Prometheus Bound, presented by Black Productions, developed out of our boundless passion for the Steampunk culture and its diverse manifestations of creativity.
We perceived a growing need for a Steampunk community locus in Brisbane and created Prometheus Bound to showcase local, interstate and international entertainers and artists.
We recognise that people attracted to the Steampunk aesthetic come from a diverse range of backgrounds and we aim to cater for a variety of tastes. In addition to hosting performances, artists and live music we have resident DJs who will be spinning a selection of emergent steampunk inspired music as well as established alternative favourites.
What IS Steampunk?
It’s what everyone wants to know, and no one can really answer. It is easy to talk about where steampunk has come from, or what it is not, but because it is still defining itself, it is not so easy to state what it is.
Originally the term referred to speculative fiction and alternate history featuring steam- and spring-powered technology. Over time a visual aesthetic emerged, and now a subculture is rapidly growing, as more and more people are drawn to the steampunk aesthetic. We’ve seen huge rise in Steampunk over the last two or three years.
The literature, art, and music of Steampunk often emphasises exploration and adventure, with dystopian, antiestablishment, apocalyptic, techno-mystical, noir and pulp themes and styles, generally framed in (but by no means restricted to) a pseudo-Victorian aesthetic. Think Jules Verne and HG Wells partying with Siouxsie Sioux and the cast of Firefly, on a zeppelin.
Steampunk is not a subset of Goth or Punk, although it has attracted many Goths and Punks. It’s not a Victorian Reconstruction movement, though the Victorian aesthetic is drawn upon heavily. It’s not an elaborate CosPlay, though it inspires many elaborate (and playful) costumes. It attracts intelligent, inventive, and motivated individuals from all walks of life, and favours creativity, individuality, “Do-It-Yourself,” and a very serious attitude towards pocket watches.
Some see Steampunk as a response to mass production and J.G. Ballard’s “suburbanisation of the planet”. Some see it as a response to the post-9/11, Inconvenient Truth, Oil-Crash, Global Economic Crisis dystopianism of the early 21^st Century. The individuality, craftsmanship, and bombastic optimism of Steampunk certainly speaks to both, though few Steampunks see themselves as presenting a deliberate, analysed social critique, or indeed as subversive in any way.
The spirit of Steampunk is that of possibility; the world is filled with glorious potential, even as the Empire crumbles.
