A SAD EVENING WITH AMY WINEHOUSE. (Una triste serata con Amy Winehouse)

Fans in Poland, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Hungary and Romania won’t be seeing this lady perform the rest of her 2011 comeback tour after three years away. It was really painful to watch how Amy Winehouse was out there in Kalemegdan Park during Belgrade’s Tuborg Festival, humiliating herself. I don’t regret the money I paid because I wouldn’t have believed without my own eyes how wasted she was. I thought it was all just an act and kept waiting for the 27-year-old to grab the mike and say Gotcha.

For the two songs she actually did know the lyrics to (Back to Black, You Know I’m No Good), she mostly mumbled them totally out of rhythm. Half of the time that she actually stood in front of a microphone, she had her face covered by her hand, as though she felt ashamed. At some points she looked as she was going to cry and kept holding her stomach like she was in pain.

‘I don’t regret the money I paid because I wouldn’t have believed without my own eyes how wasted she was’

Winehouse went offstage on two occasions for couple of minutes. The first time she came back on stage, the 20, 000-strong crowd applauded her because it seemed that she had got a grip on it. But, when she started mumbling again, they booed her and started to call for Moby (who was scheduled to perform after her). Some started to throw things at her, paper and plastic cups. One guy threw his Amy cowboy hat (sold before the show outside of the venue), but hit a security guard instead. She didn’t seem aware of any of that. It seemed that most of the booing was coming from behind, from the people with cheaper tickets, while the people in front rows were just shocked. The band remained professional, especially the two backing singers Zalon Thompson and Ade Omotayo, both singing two cover songs. Days later it’s still being discussed. Some call it the worst concert in the history of Belgrade, wanting their £35 or 40 euros back. Less just feel sorry for her whilst the third line - people who didn’t go to the concert - feel self-content by posting ‘could you really not see this coming’ comments.

Seeing the condition Winehouse is in, her management has to take the blame. They did a really good PR before the concert, launching stories on alcohol ban in hotels where Amy is staying and surprise concerts at London’s 100 Club on 12 June (how come there are no videos of that?). My guess is that Ray Cosbert and co. are not really keeping that good an eye on her (or maybe she doesn’t allow them to), but are well in exploiting her while she’s still able to walk. Her contract stated that she has to arrive to Belgrade on time and spend seventy minutes on stage. Although she was ready to leave the stage twice, they got her back, in spite of her condition, so she could fulfill those terms. Of course, the performance fees go to her, but they also get their piece of the deal.
(CaféBabel)