Brighton punk band Heavy Load is set to play a one-off show at Arlene's Grocery in New York on 18th June with support from New York's own 4 Wheel City. Heavy Load is made up of musicians with and without learning disabilities, specialising in raucous renditions of well-known pop songs as well as their own unique brand of punk rock. For more information on the Stay Up Late campaign visit www.stayuplate.org
The gig will launch Heavy Load, the movie, Met Film’s feature documentary about the band directed by award-winning Jerry Rothwell, which premiered at South by Southwest Festival earlier this year. The band will also be promoting their ‘Stay Up Late’ campaign, aimed at raising awareness about the restrictions disabled people face on their social life due to the timetables of their support workers: Heavy Load think that everyone should be able to stay out at gigs and clubs, and that the infrastructure for people with learning difficulties and disabilities should accommodate this. The campaign has already been effective in the UK and the band now hopes to spread the word in the US as well.
This will be the band's first gig in the US and a rare chance to catch one of their energetic, and sometimes chaotic, live performances – the likes of which have made them cult heroes on the UK disability arts scene. There will also be a preview screening of the film at disTHIS before the US broadcast premiere on IFCTV on 23rd June 2008.