Tonight being Thursday, it's time for your weekly GASP - that is, of course, the Gothic Alternative Steampunk Progressive radio show, tonight and every Thursday from 8pm-11pm UK, on BLAST1386.

This week, GASP goes back in time to revisit Steampunk Doncaster's A Curious Event, which was held in Doncaster (obvs) 0n 4th July.  GASP radio provided an 8-hr soundtrack for this Alice in Wonderland themed event, and you'll be able to hear an elite selection replayed in tonight's three hour show.  You'll also hear from some of the people who attended the event, including music reviewer extraordinaire, Mr Stu - have a look at his blog site here.

You can listen to tonight's show via the BLAST1386 app or via Tune-in.  You can also join in the facebook event for live chat with hosts Steven C. Davis & I and others.

GASP will also be doing some future travelling - in just over 2 weeks time we'll be at the Phoenix Alternative Festival, in LLanfyllin, Wales.  Not only will GASP host Steven C. Davis be providing a DJ set on Saturday evening (15 August), together we'll also be offering - for the very last time - our 'Star Wars: Steampunk'd' workshop.  Not only that, you'll get the chance to see a host of GASP regular plays performing live - people like Cabaret Berlin, Gurdybird, The Wattingers, Metropolis, Gladstone, Birthrite and of course, BB Blackdog, who are responsible for the whole she-bang (with the lovely Karin).

Tickets are still available; there is also reasonably priced camping available on site.  Last year's event got great reactions from everyone who attended - are you sure you want to miss out on this years?  We hope to see you there! 

 Thank you all who came along to Southcart's Splendiferous Steampunk Saturday last weekend - especially to those who did readings or made presentations or presented items to exhibit on the day.

As you know, the event was for the benefit of the charity New Futures Nepal, and raised a most impressive £131.39 - again, thanks to the generosity of all who bought tickets and donated items.  Special thanks go to Scott and Amy of Southcart Books who allowed us to use their lovely bookshop in Walsall as our venue, and also donated to the raffle.  Scott was also victorious in the tea duel! (no fix, honest!)

Personally, I think it was a great success, and I'd like to think we could find a way to do more similar in the future!  Thank you all once again - hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

The event also saw the launch of a collection of short 'flash' stories, which is also in aid of New Futures Nepal.  The anthology will be available in the near future via Tenebrous Texts - we'll keep you posted.

And if that wasn't enough, author and publisher Adrian Middleton wasn't able to attend Saturday's event for medical reasons. As a result, and because the back story in his recently released book is set in Nepal, Adrian has generously agreed to donate any proceeds from 'The Lavender Men' in July to Nepal relief.  If the proceeds exceed £50, he'll extend the offer until Christmas!

The Lavender Men:  Vol 2 of the Moriarty Paradigm is available on Amazon.

This Saturday is, of course, the day of Southcart's Splendiferous Steampunk Saturday, the first fully fledged steampunk event at Southcart Books, Walsall.  Southcart have even had a make-over for the occasion, and are looking most splendiferous indeed!

Hosted by GASP radio show host and fellow author Steven C.Davis and I, by the kind permission of Scott and Amy at Southcart, the event aims to raise funds and awareness for the charity New Futures Nepal.  NFN works with disadvantaged children and adults in Nepal, including in some of the areas hit by the devastating earthquakes earlier this year.

Saturday's event will include a raffle with all proceeds going to the charity, and will also be the launch of an anthology of short, 'flash' fiction, each donated by various authors including many of those appearing on Saturday; and all profits from the anthology will also go to New Futures Nepal.  Although the anthology won't be available to buy until later in the year, you'll be able to hear some of the stories from it on Saturday, and you can also sign up to a mailing list to be alerted when it hits the shops.

As well as readings from a range of steampunk authors, of course, we have a talk from Kevin Cooper of Steampunk Kaleidoscopes about his various inventions, and from Miranda T about steampunk fashion; and of course we also have tea duelling, with a medal awarded to the winner.
 

You can warm up for Saturday by listening to tonight's Gothic Alternative Steampunk and Progressive radio show on BLAST1386 from 8pmUK tonight.  All three hours tonight are linked to Saturday's event; expects songs from Nepal, songs about mountains, steampunk songs; even a yeti may make an appearance.

Do join us tonight on the GASP facebook event; and you can listen via tune-in or via the BLAST app.  And do try to make sure you join us on Saturday, it should be a great event!

Last weekend I made the trek up North to sunny Doncaster.  Well, mostly sunny; when we arrived the entire country seemed to be under a low flying cloud, but within hours the sun had got his hat on (hip hip, hip hip hooray).

Now in it's third year, Steampunk Doncaster ran with an Alice in Wonderland theme, which worked very well.  It was accompanied by a tailor-made soundtrack, compiled by none other than the Gothic Alternative Steampunk and Progressive (GASP) radio show, which as you know, plays on Thursday nights on BLAST1386, 8-11pmUK, hosted by Steven C. Davis and myself.  It was lovely to see friends made at previous events again - I've now attended every one of the Doncaster annual events.  Do I get a badge?

We presented the Star Wars: Steampunk'd workshop, for what will be one of the final times; following the final, final presentations at the Phoenix Alternative Festival in August, we shall be retiring that workshop.  Not to fear, we are planning a new one, oh yes we yarrrr!

But before Phoenix, and before our new workshop, there is of course the event on 18 July at Southcart Books, Walsall - namely Southcart's Splendiferous Steampunk Saturday, which will be raising funds for and awareness of the charity New Futures Nepal.

The programme for Southcart is now available - next week I'll let you have more details of the individuals taking part, and the raffle prizes!  But for now, don't forget GASP radio starts very soon, and you can listen via Tune in or the BLAST app.