May 08, 2009 Amy Whinehouse in the rain

I am told Amy Winehouse ranks in the recent mtv poll of the top 10 albums of all time.  Up to Wednesday I would not have recognised her if I saw her, nor if I heard any of her songs would I have actually realised they were by her.  Fortunately The St Lucia Voice  carried a front page photo so I knew who to look out for at the Friday night segment of the St Lucia Jazz Fest.  Now, I heard various rumours about the girl: she had got herself sunburned, she had to be moved to a private villa due to her atrocious behavior in public, and that she was in rehab.  Sean and I were laying bets that she would be wasted (100%) and that as result she would be a no-show (undecided on that one).  

After taking 1.5 hours to get there we finally arrived just as Amy was due to take the stage.  Well at least she turned up.  What happened was surreal - just after she stumbled onto the stage (wasted alright) and the set got under the show stops mid song for her to tell us she was bored. Then the heavens opened.  I spent the next two songs huddled under an umbrella with water dripping down my side.  Luckily the camera crew next to us were deemed worthy of saving - another one of the crew brought over a huge Heineken Parasol which offered some shelter for the remainder of the gig. 

 And surreal it continued to be.   She kicked off her shoes and then cussed how she doesn't care she was short.  After that the lights went out, and to her credit Amy soldiered on, though by the time the lights came back up whatever was coursing through her system was clearly too much to handle. The highlight after that point was when she said she was going to sing a song that "isn't very good"  I had to pipe up, "well sing it to us anyway" which brought a few laughs from those around me. And that was the end of the "comeback". Well, while I won't be rushing to the shops based on that performance, I can just about see (hear?) that if she wasn't wasted her voice would be something to behold.

Fortunately ace zouk band Kassav stepped up to the plate next  - two keyboards, two drum kits, sax, trumpet, trombone, bass, guitar and four vocalists made for a high energy set.  Too bad the heavens opened again and we decided enough is enough and it was time to call it a night.