May 2022: Raising Steam • Events • Kickstarter • Books • TV • Music + Gin!
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RAISE SOME STEAM
IN MAY!
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There is nothing quite like the four-day Raising Steam Festival – it's a great meeting of eclectic performers, bands, musicians, singers, poets, writers, performers, comedians and more. |
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In fact, the full line up is quite extraordinary featuring Krankschaft, Peg Powler, Attrition, Gurdybird, Mice in a Matchbox, Jessica Law, Basil Daiquiri, Elvira O.O, The Wattingers, Crystal Jacqueline, Tom Slatter, Seven Devils, Jolly Roger, The Cogkneys, Dr Gray and his Orchestra of One, David Brinkworth & the Pit, Jonathan Day's Rainstorm Discotheque, Ben Culkin, Chasing the Dark, Count Rostov, Hopeless Maine, Feline & Strange, Ash Mandrake, Master Maydme, Seven Devils, St John le Fox, Martian Social Club and many more.
Held over the weekend 19th to the 22nd May, at the Stoke Prior Sports and Social Club in Bromsgrove, Raising Steam has a real festival atmosphere with many visitors and performers choosing to camp and socialise throughout the weekend.
The festival features two stages, an indoor stage for the evening, and an outdoor stage, which will feature performances by dancers and others.
The poetry and storytelling begins Thursday midday, with the music starting Thursday evening with 2-3 acts, then from midday on Friday afternoon into the evening, repeating across Saturday and Sunday, finishing late evening Sunday.
At the festival you will also find The Curious House of Stories, hosting poets, authors and storytellers.
Besides the music, poetry and storytelling, there will also be dancing, and workshops, so you can try some Shamanic drumming and plenty more besides!
Perhaps the best thing about Raising Steam is that the whole festival is organised by GASP DJ, Steven Davis in aid of the charity New Futures Nepal who make a big difference to the lives of the children and young adults they support in Nepal.
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Day tickets are available for £30, or you can get a full weekend ticket for £50.
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In a positive trend, May is once again a month with a lot going on!
We have gigs from Professor Elemental, Madam Misfit, and the Sweetchunks Band, along with plenty of weekend events and meet ups.
At the end of the month there is An Evening With The Two Toms - Thomas Benjamin Wild Esq. and Cockney singalong star, Tom Carradine on the same bill!
But there are plenty of other great events on around the country – please see the listings below for details.
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During the current pandemic, events may be cancelled or drastically altered at short notice – please check with the venue and organisers before setting off or booking travel and accommodation.
Apologies if your event has not been listed, but it's always best to email news@steampaper.co.uk with the event details to ensure a listing. (Listings are free.)
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1st May
Market Place, Melton Mowbray
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6th May
Esher Theatre, Esher
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6th May
Yellow Book, Brighton
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7th & 8th May
The Station, Stoneleigh
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7th & 8th May
Portmeirion Village, Penrhyndeudraeth
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12th May
The Courthouse, Skegness
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13th May
Park Street Performing Arts Centre, Hull
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13th May
The Winchester Gate, Salisbury
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14th May
The Esplanade, Lynmouth
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14th May
The Cobblestones, Bridgwater
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14th & 15th May
Evron Centre, Filey
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15th May
The Fulford Arms, York
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19th May
The Brit Bar, Weston Super Mare
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19th - 22nd May
Stoke Prior Sports and Social Club, Bromsgrove
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21st May
The Grimsby Central Hall, Grimsby
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21st May
The Winchester Gate, Salisbury
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21st May
The Bull Hotel, Horncastle
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27th May
Steam Machine Brewing Company, Newton Aycliffe
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28th May
Town and Gown Pub & Theatre, Cambridge
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28th May
Doncaster Market, Doncaster
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28th & 29th May
Ramsbottom Station, Ramsbottom
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5th May:
May Music
(recently released, recently discovered)
12th May:
GASP's 50th!
19th May:
Raising Steam Festival Live
(4 hour steampunk special)
26th May:
No show this week as GASP is taking a break!
All shows are on Mixcloud and are available from the broadcast date onwards.
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3rd May, 17th May, 24th May & 31st May
8pm
(No quiz on the 10th May)
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Please email us at news@steampaper.co.uk and let us know if you are planning an online (or in-person) event!
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Boston Metaphysical Society is back on Kickstarter |
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Now's your chance to back this popular campaign and get all four sequels combined into one trade paperback, along with a ten-page bonus story.
"If you are new to the series, the original six issue mini-series (Volume 1) is about an ex-Pinkerton detective, a spirit photographer, and a genius scientist who battle supernatural forces in late 1800s Boston. They live in an alternate steampunk history where ghosts and demons are a normal part of life. Families known as the Great Houses control the economy of the Great States of America while the middle class and lower classes sole purpose are to serve the Great Houses."
There are a variety of pledge levels, both digital and physical, including picking up both volumes one and two together.
It's a beautifully written and beautifully illustrated, very steampunk story that should be in every steampunk's graphic novel collection. The campaign is already fully funded and several fantastic pledge goals have been unlocked.
You have until the 12th May to back this Kickstarter. To pledge, or for more details, just click the link below.
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Another stalwart of the steampunk comic book scene is
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"Girl Genius is an ongoing story featuring adventure, romance, and Mad Science! It follows the adventures of Agatha Heterodyne, the last of a notorious family in which the spark of mad science runs strong. We call it a "Gaslamp Fantasy," by which we mean that it takes place in an old-fashioned, Vernian world of airships, monsters, and wild inventions." |
As well as a range of pledges with truly unique rewards, there will also be the opportunity to catch up on the Hugo Award-winning series and pick up other goodies as add-ons in BackerKit after the campaign ends.
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Just out, is a new dark, atmospheric steampunk tale from Jenny Gilligan set in the 1850s: Stoker.
Combining science fiction, fantasy and romance, this book is likely to appeal to fans of the Mortal Engines quartet.
"In an age of revolution, revolt and reinvention, Leon Odling is reduced to stoking coal in a fiery hellhole. His troubles are doubled when he encounters the Governor’s enchanting, wilful daughter. For her part, Eliza Elvidge is smitten with the stoker. She must have him whatever the cost. Drawn into a sinister world of lost boys and subversive science, neither could have known how high a price must be paid. By them both."
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With several novels already under her belt, including
The Outlander trilogy, Jenny's latest novel is published by the Book Guild and available from Amazon.
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StoryOrigin have another book giveaway - this one is called Gaslight & Gears and the eight steampunk themed books are available to download until the 30th May.
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Fresh from his inspired performance as Loki in the Marvel TV series, Tom Hiddleston now stars alongside Claire Danes in The Essex Serpent, a tale set in Victorian times and based on the best-selling novel by Sarah Perry.
An Apple TV+ Original, “The Essex Serpent follows London widow Cora Seaborne (Danes) who moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. She forms a surprising bond of science and scepticism with the local pastor (Hiddleston), but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature.”
“The Essex Serpent” will debut globally on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, May 13, 2022, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday through June 10.
Apple TV+ offers a free seven-day trial, or you can get three months free if you activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch.
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New Album from
The Wattingers
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The dark and dangerous group known as the Wattingers have a new album out later this month (20th May).
Seven Devils is a 13 track album full of typical Wattingers music in the style of "Industrial Slaughterhouse Steampunk Blues" which is how they describe themselves!
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Everybody's favourite Japanese, heavy metal steampunk band,
Fate Gear, have released what they describe as an EP – Killers in the Sky, but as it has seven tracks on it, it's practically a full album!
The album is full of driving heavy metal beats and soaring vocals.
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Don’t forget that SteamPaper is on Patreon! |
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By pledging a small amount every month, you can ensure that SteamPaper continues to publicise steampunk events, that it carries on writing about things of interest to the community, and throws in a small amount of creative nonsense too.
Just to be absolutely clear, SteamPaper will remain a free email newsletter as it is now - Patreon just gives those splendid steampunks who wish to support SteamPaper for the good of the community an opportunity to do so.
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If you know of any performers who are live streaming on the internet, or traders who make items for steampunks, please email news@steampaper.co.uk
with the details.
Listings are free.
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Your email address is never used for any other purpose or revealed to a third party.
Remember, you have to opt-in to receive SteamPaper and you can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Figure 58: Peaky*
This layout for tea duelling is a nod to a certain TV Series and is called: "Peaky"
(*Plate not to scale).
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“May you be in Heaven a full half hour before the Devil knows you're dead.”
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Please note that some links in this email newsletter are affiliate links to the Amazon website. Buying through these links will not cost you any more than buying from Amazon direct, but they will help to support the production of SteamPaper. |
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Lady M’s Very Cordial, Cordial |
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In England, the white frothy blossom of elderflower appears in late May through to early June. It is usually the time of year when all cooking stops and Lady M focuses on foraging to make cordials and something that goes with a bang… champagne!
Obviously Lady M always adds fruit gins to her sparkling fizz, but another of her firm favourites for hot summer days is Elderflower Cordial (mixed with gin and sparkling water)
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INGREDIENTS
- 2½ kg white sugar, either granulated or caster
- 2 unwaxed lemons
- 20 fresh elderflower heads, stalks trimmed
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85g citric acid
METHOD
- Put the sugar and 1.5 litres/2¾ pints water into the largest saucepan you have.
- Gently heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved. Give it a stir every now and again.
- Pare the zest from the lemons using a potato peeler, then slice the lemons into rounds.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the pan of syrup to the boil, then turn off the heat.
- Fill a washing-up bowl with cold water. Give the flowers a gentle swish around to loosen any dirt or bugs.
- Lift flowers out, gently shake and transfer to the syrup along with the lemons, zest and citric acid, then stir well. Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 24 hrs.
- Line a colander with a clean tea towel, then sit it over a large bowl or pan. Ladle in the syrup – let it drip slowly through. Discard the bits left in the towel.
- Use a funnel and a ladle to fill sterilised bottles (run glass bottles through the dishwasher, or wash well with soapy water. Rinse, then leave to dry in a low oven).
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This cordial will be ready to drink straight away and will keep in the fridge for up to six weeks. Or you can freeze it in plastic containers or ice cube trays and defrost as needed.
Lady M suggests adding it to Brecon Botanicals Gin (on offer at a very reasonable price at the moment on Amazon)
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If you want to try your hand at making Elderflower Champagne (not actually a Champagne, but it is a naturally fermented and lightly alcoholic sparkling drink) try this recipe from The Spruce Eats.
Set out with the understanding that it will take around two weeks and you will have to pay attention to the process throughout!
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Lady M is always experimenting in her kitchen, so do let us know if there are any recipes or ingredients you think might benefit from Lady M’s “special” touch!
Sign up to the Gin Lady Facebook page to keep up with Lady M’s exploits and appearances. (Lady M will be appearing at BRITcon in Seattle, August 5-7th)
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Thank you for reading this far. We welcome submissions of event details for future issues and ideas for articles to news@steampaper.co.uk Advertising and sponsorship details on request. 4144 subscribers. The Peaky Blinders TV series is loosely based on a real and notorious gang, there were many other gangs in Victorian Britain. Perhaps the most interesting were The Forty Elephants, also known as the Forty Thieves, who were a 19th-century all-female crime syndicate based in the Elephant and Castle area of the city. They specialized in shoplifting and smash and grab raids and were first mentioned in newspapers in 1873, although they are believed to have existed since the late 1700s.
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