Derek Dick 60 mins to stage, slightly nervous.check was loud and roomy. Hd cam set up for 1st in long time. Watching wine intake

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Derek Dick Gentle Giant T shirt on, sunny Southhampton, free wi fi in hotel and laptop downloading skips of updates as it's the first time it's really been used since the Fishheads Club tour last year.Weird looking at old e mails asking for guest list in Edinburgh and Dublin! Lyrics are all in transparent folders, marked with post it notes and in order in a hopefully near destructive folder that won'r fall and scatter shiny slippy sheets all over the stage.I've got most in contril but te pink tabbed ones are "awkward" and in Primary school font, the blue tabs require glasses in an emergency and the green tabs are allegedly safe territory! Carrying a wee bit too much weight from too many Scottish pies so it'll be a sweat box for me at the Brook tonight.Just what I need to get me on the way to a new belt notch. Boys are off to soundcheck already and I am alone in the hotel room after organising my workload and sorting out the potions and pills for the apres gig throat that is bound to take a slight pounding tonight. I just have to be careful and not get carried away on the electric wave and gig hysteria.Always difficult. Slept in a single bed in a twin room, up at 10.30 and out to walk the street to find the lyric folders in a stationery shop, served by a lovely Polish girl before a haircut in a local barbers from a small pleasant gay heavily tatooed Polish guy with a comical paunch from Lublin.The entire staff were Polish. I usually go to "Janes" across the road when I'm here but she, for some reason, closes on a Monday.The entire high street was populated with charity shops and stores selling Polish newspapers and grocery produce.You can't help but hear the Polish "chit chat" as you walk around. Foss arrived by plane today as it was his daughter's 21st birthday yesterday in Edinburgh and he even commented that the bus he got in from the airport was full of predominantly Polish workers heading into the city. We as a nation are hypnotised by the zeros on the unemployment figures but there must be jobs out there as we have enough "economic immigrants" working here quite happily and integrating with local communities who seem to find work in the main to support themselves. Some local businesses definitely benefit and corporates definitely do from low wages paid but the rolled out cliche of "Poles being hard workers" is always to the fore.There needs to be a better balance and fairer options discovered within the benefits systems and wages offered to stimulate a UK jobs market.At the moment there seems more of a will to take on what are considered "menial" tasks or low paid work from workers outside the UK. I know it's a generalisation and far more complicated an issue than I can probably comprehend but a Polish barber cut my hair and beard today for a fiver because "Janes" with it's Union Jacks in the window was closed, as it always is ,on a Monday. And he did a damn good job of it too:-) Reading material bought from a fantastic wee book shop, a totally unexpected find with a huge selection of books considering it's size and the fact that it was an independent.Sections devoted to historical and political interests across the World and across the board, Jewish culture,lifestyle,classics and lots more gave me a good browse and I left with "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Essays in the Art of Writing" and "Everyman's Poetry" by Robert Louis Stevenson. And now a walk in the sun down to the Brook.

Derek Dick Great trip down with Yatta and proud to receive compliments from him on my driving. Coming from a master of the road.

Derek Dick Southhampton 437 miles 6.5 hours and jambo celebrations left behind and out of mind. Gig tomorrow for catharsis.

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Derek Dick This is a truly dreadful humiliation. Ouch! Big style!

Derek Dick So glad I am out of here for a week on tour. No comebacks available for gloating jambos. A humiliation

Derek Dick I remember thinking this day could be the perfect fuck up and it is. I feel sick

Derek Dick Big dark cloud with lightning hail and frogs. This is really bad now .going behind couch now

Derek Dick Maybe it was 4-3 :-/ big dark cloud bearing in :-0

Derek Dick We never turned up, bottle wobbled. 2-1 down I'll take into 2nd half.My dream was 4-2 after et.still alive

Derek Dick Staring over the abyss first half and thought it was over.Hibs gash , jambos all over us. Mc Pake lifeline

Derek Dick Miracle needed, please

Derek Dick Family of hibbys 10 mins to go http://t.co/16mCSs9R

Derek Dick It's just a game it's just a game it's just a game it's just a game it's just a game it's just a game it's just a game

Derek Dick Picking up dad and pies and a bucket of wine. Trying to keep busy and avoid thinking about it. Had dream we won 4-2 in extra time

Derek Dick Butterflies turned to eagles with talons in my stomach. Can't remember pre match nerves like this ever. Mandela Wembley gig easier

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Derek Dick Rehearsals finished, 1hr45 ,15 songs with no gabbing. Should hit 2.5 hrs then;-) everyone tired but happy. Now the stages

Derek Dick Groundhog day. Crawling through rehearsals.any excuse for a break taken. Tomorrow last day them for real

Derek Dick Singer has 10 songs in working order . 5 more to chant tomorrow.3hrs vocals today. Building nicely.Too many words though!

Derek Dick Confused Gavin wondering why music stopped when he just wants to hit things with sticks. Shouldn't have eaten eclairs http://t.co/MGwdSq3I

Derek Dick Foss and Gavin D going through arrangements while Frankie scoots home to get strings after timely breakage. Cue cues ! http://t.co/tOcgYP0e

Derek Dick Another rehearsal day. Eery experience listening to Perception on run through glens to W/burn.

Derek Dick Day of destiny awaits Hibs

Derek Dick https://t.co/4nb5WrJy The Scottish Cup at the Studio 2007.Hopefully raised high on saturday in green and white ribbons

Derek Dick FTC sated with turkey casserole, me running out of ways to cook fowl and keep it interesting and varied. Gav and I crave pork

Derek Dick Frank smiles :-0 it must be good. FTC looking for Rice Crispies in wedges. Snap, crackle and pop! Dreading soundchecks http://t.co/yndJm8dA

Derek Dick Rehearsal room. Balcony behind kit overlooking river Tweed. Sang 5 numbers twice, voice handled it well. Easing in. http://t.co/OmmmZJ5u