Sarah L Dixon Writer

My 2025 in 10 t-shirts, 4 badges, 3 hats, 2 flyers, a mix tape and that scarf!

Ten t-shirts that sum up my year (the order will change each day so just a top ten – with no particular order).

I was going to start posting all the bands too but I would end up re-writing all the blogs that are already here and this is supposed to be brief (ha!) summing up of the year! Also, so many many friends I have enjoyed time with and new friends made this year but if I start listing them too we will be in February by the time you have read this blog.

2025 has been amazing, baffling and a huge learning curve in lots of ways – I feel I have learnt and improved new skills and pushed myself outside my comfort zone and found a lot more things are possible! I intend to continue this in 2026! Thanks to everyone who encourages me, supports me and dances with me online and in real life.

EMF Mix tape t-shirt (1)

This came with a free mix tape! It is Carter USM Love Album coloured and EMF are recording tracks now which are among their best in my opinion. They have a new album due out in 2026 and I can’t wait. Their EP is out at the moment and if you are quick some t-shirts may be in the sale (not this one!).

https://emf-theband.com/

EMF were important to my 2025 for a few reasons. Their tour came to Leeds on my birthday weekend for a double-header with Jesus Jones. The crowd was properly hot and sweaty and up for it.

I went to the secret EMF gig in Todmorden in November and thanked James for being friendly at Minehead Shiiine. He said ‘I only said Hello! and chatted a bit!’ This is true but this was all I needed at that moment. I had just seen the size of the venue I would be performing in the next day, felt a bit out of my depth and a little panicky. In this moment his cheerful greeting grounded me and made me realise I could do this, belonged there and the fact he was so excited over the signed poems I gave him gave me a boost knowing he appreciated and admired what I do.

The secret EMF gig was ace and being in a room that only held 200 people showed how important the alchemy between band and fan is in small gigs as they feed off the energy of each other. Loved it! EMF are playing my local venue (10 minutes by bus) in March 2026.

See my EMF blog if you like – the importance of the band to me, Schubert Dip one of my first albums.

Mosh pit Sarah t-shirt (2)

So, this book cover art t-shirt (Mark Reynolds @StuffbyMark to thank for that) represents how giddy I have been for a lot of this 2025 as I have been bouncing with joy and in disbelief quite a lot of the time. Living my best life, loving it and dancing and grinning a whole lot. All the people who have been 90s icons to me in the past have been the loveliest people when I have met them in real life.

See my Fringe and poetry festival and pretty much any blogs for more updates on this one.

Frank and Walters t-shirts (3)

I have a blue one and purple one of the same design. I met Paul Linehan very briefly in February. I gave him a copy of my book and he messaged me from the airport the next day to tell me how much he loved it. Since then we have chatted occasionally and stayed in touch. I asked Paul if he would like to talk about the new album in an interview. At the point I suggested this I thought I wouldn’t see him until March so had time to think about how I could make that happen. Paul suggested we could chat sooner on Zoom, so that led to me setting up a paid Zoom account again. I interviewed Paul for two hours on Zoom in September. Paul gave us exclusive info about their new album which is due out soon.

The Frank and Walters website link is not working right now.

I really enjoyed the process and I think Paul did too and radio editing was a brand new learning curve for me. The editing part took me about 50 hours. This will be quicker next time and I have a few potential interviewees up next for my Zoom interviews.

See two Frank and Walters blogs from earlier in the year – one about the radio editing process and one about the influence of Trains, Boats and Planes on me.

Jim Bob’s 40 years 40 songs t-shirt (4)

This t-shirt had sold out on the merch desk by the end of the gig and was out-of-date very shortly after due to a pope dying within a week or so after.

This is the t-shirt the most people ask me to stand still so they can read it!

This is what I choose to wear when my confidence needs a boost and maybe when I am most out of my comfort zone (usually with the mix tape dress and the acid face scarf).

I love the fact it is a not just a reminder of a gig that was a celebration of 40 years of Jim Bob but also of how much his music has meant to me for almost that amount of time too.

See Jim Bob 40 songs 40 years and Gigantic blogs for more Jim Bob oh and my one about that time I interviewed him back in November 2023 if I haven’t told you about that yet! I am sure I will have done though.

Jim Bob Gigantechque t-shirt (5)

I used to go to the Gigantic all dayers in Manchester and I went on an online date to the 2019 one and the date went well but didn’t lead to a relationship with the person. However, it did lead to me having the confidence to go to The Wonder Stuff gig with Jim Bob support at Leeds Academy the following November as the Stuffies crowd are both so up for the gig and the music and a generous and supportive crowd for people solo gigging.

I was delighted the festival was back even though Bristol is a bit of a trek from Huddersfield. I shared accommodation with Graham and Julia and we have already booked to go back in 2026.

The weekend of Gigantic – the music, the weather, the beer, the people, the dance was so perfect. The only issue was the food selling out too early and I think this was due to last minute issues.

A second Jim t-shirt but this represents the whole Gigantic festival. Tickets for 2026 festival are available here now:

Gigantic All Dayer Tickets – Prospect, Bristol – 09/05/2026 12:00

Also see my Gigantic blog post for more

New cow/sheep t-shirt (6)

I couldn’t resist this one! The only photo I have of me in a 90s t-shirt as a teenager is in my Inspiral Carpets t-shirt. Though I did own several Carter t-shirts including 101 Damnations, 30 Something and After the Watershed.

So, I went home with a new Tom Hingley t-shirt from the Prowsey big Knees up.

See Prowsey Knees up weekend write ups for 2024 and 2025

Pele/Amsterdam/Prowsey knees up t-shirt (7)

I had told myself no more merch and already have a blue one in this style but the writing on the back was too tempting and a spent more Christmas money early.

See Prowsey Knees up weekend write up for more

Vent 414 t-shirt (8)

Okay, I am making an exception for this one and posting a photo of the gig as this was the first time they played live together since the 90s. Also, another t-shirt I wasn’t going to buy but the long-sleeved two shades is such a classic look. Harrington the Liverpool octopus likes it too.

The Wonder Stuff/Miles/Vent 414 are a focus in my blog plans for next year. For now see Shiiine write ups for this year and Prowsey write-up for both 2024 and 2025 Knees up events for more Miles and TWS.

James T-shirt (9)

I had no photos of this in its full glory so had to take some just now. I do wear it regularly though. I saw James at The Piece Hall in Halifax in the summer for the first time since V98. So good!

See James and Gold Mother blog write up for more

Meryl Streek t-shirts (10)

One of my favourite discoveries of this year is Meryl Streek.

Watch out for a blog or interview soon…

One bonus mix-tape

Loved this!! I did not know it came with the t-shirt at the time and this tape makes so much sense. Side A by James Atkin, Side B by Ian Dench. Side A consisted of dance tracks I knew but in a lot of cases had forgotten. Side B was full of some punk tracks I did know and more obscure tracks I didn’t know.

The one small trick I thought they had missed was having a secret track or even a quick Hello from them both on the longer side… as in Schubert Dip.

Two flyers of note

Glasgow – February 2025
My first music gigs of the year and my first poetry gig of the year were in Glasgow. Firstly, I performed poetry and hosted an open mic at Some Great Reward record shop. There were a dozen of us and I sold some books.

I then went to King Tut’s Wahwah Hut with Debbie and Steve (Gig Life Crisis creators and friends) and we saw The Castros and Sergeant. The venue was intimate and sweaty and iconic. We danced on the benches at the edges (I also met the Pearsons and Kevin Allan). Kevin then suggested we could go into the mosh for a few songs, so we did that and then it kicked off and people were starting a fight with each other so Kevin steered me out of the crowd as I began to panic. St Lukes was one of the best venues I went to all year – beautiful, good acoustics. To see the Sultans for the first time in ages was also brilliant. They were the first band I saw supporting Carter in 1993 at Manchester Academy.

I sent a book to them and the drummer took my book backstage to them and asked the band to sign one for me too. A great weekend!

Sultans blog soon as Casual Sex in the Cineplex was one of the albums I has on heavy rotation back in the 90s and still listen to often.

Morecambe poetry,life, love & Fringe

Morecambe was important to me again this year. In late May 2025, I went across to perform my show in Matt Panesh’s front room and he said to me ‘You can’t just read it from the book, you need to perform it!’ He then gave me some tricks to learn, memorise and inhabit pieces. 5 weeks later I took to the stage at Morecambe Fringe Festival and remembered 7 of 10 pieces in the show. (I will be writing a 50 things out of my comfort zone before I am 50 blog very soon).

I have written blogs about both the Fringe Festival and the Poetry Festival I had the honour of opening with my show about being a 90s music fan. The full show performances in Morecambe and at Midlands Fringe and guest sets in Withington, Hull, Bury and Baildon Moor also helped me build my confidence in the show pieces. So, by the time I was on stage at the Shiiine On Weekender in Minehead Butlins and was on 3 hours sleep and the third day of the festival I knew I could do the show and was pleased with the feedback from people who caught this and those who heard how good it was. I hope to be on another 90s festival stage again before too long.

Matt Panesh Thanks

I owe Matt a massive thanks for pushing me to do things I thought were impossible. Matt continued to support me as we talked a little about the radio editing process. Now I have recorded and edited my first interview and this was released on the Morecambe Fringe podcast.

Bands I have seen this year and number of times and where (number of gigs then alphabetical order)

Ian Prowse and Amsterdam (4) Shiiine Skegness, Gorilla Manchester, Minehead Shiiine, Prowsey Big Knees Up, Academy Liverpool
Jim Bob (4) Wolves Lit Fest (interview with Robin Ince), Shiiine Skegness, 40 years 40 songs Empire Shepherds Bush, Gigantic Bristol

EMF (3) Shiiine Skegness, Warehouse Leeds, Golden Lion Todmorden
The Frank and Walters (3) Gullivers Manchester, Shiiine Skegness, Wrecking Ball Press Hull
Jesus Jones (3) Shiiine Skegness, Warehouse Leeds, Shiiine Minehead

Alan Leach Quiz (2) Shiiine Skegness, Shiiine Minehead
GANS (2) Piece Hall Halifax, Club Academy Manchester
The Inspiral Carpets (2) Gigantic Bristol, Shiiine Minehead
The Malakites (2) Shiiine Skegness, Gig Life Crisis 3
Meryl Streek (2) St Lukes Glasgow, The Parish Huddersfield
Miles Hunt (2) Shiiine Minehead, Prowsey Big Knees Up
Neds Atomic Dustbin (2) Shiiine Skegness, Gigantic Bristol
The Soup Dragons (2) Gigantic Bristol, Shiiine Minehead
The Wonder Stuff (2) Shiiine Skegness, Ritz Manchester

Ash (1) Shiiine Minehead
Bentley Rhythm Ace (1) Shiiine Skegness
Bis (1) Warehouse Leeds
The Castros (1) King Tuts Glasgow
Codename Colin (1) Parish Huddersfield
Collapsed Lung (1) Shiiine Skegness
Danny Bowden DJ set (1) Shiiine Minehead
The Darling Buds (1) Gigantic Bristol
James (1) Piece Hall Halifax
James Atkin DJ set (1) Shiiine Minehead
Kingmaker 4AD (1) Shiiine Skegness
Kirk Field – Rave show (1) Shiiine Minehead
The Jesus and Mary Chain (1) Shiiine Minehead
The Libertines (1) Piece Hall Halifax
Lost Societies Die (1) Gig Life Crisis 3
My Life Story (1) Shiiine Minehead
Nothing Rhymes with Orange (1) Gig Life Crisis 3
Pop Will Eat Itself (1) Club Academy Manchester
Rob Newman (1) Shiiine Minehead
The Rogues (1) Gig Life Crisis 3
Sergeant (1) King Tuts Glasgow
Senser (1) Shiiine Minehead
She drew the gun (1) Parish Huddersfield
Shiiine DJs (1) Gigantic Bristol
Siracuse (1) Gig Life Crisis 3
Sleeper (1) Shiiine Minehead
Space (1) Shiiine Minehead
Steve Lamacq (1) Shiiine Skegness
The Sultans of Ping (1) St Lukes Glasgow
Thousand Yard Stare (1) Shiiine Skegness
Taylor Liam Jackson (1) Gig Life Crisis 3
Three Letter Danger Club (1) Parish Huddersfield
Tom Hingley (1) Prowsey Big Knees Up
Ultrasound (1) Shiiine Minehead
The Undertones (1) Shiiine Minehead
UNKLE (1) Shiiine Minehead
Vent 414 (1) Ritz Manchester
The Woodentops (1) Shiiine Skegness

Three Hats of Importance

Badge hat – this has gone missing and I live in hope it may turn up again. There are several badges on it I can’t replace – Pele badge, my New Zealand badge from my visit there in 2004 and my Cornwall badge which Jim Bob has been a superstar about – he sent me a set of badges to replace the one I had lost that he gifted me on the day in Chatham Library when I interviewed him in front of 100 people. People still approach me and tell me they loved that interview!

Jesus Jones hat – I love my EMF hats (and Cara who organises the merch for EMF, and now, Jesus Jones) has great taste in bobble hats. The new Jesus Jones one is a lot warmer than the EMF ones and better quality. I love my EMF ones too which are great but this new one is a little warm for wearing a gig – I bought it at my birthday gig in October – EMF and Jesus Jones double-header.

One of my favourite gigs of the year at The Warehouse in Leeds – a favourite due to the fact it was properly sweaty and up for it band and crowd night and all was up close and personal and the mosh pit lifted me off my feet and put me down 8 people to the right where I ended up suddenly holding on to my glasses in one hand and with James Atkin holding my other hand at the barrier as he grinned at me. Tell that to fourteen year old Sarah listening to her first album, Schubert Dip for the first time back in 1991!

Shiiine Hats – So this year was my first Shiiine On Weekender in Skegness and also in Minehead. Such brilliant events full of friends. I arrived at both weekends alone but at the same time knowing they would be full of friends from groups, gigs, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp groups and I knew I wouldn’t feel lonely. I will be back in Skegness in March (I am not sure if I am performing yet or not but would love to – especially for all those mates who couldn’t make Minehead or didn’t get up early enough last time but wish they had!). I am not sure if I have enough annual leave for Minehead yet with it being my 50th birthday in 2026. I am using the fact I am 50 next year as an excuse to go to everything I can!

Four badges

Tamar – When I lost my badge hat with the Cornwall badge on it just before Shiiine in Minehead and wanted this back as a talisman I messaged Jim to let him know I had lost it and he sent me a pack of three badges to replace it – Devon, Cornwall and Tamar.

My Life Story – One of the three bands that caught me the most off guard at Shiiine On Minehead – I love the badge, the font and the band.

bis – support band at EMF and Jesus Jones gig at Leeds Warehouse on my birthday weekend. Very bouncy and bright. A lot of fun. Also, I loved the moment where they joined EMF on the stage for LGBTQ+ lover and the videos of them practicing this backstage.

Streeker badge – Meryl Streek is one of the new performers I discovered this year. Thanks to The Sultans of Ping for that. I felt St Lukes was a brilliant venue for Meryl and he happily climbed into the crowd and we were well up for the anger, messages and energy of Meryl. It was great to chat before and after the gig at the merch desk and outside. I caught Meryl in Huddersfield too.

More blogs and interviews in 2026

Spontaneous gig 2 – EMF secret gig
2026 gigs list
More interviews
Wonder Stuff/Vent/Miles blog

More in my first albums that inspired and stayed with me series

Jesus Jones – Doubt
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – Are you Normal?
The Sultans of Ping – Casual Sex in the Cineplex

That Scarf!

The Scarf that went (almost) everywhere with me, got lost & then returned!