Sarah L Dixon Writer

Gold Mother – one of the first 3 albums I ever owned – album nails

My first 3 albums

1. Gold Mother – James
2. Schubert Dip – E.M.F.
3. Doubt – Jesus Jones

My first gig at The Piece Hall, Halifax

When tickets came out for James I was so tempted but they had sold out before I even noticed they were on sale and then as I was going solo I decided to search out re-sale tickets and found one two weeks before the gig on 7th June 2025.

This was my first James gig since V98 and would mean making new friends, meeting up with friend from a seated gig and with someone I had not seen for 32 years, since school.

At this event I made two new friends at a pub around the corner before I went in. Clare was a decade younger than me. We talked about bands we liked over a pint and Clare told me she loved the way I lit up, became animated, when I talked about music from a very particular era. That era between Madchester and 90s indie is my happy place, yes.

Seated Miles church gig mates from 2024

On arrival at the Piece Hall I saw Hilary and her partner, Dan, who I had met at Miles Hunt gig where we were seated in a church and not allowed to dance, despite this being a gig where Miles played Wonder Stuff songs that we are used to dancing to.

Miles told me off for talking to someone about whether we could dance. He said we could dance as long as we didn’t talk.

So, we danced I the aisle and then the merch person told us we needed to sit down. I met Hilary in the merch queue to chat to Miles after and we went to the pub for another pint or two in Todmorden. It was lovely to meet again and be able to dance together.

And utter blast from the past, John, from Maths

I also met John, from my GCSE Maths classes. We had not seen each other since we left school at 16. We have been Facebook friends for quite a long time and shared occasional messages about James and Jim Bob as our favourite bands.

When I bought a James ticket on re-sale just a fortnight before the event, I had told myself I could not justify the cost then I told myself I had not seen this band for 27 years and maybe it was worth the ticket value. I messaged John asking if he would be there.

The 90s indie magic worked again and I went passed the toilet queue not realising it was so long. Only by doing this did I bump into John on the way back from the toilet himself, on the way back to his wife and sons at the barrier. We had chance to catch up for a couple of minutes. John said ‘it must be 32 years!’ but we both denied that as that would make us way older than we felt at a gig of a band we had loved since we were teenagers.

We hugged and took a photo and then I doubled-back and joined the toilet queue and John went back to his family at the barrier.

The album
An album I always listen to in its entirety.

Come Home
Tim’s voice is always high in the mix. Keyboard and then straight in… This is one of my favourites, maybe because it is the first James song I heard. I was hoping it might be played at The Piece Hall. Maybe I will have to go to more James gigs to hear it now. 

Lose control
First song where I think I learnt to dance like Tim. I feel my dancing style is a bit of Tim Booth and Jonn Penney (from Ned’s Atomic Dustbin) Lots of arms and full body involvement and eyes closed dancing (not with or for partners but with the music). I think they are both the reason I dance with eyes closed and feel the music rather than gaze into the eyes of other dancers. I love the build and the drop out of the drums.

God only knows Voice clips Tim against the preachers – huge crashing crescendos

Government Walls Political and direct, slow, pared back instrumentally. (Swearing in places it belongs not for shock – didn’t swear as a teenager and find I am driven to it more often now I have a teenager myself!)

You can’t see how much suffering is on a face that’s always smiling Love the long title and the call forward and call back in this song and the phrases here and elsewhere. (born of frustration)

How was it for you? My favourite song on this album. Love song. Pop drum noise.

Sit Down (a song from the darkest hour/secrets I can’t keep inside/all the day) It starts well and is an anthem and was the song I chose at a karaoke night with my new workmates 2 ½ years ago because I knew they would know it and join in with me as I knew I couldn’t sing. I was a little disappointed they played that and not other songs when I was at the Piece Hall – I was secretly hoping for Come Home, Fred Astaire, Top of the World.
Walking the ghost Minimum instrumentation letting Tim’s voice have space. Eerie and minimal – shift in tone/mood. This song descends into utter chaotic spin – through the vocals – we descend too.

Gold Mother Groovy track – surreal magical.  Love the ‘heart of gold’ refrain and the looping in this. And the shift from chaotic back to love song.

Top of the World Love this so much! Not listened to it for ages. Don’t hear it enough!

Thinking abut how this album impacts my writing

I do love the playfulness of a very long title, especially one longer than the actual poem. The call-backs are something I enjoy doing within a collection of poems. The dramatic shifts of mood within a piece and occasional swearing where it fits. And Tim has a lot to answer for in my eyes closed, lost in the music style of dancing.

Support band – The Ks

Seeing James for the first time in 27 years

The venue was a brilliant space and some favourite moments as well as meeting up with and making new friends were:

– Andy playing the trumpet from the balcony (I failed to get a photo)

-Seeing Tim dance for the time in over quarter of a century – a joy and he is so where I get a lot of my dance moves from and I hadn’t realised that or had forgotten.

-the band seemed to be really enjoying the gig (and I watched a video filmed in The Piece Hall later which mentioned that they ad lib quite a bit and just go off on extended versions and all have input into this and go with it, so it keeps it interesting for them and the audience are often surprised and get a different experience if they go to several gigs on the same tour.

Tim Booth’s coat and hat deserves a section all of its own

Another lovely moment when Tim joined the person signing the songs.

Not many phones out much, filming

Tim is known for disliking phones at gigs. And there were noticeably fewer phones lifted up filming here than at other events I have been to recently. He is quite an intense performer and holds hands with people for whole gigs and locks eyes with members of the audience for minutes and I think our eyes locked for a minute but then I was nervous I would get the words wrong… so got awkward about this.

My favourite 5 songs of the night

Johnny Yen
Getting away with it (all messed up)
Sound
Beautiful Beaches
Say Something

More friends as I wait for taxi home

I bump into Rachelle and Chris in the toilet queue and when the taxi home is ridiculously expensive we de-camp to the pub (Ring ‘O Bells) for a couple of pints.

More James listening

I have bought La Petite Mort on recommendation (favourites today are Walk like you, Curse Curse, All in my mind and All I’m saying). I did listen to quite a lot in the fortnight between buying my ticket and going to The Piece Hall, so much back catalogue to explore though. Some happy listening times ahead for me.

Thanks Tim for the dance moves and the lyrics and thanks to the band for the music and a great show!