Part 2: The Band. Why Abney Park Rocks!

I first came across Abney Park a couple of years ago. I had always had an interest in Victoriana, airships, adventure, retro tech and such. It was only when my dear wife pointed me at Jake Von Slatt's amazing creations online that I learned there was a name for my area of interest, ''Steampunk'. Not long after, she pointed me at Abney Park as a friend of hers had reviewed them in his blog. So I checked them out and was wowed by them straight away. 'Airship Pirates' was the first song of theirs that I heard and it set it all in motion. Not being one who went to gigs I never guessed at that time that I might actually be able to go and see them live. I am a bit of a sad hermit to be honest.

Why do I love Abney Park? well the music is damned good, varied, includes instruments and styles from different countries and even different times. Their songs make me think there must be a better, or at least different, way to live, and they prod at my almost non-existant rebellious streak, fanning its tiny spark. It speaks to me about places and ideas and another way of doing things, of building things, creating things, of adventure and the lure of distant horizons, and throwing off the shackles of modern life for a more independant way. In some ways it has changed my life, or at least the way I think about life.

Their music also saved my wife's life, I firmly believe. If we had not been going to their gig at Oswestry at the end of 2011 I doubt she would be here now, she was in such a bad way. But their music, their sheer energy on stage and the power of that night lifted her out of a very, very dark place and showed her some light at the end of the tunnel, not once but twice because she relapsed later and it was the near constant replaying if their albums 'Aether Shanties' and 'End of Days' that brought her back to me. So if you are out there looking at this at any time, guys and gals of Abney Park, I owe you one I can never truly repay.

So that, in short is why, for myself, Abney Park rocks! I am not good at reviewing bands or music, I don't know much about that sort of thing, but this is my attempt to say something about what they do for me. Next, Part 3: The Gig, How it went [great actually!]