Despite hopes that she’s getting her life back on track; Amy Winehouse is back to her old tricks. She had been booked as the performer for the closing night of Island Records’ week-long series of concerts celebrating their 50th birthday. The final night is obviously the biggest, and it was quite the compliment to their opinion of Amy’s music and their confidence in her talent that they gave her the best slot. Unfortunately Amy pulled a Winehouse and can’t be bothered to show. Or even given an explanation.

The troubled singer has pulled out of her UK comeback gig, which was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Island Records

Amy Winehouse has cancelled her homecoming performance at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, which was due to take place on Sunday 31 May. The 25-year-old singer was scheduled to play her first UK gig of the year alongside Toots and the Maytals and I Blame Coco. The event would have been the final show in a week-long series curated by Island Records in celebration of their 50th birthday.

A statement released by Winehouse’s management said they “regretfully announced that Amy and her band will no longer be performing at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 31 May. Amy would like to apologise to her fans who bought tickets for the shows.” Ticket holders are eligble for refunds.

Winehouse is currently living on the Carribbean island of St Lucia, where she continues to work on her third album. She performed for the first time in several months at the island’s jazz festival earlier this month but abandoned the show prematurely, stating bad weather as the cause. However, reports have suggested that the audience booed Winehouse’s poor performance prior to her leaving the stage.

[From the Guardian]

An explanation of some sort would have been nice. But then again we all know what it is: Amy’s planning on being drunk that night. Whether she’s drunk because she’s got performance anxiety or just for the hell of it, that’s what’s ultimately on her datebook for May 31st.

Amy and her family are currently the subject of a documentary by Daphne Barak. It sounds very “all access” and real – Amy’s not known for bothering to put on pretenses.

Amy Winehouse will be the subject of a documentary tentatively titled “Saving Amy.” The troubled singer is being profiled by Israeli-American interviewer Daphne Barak for the film, which will be released later this year, according to Winehouse’s MySpace page.

“Amy and her family will be the subject of a new documentary later this year,” the MySpace blog post reads. “[Barak’s] subjects over the years have included celebrities, royalty, world leaders and international personalities. The journalist spent time with Amy and her family recently on St. Lucia, and in true honest to goodness Amy style, the doc will be a truthful and revealing look at her complicated life.”

Barak’s Web site features a photo of the journalist with Amy. In an interview with the U.K.’s Sunday Times, Barak recalled her time with Winehouse in St. Lucia and questioned whether Winehouse has really conquered her demons. She points out that Winehouse’s hands frequently shake when she goes to do something.

“When the food arrives, she insists on serving us,” Barak told the newspaper. “Because she is busy feeding us, no one seems to notice that she isn’t eating; she is just pushing the food around her plate. I wonder, not for the last time, if she has truly overcome her anorexia.”

Barak said Winehouse’s father isn’t sure she’s stopped drinking either, since she mysteriously disappears throughout the night. “She is childlike in her need for affection, constantly coming up to hug us,” she recalled. “Yet all through the evening, she keeps disappearing for a smoke or — as her father suspects — a drink.”

[From MTV News]

I will never understand Amy’s parents’ attitude towards dealing with her addictions. Either they don’t care or they’ve just thrown their hands up in the air and decided to ignore it. Her father Mitch is constantly seen escorting her to various rehabs, hospitals, and treatment centers. Yet that quote above about how he still suspects she’s sneaking away for a drink comes across as very cavalier.

Yesterday I heard “Tears Dry on their Own” on the radio, and realized I’d almost forgotten that Amy’s a singer. She’s much more famous now for being a lush than for her talent – which, in a short period of time, seems to have nearly dried up.

small>Amy Winehouse is shown in St. Lucia on 12/22/08 and 1/2/09. Credit: Bauergriffinonline.