IDLES superfan with Angelman syndrome performs onstage with favourite band

Big Issue introduced music fanatic Alastair Smith, who has Angelman syndrome, to his favourite band IDLES back in June – a month later he joined the punk rockers on tour.

Alastair, 20, from Hull, interviewed IDLES’ lead guitarist Mark Bowen using his symbol-based communication device for a special edition of the magazine with all the articles created by people with learning disabilities.

Alastair has Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects the nervous system and causes severe physical and learning disabilities, but he lives for music. 

He and the IDLES guitarist hit it off and that led to Alastair being invited to on-stage when IDLES played at The Wyldes in Cornwall.

Alastair joined the punk rockers for their soundcheck before coming on to play MPC on Never Fight a Man with a Perm.

“He may not calm down for some time,” Alastair’s mum Jenn said. “It was an incredible experience for Alastair from soundcheck to afterparty.”

Alastair loves travel and live music and last year he went with his parents and best friend Harry to Berlin to visit the same spots that David Bowie and Iggy Pop did when they lived there.

His interview with Mark Bowen, while the band were on tour in the US, touched on his two passions.

When asked whether he and his bandmates enjoyed travelling on tour, Mark told Alastair it was something he also loved.

“It’s one of the greatest privileges of being a musician, getting to go to lots of different places all over the world. And insert yourself, very briefly, into a little scene of the cities that you go to,” said the IDLES star.

He asked Alastair: “Is there anything about travelling that you don’t like? Would you teleport if teleportation was a thing?”

You can read the full interview between Alastair Smith and IDLES’ Mark Bowen here.

Alastair is working with Nice Twice Club (Mencap) and Gig Buddies to help improve venue access across Hull and beyond. You can follow his musical adventures and more on Instagram @smiling_and_waving

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