English band The Autistix | Inspirational Musicians | Musicians with Disabilities

The AutistiX

Location: Camden

Challenge: Various Disabilities

The AutistiX are a unique rock band that creates their own songs and performs covers from favourite bands. The band's sound sets them apart, but so does their quirky performance, as their young members: Jack Beaven Duggan, Luke Steels and Saul Zur-Szpiro, all have autism. They are led by a talented singer and mentor, Jim Connelly, and joined by Jack's father, John and Saul's father, Michael.

The band was formed in April 2010, from a local group originally set up for young people with disabilities in Camden, London. They were talented musically but had had difficulties developing their social skills, making friends or finding the opportunity to be part of a band.

Coming together, they formed a band and named themselves The AutistiX as they were keen to be recognised for their musical talent but accepting and proud of being musicians with autism.

The band, as well as being creative and fun, provides opportunities to develop musically, personally and socially. It has also been nice for father and son to bond through playing music together in the band.

Before long, they started to write original songs including "I can't take it anymore", "I guess I'll see you" and "Darkness World" which was soon followed by "The Good and Bad in All of Us" and "Hard to Reach" and "Twinkle, Twinkle Massive Star". Recently the band has been working on three new songs called "Get On The Plane", "Something Better" and the newest one, "Just The Same!"

As well as their own material, the band performs some popular cover songs, adding their own original twist, by The Beatles, Oasis, The Clash, Coldplay, and Nirvana, to name a few.

This young band is going from strength to strength, performing in many public gigs and local festivals, including this year's Liberty Festival that took place in the renowned Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of National Paralympic Day in September, charity gigs for the National Autistic Society and most recently for Norwood, a leading charity for people with disabilities. They played before an audience of 1100 people who gave them a standing ovation. Their gig included an impromptu performance of the Beatles' Help!, together with one of the dinner guests, Sir Tom Jones!!!

The AutistiX have just launched their first EP "Butterflies and Demons", the title being taken from a line in their song "I Can't Take It Anymore". They played to a packed out gig of hundreds of old and new fans at the Monarch Pub in nearby Chalk Farm. The audience kept calling out for encores!

They have been very well received whenever they play as people find their songs original and catchy, and are all the more impressed when they realise that the band includes musicians with autism!

Last Spring, the band hooked up together with another band of musicians from Pamplona called Motxila 21, which includes musicians with Down's Syndrome and went on a multi city tour in Northern Spain. The AutistiX invited Motxila 21 back in August to perform in a week long tour in London, as part of the European-wide Youth-in-Action funded exchange project called Making Special Music.

The band members are, however, keen to be successful as musicians first, disabilities second. As well as working to be the best musicians they can be, they also aim to be an inspiration and role model of the abilities of people with disabilities, by showcasing the musical talent and potential of people with disabilities and the valuable contribution they have to make to society.

The AutistiX - Darkness World