A CHARISMATIC rocker will dedicate his Glastonbury performance to Brian Jones after the spirit of the former Rolling Stones member came to him in a vision.

Railing Stains frontman Bob Ward said the Rolling Stones’ founder member spoke to him in a dream asking him to dedicate his performance on Sunday, June 29 at the Rabbit Hole stage.

The Patcham-based rocker said he would also bring a painting of Jones he was given 15 years ago on to the stage with him to pay his respects to the musician who died in his swimming pool at his home in Cotchford Farm in Hartfield in 1969, at the age of just 27.

Jones’ death has been shrouded in suspicion and conspiracy theories ever since and Mr Ward said he and his band were convinced the rocker was murdered.

The Railing Stains have been one of the leading Stones cover bands in the country over the past 17 years and even had Jones’ former lover Pat Andrews in the band for five years.

The band played at a special gig at Cotchford Farm in 1999 to mark the 30th anniversary of Jones’ death and their first record was a tribute to Brian Jones called 2000 Light Years From Home.

After playing the first ever Rolling Stones Convention at Brixton Academy in the same year, the Stains frontman was given the £400 oil painting of Jones that he will take on stage.

Mr Ward said: “I have many visions and visits from people, I have had visits from my mother and my father, and I have had dreams of Brian before, but this is the first time he has visited me.

“Three weeks ago I had a visit from Brian, even before we were confirmed that we would definitely be playing Glastonbury.

“He said: ‘Hey Bob, when you do Glastonbury will you do me a favour and celebrate my life and commemorate what I did for the Rolling Stones’.

“I said ‘of course I will Brian’ and he said ‘thanks Bob that’s really sweet of you’ and then he disappeared and I sat bolt upright in my bed and told my wife and she said ‘that’s lovely, you should do that.’ I have Christian beliefs and I believe in guardian angels.”

Mr Ward said he was certain he would feel Brian Jones’s “presence” when he performed at Glastonbury.

He added: “Pat Andrews joined our band in 1997, and Brian’s son, who is the absolute spitting image of Brian, came to one of our gigs and stayed at my house.

“When we played Cotchford we even jammed in Brian Jones’ music room until the early hours.”