Photos by Frank Siciliano

Image you are walking down the street of a Victorian city that runs on steam. Proceed into the local tavern and what do you hear? Some conversation on the local government, the clanging of glasses, and the melody of a live band; How would you expect this band to sound? The Gypsy Nomads seem to be a band that has captured the exciting beat of a steampunk world. Performing at many steampunk conventions around the country, the Gypsy Nomads have quite the fan following which continues to grow with every concert. It isn’t just their music that fans fall for, after having the chance to talk with the couple I found their personalities charming and their story to be very interesting.

Doctor Fantastique’s: How and where did the two of you meet? Did you know each other long before starting a band?

Scott Helland: We met in NYC in 1998, Samantha had an art opening in the loft she was living in and we hit it off right away. I was a solo musician at the time (after playing in bands for many years) and we started collaborating in 2000. She painted the cover for a couple of my CDs and worked on the set at some of the shows. In 2005, Samantha joined me onstage to play percussion on a tune and it has snowballed from there. Next thing we knew we were being called for shows, festivals and touring quickly followed.

DF:Your songs are amazing and mysterious, with flowing beats and rhythms... Did you have any inspiration for creating your specific sound?
How would you describe your music?

Samantha Stephenson: Our sound is a mix of so many different influences and inspirations. I was born in France and grew up in England before moving to the U.S. so my heritage has a lot to do with how and what I choose to write lyrically. I heard a lot of Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel and Gainsbourg as a kid alongside more popular music as well as the samba beats of the Brazilian Carnival when I lived in Sao Paulo. Then there's bands like Concrete Blonde and Dresden Dolls that made an impact. But my background is not only in music but also in dance and the visual arts and those definitely play a huge part in the performance style and the bent towards vaudeville and cabaret. We're both fiery, energetic people so even though we're a duo we love to create a big full sound and put out tons of energy.To get that I use lots of percussion and Scott layers his guitar with live looping. It's become our signature feature. Our show combines raucous, danceable old-world melodies with cheeky stories sung in English and French with pounding, tribal-march-style drum instrumentals. The songs are upbeat and some have themes that can be considered steampunk-inspired as well as mystical faerie tales gone awry! It's kind of hard to put a label on it but for now we are describing it as Gypsy Cabaret Folk Punk. We've also been nicknamed 'Frenchy and the Punk' and we like that!

Scott: I've always been more into alternative music, even as a kid I gravitated to the left of the dial, to more underground bands rather than the mainstream sound. My parents were jazz fanatics and I went to college for music but as far as playing out at gigs I come from a punk background and played in the American hardcore punk bands Outpatients and Deep Wound and we opened for bands like Black Flag, GBH and Husker Du, so that scene was a big influence. When I started playing solo I wrote music that had a sort of neo-medieval/european sound to it which melded perfectly with where Samantha was coming from. I've been inspired by a diverse spectrum of musicians, from Django Reinhardt to Richie Blackmore to Lemmy to Siouxsie and the Banshees to Gogol Bordello and the list goes on


 

DF: Not only is your music breathtaking and one of a kind but I have to admit I'm jealous of your style. Is this something you've always been
into? How would you describe it? Do you make your own clothes or are there certain places you tend to shop and find these treasures?


Samantha: Our style is definitely a reflection of who we are. When we're on tour one of our favorite things to do is go to vintage shops and antique malls and that's where we find a lot of our garb. I've bought skirts from the '40s and earlier and reworked them too and sometimes I'll make stuff from scratch with fabrics I find along the way. I also have a
bunch of accessories from Karen von Oppen's line (KvO Designs), she has really cool steampunk modern vintage wear.

DF: Have the two of you always been fans of steampunk or was this something you learned about as you were invited to conventions? What is your opinion on steampunk?

Samantha: I think we just gravitated towards it naturally. I've been obsessed with the movie "Somewhere in Time" for what seems like forever, and a huge fan of anything that has any kind of time travel element to it, so it was like finding a home for a life long interest. Musically, we kind of fell into steampunk a couple of years ago. We were doing Jeff Mach's The Wicked Faire in NJ and there were lots of elements of steampunk there.
I love the creative force behind it all and the bending of time.

Scott: Both, but I guess you could say it found us. We've been touring the US for the last 5 years and have been seeing more and more Steampunk fashion and enthusiasts' at our shows. Steampunk is also a mix of things that we love, like bringing together the old and new which is a theme in our music. I'm particularly drawn to the artwork.

DF: Do you have a favorite part of the Steampunk culture? (Fashion, music, stories, people, gadgets, etc)

Samantha: Streampunk really appeals to the sculptor in me and sculpture at its root is about problem solving. When I first moved to NYC I was studying sculpture at the Art Student's League and the National Academy of Art. I've always had a fascination with the manipulation of metal and gadgetry. The crossover of personalities in the steampunk community is inspiring too. Plus, what's not to like with the fashion?! Probably what I
most connect with is the sense of beauty in everyday things, the humor, timelessness, curiosity and the mystery of what's to come. 

Scott: I love the creative aspect of it, the costumes, the jewelry, the art and odd creations. We just played in Seattle at SteamCon and they had a great art show, really inspiring. A few weeks earlier near Boston we went to the Charles River Museum of Industry and Inovation and they had an amazing exhibit. The souped-up guitars from Steampunk Fabricators' Steve Brook of course caught my eye, and the transformed computers, pinball machine, steam powered motorcycle were all awesome. We've been invited to
perform at the 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea interactive entertainment exhibition in Foxboro, MA in February and we're hoping the stage is set up in Captain Nemo's lounge!

DF: What is your favorite thing about touring? Has there been a favorite location or con?

Samantha: I love going to places I've never been before, discovering little treasures in the most unlikely places (like the Czech village in Iowa that inspired the song Vitame Vas). I love the open road, the landscape, performing in venues one so completely different than the other, meeting new people, belting it out onstage and turning people on to our music, surprising people. One of our favorite places is Colorado because of the natural beauty but it's hard to say really because we find so many cool places and people wherever we go. The cons have been really awesome. We had a blast at DragonCon, World Steam Expo and Steamcon this year and we did a bunch of non steampunk cons too. 


Scott: I loved traveling when I was kid, so it's in the blood. We get to see new places all the time but we return to a lot of the same places too. There's a weird comfort in returning to a place you know but you only see once a year. I love playing music in a different city every night, staying in hotels, camping in unfamiliar places, staying with different people around the country.

DF: Samantha, you mentioned that you grew up over seas, when did you come to the US? Is it very different from where you grew up?

Samantha: I came over when I was ten (yes, the song from Happy Madness called Yes! I'm French is all true!). I had a tough time feeling at home in the U.S. and always felt more connected to Europe. It definitely is very different here. Coming over at such an early age I suppose I had an idealistic view of europe and when I go back it's to visit family but in
2011 we'll be doing a European tour so it's going to totally change my reference points. It's going to be such a different feeling to play over there, like going back in time and coming full circle.

DF: Scott, where did you grow up?

Scott: I grew up in Western Massachusetts, went to school there, started my first bands there and after college I moved to New York City to play more music! I've lived in Illinois, Missouri, Maine, Massachusetts and New York.

DF: So, we now know why you two go by Frenchy and the Punk, but where and when did the nickname come about?

Samantha: Someone said it at a show a couple of years back, probably in 2008 when we put out the french CD Eternal Summer. We do over a hundred shows a year so it's hard to remember where it was but we thought it was pretty fun so we adopted it!

Scott: I think a steam powered butterfly with a troll's heart and a frog's brain whispered it into our ears late at night.

You can see The Gypsy Nomads in February at TempleCon in Providence, R.I., and Anachrcon in Atlanta; in May at the World Steam Expo in Michigan and the Steampunk World's Fair in New Jersey. Visit them online at www.thegypsynomads.com or on Facebook or iTunes.

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Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries had its humble beginnings as an idea of a few artisans and craftsmen who enjoy performing with live steel fighting. As well as a patchwork quilt tent canvas. Most had prior military experience hence the name.

 

Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries.

 

Vendertainers that brought many things to a show and are know for helping out where ever they can.

As well as being a place where the older hand made items could be found made by them and enjoyed by all.

We expanded over the years to become well known at what we do. Now we represent over 100 artisans and craftsman that are well known in their venues and some just starting out. Some of their works have been premiered in TV, stage and movies on a regular basis.

Specializing in Medieval, Goth , Stage Film, BDFSM and Practitioner.

Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries a Dept of, Ask For IT was started by artists and former military veterans, and sword fighters, representing over 100 artisans, one who made his living traveling from fair to festival vending medieval wares. The majority of his customers are re-enactors, SCAdians and the like, looking to build their kit with period clothing, feast gear, adornments, etc.

Likewise, it is typical for these history-lovers to peruse the tent (aka mobile store front) and, upon finding something that pleases the eye, ask "Is this period?"

A deceitful query!! This is not a yes or no question. One must have a damn good understanding of European history (at least) from the fall of Rome to the mid-1600's to properly answer. Taking into account, also, the culture in which the querent is dressed is vitally important. You see, though it may be well within medieval period, it would be strange to see a Viking wearing a Caftan...or is it?

After a festival's time of answering weighty questions such as these, I'd sleep like a log! Only a mad man could possibly remember the place and time for each piece of kitchen ware, weaponry, cloth, and chain within a span of 1,000 years!! Surely there must be an easier way, a place where he could post all this knowledge...

Traveling Within The World is meant to be such a place. A place for all of these artists to keep in touch and directly interact with their fellow geeks and re-enactment hobbyists, their clientele.

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