Frightened Rabbit was scheduled to perform at London’s upcoming Meltdown Festival before the tragic death of frontman Scott Hutchison last month. Their time slot will now host a panel dedicated to mental health and the music industry, a shift that reflects the Scottish rock act’s dedication to raising awareness for mental illness.
The Guardian reports that the festival — which is curated by The Cure’s Robert Smith, and will take place at the Southbank Centre June 15-24 — will host a discussion in lieu of Frightened Rabbit’s June 19 set, with clinical psychologist Jay Watts at the helm.
“The music industry has seen a number of devastating losses of life in recent years, and increasing numbers of musicians are speaking out in the media and in their songs about struggles with mental health,” a Southbank Centre spokesperson told the Guardian.
Smith spoke on the loss of Hutchison in an interview with TimeOut on June 11: “It’s awful. They were one of the bands that I was really, really looking forward to seeing. I’ve been listening to them for ten years. I’ve never met him, but I feel I know him because of his voice.”
Hutchison went missing on May 9, and authorities confirmed they’d found his body in Port Edgar near South Queensferry, Scotland after a two-day search. Following his passing, Frightened Rabbit encouraged fans to support SAMH, the Scottish Association for Mental Health, and support Meltdown’s initiative as well.
Listen. Talk. Learn. I would love to be there as I still have so much to learn about mental health issues. If you feel the same head on down. I’m sure it’ll be a great event. https://t.co/dedxjtBpUl
— Frightened Rabbit (@FRabbits) June 19, 2018
