MD80 FLC HAD A RATHER BUSY AND COMPLICATED DEP SID OUT OF LGA. THEY BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH ATC AND THE ACFT AND FLEW THROUGH THEIR ALT BY 500 FT.

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WE DEPARTED LGA ON THE LGA 8 DEP. A BUSY AND DIFFICULT DEP. DUE TO THE CONFUSION WE GOT THE HIGH SPD WARNING FOR THE SLATS. DUE TO THE DISTRS AND THE DELAYED SPD REQUIREMENTS OF THE SID; WE BOTH HAD FORGOTTEN THE SLAT RETRACTION AND THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. I TOOK THE PLANE OFF AUTOPLT AND RAISED THE NOSE TO SLOW DOWN WHILE THE CAPT RETRACTED THE SLATS. THE AUTOPLT WAS THEN RE-ENGAGED AND CHKED. THIS WAS APPROX 13000 FT. WE THEN GOT THE ALT WARNING. THE AUTOPLT HAD FAILED TO CAPTURE THE 15000 FT ARMED ALT. I AGAIN TOOK THE ACFT OFF THE AUTOPLT AND RETURNED US TO 15000 FT FROM ABOUT 15500 FT. THE AUTOPLT WAS THEN RE-ENGAGED. I AM ON RESERVE THIS MONTH AND THIS WAS ONLY MY 6TH DAY TO FLY ALL MONTH AFTER 2 WKS WITH NO FLYING. WE BOTH AGREED THAT OUR COM BROKE DOWN DUE TO THE OVERLY DIFFICULT SID AND THE UNTIMELY ATC CALLS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF A CHAIN OF EVENTS CAUSING A PROB. THE OVERLY DIFFICULT SID; ATC INSTRUCTIONS AT BAD TIMES; A HEARING/COMPREHENSION PROB IN THE BUSY; NOISY FLT DECK; OUR NEVER HAVING FLOWN TOGETHER BEFORE; THE SID CAUSING THE DELAY AND ALTERATION OF STANDARD PROCS AND NORMAL EXPECTATIONS OF SEQUENTIAL FLOWS; AND ATC CHANGES TO THE SID DURING THE MOST CRITICAL PORTION OF THE DEP; ALL ADDED TO OUR WORKLOAD AND THE CONFUSION WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO A MISTAKE BY THE PF.