Noticing....
 

that Steampunk only really seems alive on the internet then it would be in realy life. Personally, I love when people display their skills in craftmanship and show the world what they can create. Not to mention clothing and music. If this is to be a subculture, we need everything it requires. But one thing I noticed, as I stated before, that its more on the internet within Roleplaying or writting or even on **********. But I hardly see one character out in realy life, despite Abeny Park being from my area, who fully participates within this lifestyle.

My question is; is there anyone out here fully participates within the subculture, that being clothing, music, mannerism, literature, etc or is everyone just apt to keeping their Steampunk interests within the internet.

I appalude those who wore their clothing and their aesthetics outside of conventions and concets. Bravo to you.
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I wasn't too sure where to stick this thread. Considering it is most fashion oriented, I decided to stick it here. Although, it goes for everything obviously.

Well, I showed my 15-year-old daughter some pictures of steampunk, after I learned about it from the other thread. She was very intrigued, and wants to experiment with the clothing and accessories. I'm more than happy to help her, if that means she'll get into some clothing that looks a bit more flattering on her. LOL So now she wants a few peasant shirts, some vests, and boots (she's not very girly) for a basic steampunk look to add to.

She wants to start collecting old watches and other things to take apart and make her own jewelry and gadgets. She plans on wearing the stuff to school too, but in a more subdued form. If we go to a ren faire, concert, or other event, or if she just feels like dressing up, then she'll add more to her outfits.

I'm all for her doing this, because she's a really creative kid who has always wanted a hobby but hasn't found anything that interests her that much until now. Now she's also wanting to get into modifying her own clothing, like her long black skirt, adding lace and ribbons, leather, and other things to make it more her own. It would be cool because I've never seen any other steampunks in town; everyone "different" is just emo, aside from a handful of true goths my own age.

I kinda fall into the catagory even if I really didn't want to; I'm a techno geek with a (to use the term) hard-on for Edwardian design (even and especially the Edwardian design that didn't actually exist at the time).

Lemme put it this way: I would have fit riiiiight in with the citizens of Rapture (the city/setting of Boshock).

I LOVE steampunk. I've never seen it over here at all. Ever. Which is a pity, because I think it looks more unique than cybergoth and would also be easier to pull off I'd assume. (As it's hard to run the risk of over-accessorizing; the cluttered look tends to look good with Steampunk).

I posted this thread in another forum somewhere far away and I'm rather surprised with the results. Most trie going on about how it is not a real subculture. But as far as I see it, it has its own literature, music genre (although not yet defined), sense of style, aesthetics, it has appeared in movies quite a few times now, and mannerisms.

What truly defines a subculture then, if my own understanding of it is not correct?

Music genre? There's steampunk music? I do have to say, I'd be very interested to hear that.

I've still not got a reason to make my steampunk-ish air pirate outfit, but I believe I could get away with it for halloween. I just have no other occasion to wear it.

Abney Park
Vernian Process
The Clockwork Dolls
Rasputina(?)

They are all Steampunkish bands that I can think of off the top of my head. If you wiki it, it'll give you more.

Abney Park have a couple of good songs, the rest is just generic Last Dance done badly type goth rock.

I'm not entirely sure how they term their music steampunk when it is the same as much 2nd wave goth.

I think it the lyrics rather. When I listen to Abney Park, "steampunk" just comes to mind. Though the Dr. Caligori song had quite a few steampunish sound effects. The same cana be said for Vernian Process as well, it's his lryics that make him Steampunk, in my opinion.

Oi! don't forget Dr Steel!.

I have met real life steampunks at the Whitby Gothic Weekend. They did in fact have a meetup at a tea/cakeshop called Sherlocks. The guy who organised it is also on the Brassgoggles Steampunk forum as well as the Whitby one ( Sadeian ). There's a picture of he and I in the Pic thread here. He's got his glove on ( it really does articulate, I've fondled it ) and I've got his modified pistol :D

There were others too but I was too nervous to speak to them. I didn't go to the meetup as I didn't know it was happening until I picked up an itenary on the offchance. So naturally I didn't bring any of my little bits and bobs with me. But now I know they're meeting again at the October WGW I've got plenty of time to fiddle about making my various things. I've pretty much finished my goggles now.

I'm really growing to love steampunk actually. I've always loved films like Journey to the centre of the earth, The Time Machine ect.. And my grandmother used to live in a victorian house , which was quite literally crammed with every possible thing that ever existed in the history of time. My Grandfather was an obsessive hoarder of..well everything. You couldn't even open the doors to some rooms because they were so full. It's a pity I was only 13 when they moved out and got rid of everything. If I had known about steampunk then, I'd be drowning in antique things! :eek::D

Oi! Unextraordinary Gentlemen are a bloody good steampunk band and I personally prefer them to Vernian Process. Don't forget them again, pretty please.

I listened to some Steampunk music, I thought it was pretty bad. I could never get into it, I like the victorian era for the dark, sinister place it was, not what I wish it was like. Plus! too much brass! everyhere! can't deal with it lol.

I mean, I like the interesting stuff some people make, it's well good...just not for me.

Whatever floats your airship I say ;)

Speaking of brass and making, I have just produced this

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...05-08_1348.jpg

Which I reckon isn't too bad for a first attempt ( FIMO clay and brass enamel paint )

UE are the best of the current steampunk-y type music around at the moment. Though I have to say I'd prefer it if there was more of the punk in the steampunk sound.

I like to think I tried to take steampunk outside of the Internet, granted maybe not as much as I should I can't do it anymore because I'm going back home from uni and all my steampunky things are back home in Devon...

But for a while, it was fun. Walking around in my wing collar shirts and goggles. Everyone thought I was wearing swimming goggles which took away from the joy a little bit.
But it was fun! I had my record player and my fountain pens and my all that. It was rather lovely.

One strange thing though, is that while walking through Cardiff one day (and this was a pretty average business day) and seeing everyone walking around in suits and my walking around in a sort of a suit, I felt uncomfortably normal! So next time I break out the steam-ship I might need to make it a little more punky before I'm happy with it.

I like your idea of making it a little more "punky." I was thinking that the other day too, something along the lines of my daughter will have to try for more punky if she wants it to stand out.

I'm getting so mad, I'm watching several lots of clock gears and such on ebay, and people keep outbidding me! Her birthday is this month and she really wants stuff to make jewelry out of.

Am I the only one who thinks that given the multitude of goths hanging round, this should be called steamgoth?

One of my friends is starting up a steampunk fashion label called Dead Empire. I modelled for it in a runway show and strutted down the runway to none other than the Unextraordinary Gentlemen. Good stuff.

Great point!

Cicero, if your friend has, or starts up, a website, please post the link!

Hate to break it to you, but Abney Park... lost their artistic integrity and the lead singer is a dick.

UG, is actually quite good though. Very good.

As for steampunk fashion. Well, in that aspect, you have to understand the nature of cyberpunk first, I would say.

Cyberpunk if you can think of it, was more Cyber DIY. It was all about hacking and causing technology to do as you saw fit, even if it contradicted the design of the gadget in question.

STEAMPUNK was taking steam power and early electrical power and making it do what you wanted as well. See Back To The Future 3. Essentially, you take steam power and make it do things more than just power motors, but power all kinds of things.

A typical steampunk in real life I think, would do just that. Attempt to incorporate more DIY steam powered things in their life. As for what they would look like, it would probably consisted of distressed Victorian wear with brown pieces of exposed fishnets, antiquated pro-freedom slogans written or embroidered on clothing, the inclusion of obscure victorian musician patches hand sewn onto the back of a vest and the inclusion of probably bum flaps and goggles. But to see this person, one would think they are either contrived or they are in a costume.

They are having this exact discussion on the Brassgoggles forum actually :)

Actually, I do agree with you, the lead signer is quite the dick. But some of their songs are really not that bad. Though I think I only like 6 or 8 at the most. Meh.

I haven't met any steampunks where I live, then again, I've met all of one goth around here and he wasn't even remotely dressed the part. The clothing I've seen around this area is rather generic with the exception of the girl that dresses as though she's from the sixties.

Right. The thing that bothers me about Abney Park is that they intend on making money off Steampunk and their gimmick instead of creating art for the sake of true expression. So yeah, fuck Abney Park.

I'm really laughing right now. My daughter came bouncing in a little earlier saying, "I like a Steampunk band!" I asked her who it was, and she said Abney Park. I told her lots of people on the goth board are making fun of them right now. After a flustered pause, she said, "Well, I only like a few of their songs." Tee hee. She played Airship Pirates for me. Not too bad.

Heh. Well, Abney isn't really that bad in my personal opinion. Though I only generally like a few songs. You should encourage your daughter to listen to them more often that way she can go by her own opinion instead those of strangers off a forum.

What other bands does your daughter like, Kristin?

There were a few songs of theirs she didn't like very much either. They're a lot better than mainstream crap anyway. Hee

To Beauismyhorse: These are not in order since I'm naming them off the top of my head: The Cure, Muse, Depeche Mode, AFI, Linkin Park, Within Temptation, Evanescence, Stolen Babies, Red, TFK, a lot of 80's music, Clan of Xymox, Modest Mouse, Kanon Wakeshima, some rave music and DDR songs, Peter Murphy, Erasure, Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, Psychedelic Furs, A-ha, Les Miserables, Danny Elfman, Phantom of the Opera, Hannah Montana (just kidding), and a few scattered others...

Your daughter has a very wide arrange of musical tastes.

Hmm, where is that discussion on brassgoggles then? I'd like to see it provided that the battery meter doesn't run out first.

I forgot a few. She was blasting Queen today.

http://www.brassgoggles.co.uk/bg-for...p?topic=7533.0

Steampunks are just brown goths. :p

Whoa. Whoa.

What the eff is with all the Abney Park hate?
Capitalizing off Steampunk? How about actually having the initiative to take it out of pathetic dA and Gaia circles and into the real world, as an actual style of music?

No, no. It's unfair to call it capitalism. Every labor deserves its pay, and they've done a lot.

You made a point here.
It does seem like Steampunk is more rooted into the internet life, which was my whole point on making this thread.
I give much credit to people who bring it out into the real world.
Although, some dA stuff were real life, they had to take a photo of it somehow.
Although, most on dA is drawings.
But that goes for anything else as well, so I don't think calling most of the art on dA pathetic is fair.
But you can call gaia pathetic.
But we all know that my gaia character kicks ass
http://usera.imagecave.com/MissCogs/...987db_flip.png
So don't argue there. :p

Hmm....I really should think about getting back to Brassgoggles.
I haven't visited that forum in ages.

My sister has a "boyfriend" on Gaia...and I was like...what? I don't understand!!! I never understood the concept of online relationships. However, that's another story

I know NOTHING! about steampunk really, I know that I hate the music....but it DOES make stuff look cool.

What's Gaia?

You know how 4chan is like the Mos Eisly Cantina of the internet? The "wretched hive of scum and villiany?"

Gaia is where the twelve-year-olds who wish they were that hardcore hang out and congradulate themselves on their failures. The entire site is a cesspool of unfunny forced memes, underage b&, and general inanity.

The avatar creation system is fun, though, which makes Gaia all the more depressing.

Kinda like a Flogging Molly meets Industrial thing?

I think the problem is, it's more of a marketing gimmick instead of an actual artistic aesthetic for them.

They look pretty, but ask yourself: Are they being artists or are they latching on to some obscure trend?

Couldn't you say that about any artist? Or about anyone? I mean, in the end we're all a bunch of fucking poseurs, right?

Just because someone sees something and says, 'that's cool, let me try that/build an image on that', doesn't make them any less and artist of that genre. At some point every Goth person or band had to say, dressed in their khaki shorts , "hey! That music/fashion/asthetics fits me, I like it. I'm going to try it."

It's just natural and let's face it, all music is capitalism in some form. It's a market, and if there is a demand, someone needs to supply. That's what groups like Vernian Process and Abney Park do.

Not unlike when bands started catering to the black-dressed fans of Bauhaus in the Batcave Club.

I knew of Abney Park before Steampunk became this sorta trend most like to say.
So I do not believe it's the latter.

Abney Park has been around for a while, since the late-90s, aye?