Features
Winehouse Cancels Rest Of Tour
Any doubts about when
The cancellation of all her European dates comes just days after a “shambolic” performance in Serbia June 18. Subsequent dates in Greece and Turkey were immediately canceled.
London publicity company Outside Organization released a statement saying Winehouse decided to cancel two shows and that it would be “worked out as soon as possible” whether she would make the next scheduled date in Spain July 8.
But by the end of June 20 major European festivals including Switzerland’s Paleo-Nyon, which booked her to headline July 23, and Hungary’s Sziget (Aug. 13) had also received notification that their Winehouse shows were off.
They received an email from her agent, Paul Franklin from Creative Artists Agency, that said: “Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances.
“She needs time out to deal with her health problems and will receive continued support from her family away from the public eye.
“Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen.”
Outside Organization was expected to issue a further press release confirming the situation by the end of June 21.
After finally saying “yes” to rehab and undergoing treatment at London clinic The Priory, the new tour was to be her triumphant comeback.
But she was heavily booed for being an hour late and stumbling around the stage in front of 20,000 fans at Belgrade’s Kalemegdan Park.
Eyewitness reports had her saying “Hello Athens,” and things sort of went downhill after that.
“She dropped the microphone, mumbled through her songs and occasionally disappeared, leaving her band to keep on playing,” one concertgoer said.
Serbian media described the concert as a “scandal” and a “disaster,” with newspaper Blic calling it “the worst in the history of Belgrade.” Blic posted a clip from the concert on its website, and a note that said: “Listen if you dare.”
London publicity company Outside Organization released a statement saying Winehouse decided to cancel appearances in Turkey June 20 and Greece June 22, claiming it would be “worked out as soon as possible” whether she would make the next scheduled date in Spain July 8.
The statement says she felt that canceling the shows was “the right thing to do.”
“Despite feeling sure that she wanted to fulfil these commitments, she has agreed with management that she cannot perform to the best of her ability and will return home,” it explained.
“Everyone is aware from the beginning that Amy Winehouse is a high cancellation risk,” said Nick Hobbs from Istanbul-based
“I know we were very excited to be a part of this tour,” said Baris Basaran of
“Amy is a great talent and it was worth taking the risk. This is not something that comes and hit you out of blue; you know there are risks involved when you book the act.
“It is a gamble where you lose or gain big time – unfortunately we lost this time,” he said.
Winehouse recently spent a week at a rehab program in London. Her 2006 breakthrough album Back to Black won five Grammy Awards, but her music in recent years has been overshadowed by her drug use and run-ins with the law.
Here’s some fan footage: