'Most punk rock band in Britain' fight to ensure story is not left unfinished

A band hailed as 'the most punk rock band in Britain' is fighting to ensure its story is not left unfinished.

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Ultimate Thunder, a Leeds-based group of musicians with learning disabilities and autism, are the subject of an intimate behind-the-scenes documentary that risks never being completed unless new funding can be found.

After three years of filming, hundreds of hours of footage captured, and a journey marked by a determination to overcome the odds, the film's future now hangs in the balance as post-production costs loom.

The documentary has been made by independent filmmaker Ben Brown, who was first introduced to the band through Leeds arts charity the Pyramid of Arts. The charity initially approached Ben to make a short film about Ultimate Thunder's frontman and lead singer, Matthew Watson, focusing on his life as an artist supported by the organisation and national learning disability charity Hft.

"They wanted a film about him as an artist," said Ben. "But a huge part of Matthew's life was his role as lead singer of Ultimate Thunder. The band means everything to him. So I started going along to rehearsals, just filming what was happening."

That short project became Apron or Hairdryer - The Matthew Watson Experience, a playful title inspired by Matthew's love of word association games. Soon after the film's release, Ultimate Thunder launched their debut album which attracted accolades from The Big Issue and The Guardian, who dubbed them 'the most punk rock band in Britain'.