MUSIC festivals come in many shapes and forms and exist for many different reasons, from the sprawling and commercial to the boutique and painfully on-trend. Flare Up Festival represents a different kind of event; one based around raising awareness and money for an important cause whilst delivering some of the best music the local circuit has to offer.

Crohn’s Disease is a debilitating and aggressive form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and research is underway to try and find the root cause. Like similar diseases found in animals, the cause is thought to be related to a type of bacteria and a vaccine is currently being develop but funds are needed to trial and study it to determine its results. Returning for it’s second year, Flare Up Festival (but with a new name and a new home at The Nine Elms, Old Shaw Lane) aims to help raise some of those much-needed funds.

Organisers Clara and Simon Haakerson chose the charity due to the personal experience of the condition through their daughter who suffers from the disease. With this in mind it seemed a natural step for such a musical family (both Simon and his son Dylan can be found on the bill) to organize a musical fundraiser.

This family friendly event takes place on 20th August 1pm – 9pm and features a host of great bands.

Band of the moment Polar Front (pictured) will be bringing their trade mark soundscaping, cinematic sound and those more into their rock will find that Zero Return tick all the right boxes. Over To You play a punked up indie sound and Raze*Rebuild is all about a similarly energized Americana vibe whilst the infamous Billy Shinbone (normally found fronting the marvelous Flipron) delivers a bluesy, psychedelic experience. Being that this is not only a great public event put a highly personal cause it is only fitting that Simon’s own band Oscillator make an appearance as does son Dylan who takes the subversive acoustic vibe of a certain man with the same name and drives a punky wedge through its heart.

Even if this wasn’t in aid of a worthy cause, this would still be a great line up, so which ever is your reason for going to this event you are doing the right thing both musically and altruistically. - Dave Franklin