Guitarist uses ‘bionic hand’ to overcome stroke.

When former Long Blondes guitarist Dorian Cox had a stroke he thought that he might never play the guitar again. The right side of his body was paralyzed and he was unable to hold his instrument. Now thanks to a “revolutionary” mechanical glove he may regain control in his right hand.

The glove, which is called a SaeboFlex, helps patients to train the muscles in their hands as well as supporting their wrists. It extends the users fingers in so that they can grasp objects then contracts when they flex their fingers using a ‘extension flex system’. The glove is purely mechanical so unlikely to become possessed by the spirit of the devil if struck by lightning. I wouldn’t rule this out completely however.

“My right arm and leg aren’t really usable so I can’t play guitar. That was a nightmare because it meant the band couldn’t carry on and my livelihood had suddenly gone. But it could have been a lot worse.”

“It’s a fantastic service, it’s helping tremendously and I think it can work wonders for me and others – it’s almost like a gym for my hand,”

The Long Blondes split up after Cox’s stroke which happened shortly after their tour of America in June. He hopes to one day be able to play again. The doctors treating Cox don’t know if he will ever play again but the SaeboFlex has helped other patients, even those who weren’t expected to regain the use of their hands.

“I know things might never be the same again and nobody can give me a definite answer about whether I’ll play guitar again but I’m getting back on track with their help.”

The Long Blondes have released a collection of their early singles on Angular records.