The Vaccines’ drummer Yoann Intonti almost died after contracting viral meningitis on tour last year.
The ‘If You Wanna’ group supported Imagine Dragons on the European leg of their ‘Evolve World Tour’ over August and September 2018, and frontman Justin Hayward-Young has recalled how surprised he was that his bandmate managed to complete the shows, despite "knocking on death’s door" with the infection, which causes inflammation of the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord.
Justin told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: "We toured Europe with Imagine Dragons in the summer and Yoann went a little too hard, too many days in a row, and ended up with viral meningitis and was knocking on death’s door.
"Somehow he still managed to play every show.
"He was wheezing as if he was about to take his dying breath.
It’s quite scary because then we started googling viral meningitis and it’s pretty f***ing serious."
Meanwhile, the band – who play two consecutive nights at London’s Roundhouse, starting on Friday (07.02.19) – previously joked their worst ever gig felt like an episode of ‘My Super Sweet Sixteen’.
The ‘I Can’t Quit’ band – completed by Freddie Cowan, Arni Arnason and Timothy Lanhami – performed at the wedding of cycling champion Mark Cavendish and model Peta Todd in 2013.
Recalling the awkward event, Justin said: "I think they were hoping all their friends liked us as much as they did. It was like ‘My Super Sweet Sixteen’ where someone thinks they’re getting Justin Bieber and then…"
Freddie quipped: "It’s Kula Shaker."
The guitarist added that it was "amazing" to be there, but that the "big reveal" perhaps fell short of what the cyclist was hoping for.
He said: "He’s such a nice man, and it was an amazing setting. I think he thought the big reveal would happen, and his grandparents and all the kids would be like, ‘Vaccines oh brilliant!’"
The Vaccines drummer Yoann Intonti almost died on tour
