Winehouse turns up late for vital gig

Amy Winehouse turned up late for her "make-or-break" gig in Lisbon yesterday.

The troubled singer had been instructed to prove her reliability at the Rock In Rio festival if she wanted her US tour to go ahead.

However, her comeback got off to a poor start when she failed to appear at the scheduled time of 10pm. Though the audience booed when there was no sign of Winehouse, she got a warm reception when she finally came on stage at 10.35pm.

Amy apologised for her lack of punctuality and told the audience that she had a sore throat which was making her voice weak. She later said that she "should have cancelled" her appearance.

Winehouse played a 55-minute set, which included her hit song 'Rehab'. She decided not to play an encore.

Reaction to the star's performance was mixed. One crowd member, 26-year-old Alexandra Marques, told the BBC: "It took so much time for her to come on - people were getting impatient. And her voice really wasn't in a good state."

Marta Hugens, 26, was also critical: "For someone who earns so much money, it shows a lack of respect for the public - although I suppose it was expected she'd make a scene."

Anabela Costa said that the singer's behaviour was not surprising: "I think she was how she is normally and that's all."

Winehouse was recently confirmed for Nelson Mandela's birthday gig in Hyde Park.