Keith Richards and Mick Jagger have a friendly in-band rivalry going on. Jagger's solo projects usually take the form of crap albums, but when Keith Richards goes solo, he drops five metres from a palm tree onto his head. Top that, Jagger!

After the initial hilarity of discovering that Keith Richards had probably got drunk and bumped himself on the noggin ended after reports suggested that the fall had possibly given him a blood clot on the brain, it appears that the Keith Richards head surgery has taken place and was a success. So now we can go back to taking the piss again.

Not many veteran pop stars can get boozed up on rum and drop five metres from a coconut tree onto their heads and emerge with their dignity intact. Imagine if Paul McCartney or Elton John or George Michael had the same accident, they'd be even more of a laughing stock than they already are. But when Keith Richards falls out of a tree and knackers his head, everybody just shrugs and says "That's Keith."

Keith Richards has concussion? That's Keith. Keith Richards has a brain clot? That's Keith. Doctors fear for Keith Richards' life? That's Keith. Keith Richards is going to have a drill pushed into his skull to sort things out? Crazy old Keith, what's he going to do next?

That's more or less what has happened in the last week; Keith Richards was airlifted to New Zealand where – according to a New Zealand newspaper – doctors thought that he had suffered a subdural haematoma, a blood clot on his brain, and at one point feared for his life. But now Keith's head surgery has taken place and thing are looking up. A statement released on the Rolling Stones website yesterday says:

Keith Richards underwent surgery this morning at The Ascot Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. The operation was a complete success and Keith is already up and talking with his family today. He will need a few weeks recuperation. Last week Keith was under observation in Auckland following a fall in Fiji and was feeling well after being examined by doctors last week, however after complaining of headaches yesterday doctors thought it prudent to move ahead with a small operation to remove the pressure.

The European leg of the Rolling Stones World Tour is still scheduled to start next month, and at least Keith Richards will be able to roll out his old "It's good to be here, it's good to be anywhere," line without sounding like a tired old fool.

Read more:

Keith Richards Recovering From Surgery – Rolling Stones

[story by Stuart Heritage]