off the ventilator and is conscious. Jeff is beginning to be able to receive the wonderful messages of love, support and goodwill – thank you.”
The statement concludes: “His condition still remains very serious and we ask you all to continue to keep Jeff in your thoughts.”
Regular updates on Johns’ condition will be shared via his social media channels (@bigjeffjohnsart) and his website.
Johns is widely regarded as Bristol’s most frequent gig-goer, having attended live shows every night of the week at venues across the city and the country before the UK went into lockdown in March 2020.
Speaking to NME earlier this year during Independent Venue Week, Johns described gig spaces as “basically my churches”.
“They’ve been safe spaces for me for years,” he said. “You see communities you’ll never meet anywhere else. It’s not just the artists, they develop people who are going to go into running their own venues or record labels, music journalists, or people who go into stage tech and sound engineering.”