Bradford rocker Tom Bairstow is back beating the drums after a road accident almost cost him one of his kidneys.

The 22-year-old musician, who plays with New York Alcoholic Anxiety Attack, was about to undergo major surgery to have a punctured kidney removed when a last-minute scan showed a clot had formed around it, naturally stemming the internal bleeding that had been threatening his life.

“It was touch and go,” Tom said. “They had to stop the bleeding somehow but a scan just before they took me to theatre showed up a clot that was doing the job for them so I kept the kidney. I was very lucky.”

After time in Leeds General Infirmary’s Intensive Care unit, Tom was moved to the renal unit at St James’s for monitoring until doctors were happy enough to let him home.

Tom got his injuries by falling off his bicycle on his way home to Wilsden. He managed to get back on his bike with a black eye and injured head and get home.

He kept telling his girlfriend he was all right until he developed horrendous abdominal pains and she insisted on taking him to hospital where internal bleeding was diagnosed.

The shocked band had to cancel performing at the prestigious Glastonbury Festival together.

But now that Tom is back in action, the band is also back on track for an album release due next month and a string of concerts including the Beautiful Days Festival in Exeter at the end of August.

Hundreds of messages of concern and support have been flooding in to the band’s websites since Tom’s accident and he said fans’ good wishes have helped him recover so quickly.

He said: “All those message have helped me get through this. It sounds a bit cheesy but they have really meant a lot – thank you.

“It feels a bit strange drumming again because I’ve not done anything for three weeks. It’s quite strenuous and I’m not to overdo it, but it’s great to be back.”

Bandmate Mick Davis said: “We’ve been quite unlucky as a band but we’re hoping things will get better.

“Our van flipped and rolled over when it got hit coming back from our first Rio’s gig in Bradford. Tom’s drum kit got stolen once, Matt got ill and was in hospital so we had to miss a big gig at the Astoria with New Model Army, and then I was off for two months with salmonella – then this happened to Tom!”