Heavy Load: UK punk band with learning-disabled members.
Today on Boing Boing tv -- a sneak preview of Heavy Load: A Film About Happiness, a new documentary about a UK punk band whose members include people who have developmental disabilities.
'70s punk star Wreckless Eric describes them as "a triumph of dysfunctionalness," and even Kylie Minogue (they've covered a hit song of hers) has become a fan.
The band says their mission is...
...to demonstrate that disability rocks. There are few genres left in music that have yet to be defined. Heavy Load have unwittingly created a brand new one.The band is also behind a campaign called "Stay Up Late" which advocates for the right of cognitively disabled people to be allowed to go out, supervised, to live music shows and -- well, stay out late enough to actually see and hear the show. Again, from the band:
We play gigs all over the country and we have noticed that something strange happens at 9.00pm – people start to go home. Heavy Load are fed up with people with learning disabilities leaving club nights and gigs early because their staff finish their shifts at 10pm. This means they are missing out.The full-length documentary premieres on the US cable network IFC on June 23rd, 9PM ET/10PM PT, and again on 24th June. (Special thanks to BB's Mark Frauenfelder, and to the film's director, Jerry Rothwell)If this happens to you: You need to talk about this with your friends, support workers, family and advocates. Our ‘Stay Up Late’ campaign is to make managers and staff know that we want them to plan ahead and talk to us about what we want to do...
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I’m pro late. Let them stay out late!
Nice little preview of the movie, which I'm planning to TiVo. It's too bad, though, that the editor of the Boing Boing tv preview couldn't even out the audio levels better. The sound goes from super loud (when the band is playing music) to super quiet (when the band is backstage talking). That makes it tough on the ears, and impossible to listen to surreptitiously at work without manually riding the Windows audio level slider. :-(
Hey Todd, we'll take another look (listen?) at that. Thanks for the heads up. XJ
Usage alert: the term "learning disability" has different meanings in the US and the UK.
In the US, someone who is learning disabled is developing normally, but has specific deficits in one or more academic areas, such as reading (dyslexia) or math (dyscalculia). In general, a person with a learning disability will be able to live independently as an adult.
In the UK, the term "learning disability" is used to refer to a person who has global cognitive deficits -- what is now called "developmental delay" in the US, and was formerly called "mental retardation". In general, adults with these conditions may not be able to live independently and may live in some sort of group home.
Thanks, Liz, I gathered that from some of the content of the movie. It's clear that the disabilities involved had a heavier impact on the subjects' lives than, say, dyslexia or the inability to add numbers. We chose to adopt the same (UK-centric) language as the filmmakers, because it seemed like the most sensible thing to do, and because I would rather err on the side of not offending a population whose definition I don't entirely understand.
Awesome.. that's proper punk that is. Nice work guys!
Annoyingly enough, parents still have to fight bead-sorting and other menial skills being taught to their kids. Nothing like a soul-killing job for a marginalized population.
As someone in an ongoing process to direct my (autistic) son to a career in his interests (photography, animation, etc, and more than being a janitor at Pixar), I find this heartening all around.
@Liz: at least in our part of Texas, a distinction is still made between mental retardation (MR) and autism of the PDD-NOS variety. (PDD-NOS="autistic, but we dunno exactly how." A completely useless diagnosis except for giving the parents a good fight over school placement. We call it, "PDD? NO Shit.")
They are no Reynols.
@#2 ToddBradley:
The footage we received from the director of the film came already mixed this way. If you aren't using them already, headphones really help when watching and listening to internet video.
It's pretty normal for concert footage audio to be a bit louder (considering all the amplification involved) than conversational, interview-type footage, especially when the subjects aren't wearing mics, which they weren't all wearing in this case.
I appreciate the criticism, ToddBradley, but I stand by the efforts of the extremely talented editors and producers who comprise my team at BBtv.
Sincerely,
Dana Devonshire
Series Producer, Boing Boing tv
This is such a great thing. Many years ago, I worked in a group home for adults who were developmentally and physically disabled. While I worked there, some of my fellow case workers and I would frequently take out clients to music shows or coffee houses (pre-starbucks) or other "things that adults do". Though these were normal trips that any adult would do, it was treated as it were a "big deal" and a "special treat" but the management associated with these programs.
Ironically, much time was devoted toward making sure the clients were "treated with respect" but somehow that ultimately meant "treated like children."
Its so great to see that progress is being made and some day, perhaps treating people with respect will mean treating like an adult, and being allowed to do adult activities (at night, with the other adults).
What a great sound.
Rock on, Heavy Load!
It's great that people are recognising the Stay Up Late issue. Care providers are always banging on about people living normal lives, but there's nothing normal about having to leave a gig early and miss out because their support worker needs to go home. Staff rotas need to reflect what the person wants, not what suits the staff. We ask that managers and staff are flexible, and work creatively with their rotas.
On the subject of what we should call someone with a learning disability.... "Labels are for jam jars".... (that's jelly to you).
Love,
Mick (Heavy Load)
x
@lea
Hi Lea! I'm a proud Friend of Leelo.
Hi Mick! Congrats on a wonderful US debut for this film, and thanks for stopping by the blog. XJ
Another challenged musician I've grown to love is Laz D, the rapper with down-syndrome. I'll admit I watched/listened to laugh originally, but the songs get stuck in your head.