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Ravaged Amy Winehouse gives her best snarl on the eve of her 25th birthday
Last updated at 02:01am on 13.09.08
It comes to something when the pin-up girl tattooed on your arm looks better turned out than you do.
Even by her own standards, Amy Winehouse appeared underdressed and dishevelled as she cut a tragic figure stumbling through a Camden pub crawl.
Although she celebrates her 25th birthday tomorrow, the singer's hollow cheeks and tangled mass of hair extensions made her look much older.
Amy Winehouse and Mick from Babyshambles leaving the Monarch pub in north London.
She arrived two hours late for a performance at the Snakehips session alongside DJ Bioux at her local pub, The Monarch, in North London on Thursday night.
The organisers were forced to announce: 'Miss Winehouse is sorry she will be late.'
But this did little to appease an already angry audience.
Mess: Amy Winehouse looked dishevelled as she walked through London's Camden last night
A source revealed: 'The pub was packed at first, until people started to get restless. Many decided to leave before Amy arrived, which left the pub looking quite empty.
After singing just two songs, she left the stage, muttering to the disgruntled crowd: 'Thanks for coming down. Much obliged.'
She appeared distracted throughout the brief set as she chatted to her close pal, musician Alex Wood.
Wreck: Amy headed home from the Monarch pub at 3.30am
The troubled star, who has fought an addiction to heroin and crack cocaine for more than a year, is acquiring something of a reputation for disappointing her fans.
Last week she was booed at a festival after she struggled to finish her set.
Winehouse is also facing a legal challenge after not turning up to the Rock En Seine festival in Paris last month.
Ravaged: Amy arrived two hours late for her DJ set
Last week the Rehab singer emerged from her North London bolthole to appear at Bestival on the Isle of Wight - but her shambolic performance was booed by fans.
Her disappointing show came as little surprise considering she'd pre-ordered an incredible 48 bottles of Jack Daniel's whisky.
It has been a disastrous year for the once hugely successful star.
In June she was given the stark warning by doctors to 'quit drugs or die' and at the end of that month she was diagnosed with the early stages of the lung disease emphysema.
Unsteady: The singer struggled to stay upright
However as soon as she left the clinic, the 24-year-old star was seen smoking a cigarette.
In April 2008 she was cautioned by police for assault after she slapped a man on a night out.
She was investigated by police, although not charged, after a tabloid newspaper published a video that appeared to show her smoking crack cocaine in January.
Her husband Blake Fielder-Civil was also sentenced to 27 months in jail for assault and obstructing justice in July.
Fielder-Civil admitted beating up pub manager James King in a fight in 2006 and then offered him a bribe of £200,000 to keep quiet about it.
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Reader views (22)
perfect poster campaign on anti-drugs and premature aging. She looks like a hagard horse.
- Chic, London
I pray for her. Drugs do the worst things to the nicest people. I see her getting better and living in the country and being happy. She obviously has a broken heart. Just hold on girl.
- Rebecca, San Francisco, CA. USA
Spiralling into hell. It's happened to many before her and the pictures tell all.
- Tony, Toronto, Canada
Hopefully for her she finds some therapy that works. She looks in a pathetic state no matter who good her voice. To be frank it's a free country and she's got to take full responsibility for her actions. No more newsprint hopefully for the rest of us wasted on so banal a subject.
Reprobate.
- Solidstate, LONDON, UK
Lars in 10 years time she'll be dead, nice idea though.
Am selling her life expectancy at 180 days
- Nick, London
Such a shame that someone so naturally gifted with a beautiful voice will probably end up dead sooner rather than later, I feel gutted for her, she looks desperate and helpless I cant help thinking that that twat of a boyfriend was the start of her problems and will be the end of her, funny how he 'came back' to her just as her career took off and since he came back to her she has been sinking ever faster into her current desperate state. I hope you sink no further Amy and you have a long and prosperous life.
- Crownose, West Drayton, London, England
I have never been in close contact with anyone with a drug problem of this magnitude, but it seems obvious that anyone that does this to themself at this extreme, can not control their actions. Amy needs help or she will die. I am not a religious person, but this is definitely a time for prayer.
- Shannon, San Diego, Ca
addiction is a nasty thing. If that person doesn't want the help being offered - there is nothing anyone can do short of locking her up!
- Joe, London, UK
John, what an odd take on achievement. The poor thing is a human wreck who once could hold a tune.
- Cynthia, Boston USA
In ten years time she'll be on Parkinson recounting witty anecdotes about her experiences with drugs.
Yawn.
Why does the word 'Shergar' keep popping into my head ?
- Lars Noquestions, London
Sandra from London - you have obviously never suffered, or had anyone close to you ever suffer, any form of addiction. Yes, Amy Winehouse is an absolute mess, but she is also a very lost soul with a serious drink and drug addiction. What she needs is help, not judgement, but sadly, until she is ready to see that for herself, nobody and nothing can help her. I personally wish her all the best in her search for sobriety.
- Kate, London
if photos like that don't shock you into sobriety - what will? A hideous drug addled mess. Sort it out wino !
- Emma, London
Sandra from London - you have obviously never suffered, or had anyone close to you ever suffer, any form of addiction. Yes, Amy Winehouse is an absolute mess, but she is also a very lost soul with a serious drink and drug addiction. What she needs is help, not judgement, but sadly, until she is ready to see that for herself, nobody and nothing can help her. I personally wish her all the best in her search for sobriety.
- Kate, London
this is not a tragedy...a tragedy is a mother of 3 dying of breast cancer, a tragedy is thousands of people dying in an earthquake, a tragedy is a baby with a brain tumor. People get a grip.
- Judy Straw, UK
So nice for people like Sandra to flick through her celebrity gossip pages and haughtily pass judgement on those who have achieved more than her.
- John Entwistle, Hertford
Honestly---how can anyone who knows her let her go out anymore??? Why are they not trying to save her??
She is clearly an absolute mess now and just needs to be taken away to somewhere noone knows her so she can try and regain some control over her life.
- Bex, London, London
She is starting to look like Pete Burns!
- Hazel Morris, UK
What an absolute tragedy, she looks so old and she used to be so beautiful.
Why can no-one intervene to section her?
- Jc, London
Is it just me, or does she look like a cracked out drag queen? Put down the bottle already!
- Marie, Gainesville, FL US
Once the drugs take hold you are screwed.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Dear God,
If pictures like that don't shock you into sobriety, what will. R I P.
- Emma, London
The headlines soon will be a lot more tragic. What a selfish person she is, such talent and to waste it.
- Sandra, London
