Abuse, anxiety, trauma. Hence the drugs.

Ever watch Joe Cocker? Some people just perform oddly, same with Radiohead. She was one of the greatest vocalists of all time, I miss her. It was really bad when she was drunk that’s for sure

Well she's a musician, she only needs to sound good, the rest is redundant.

Idk I’d say putting on live performances is part of being a musician as a career. People can make and release music without the skills to put in a good live performance but it’s part of the job if someone chooses it as a career choice and signs on to a major label.

I don’t think anyone needs to be mainstream pop star level dancing or engaging but, it the eye contact in particular was just difficult to watch. I can only guess that her team would have worked on improving that if they didn’t have to focus so much on getting her sober and healthy.

Came to say this.

She was likely acutely aware of the way she appeared on stage and that almost certainly added to her difficulties which in turn led to/increased her dependence on substances that dulled those feelings and fears.

It is a vicious cycle and it is painful to watch someone deal with it.

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I’m not familiar with Joe Cocker performances, no, I’ve seen Radiohead perform though and sure, there are odd performers but I wouldn’t say Thom Yorke is hard to watch perform. He’s engaging, but odd sure.

Amy was hard to watch, mainly due to the darting eye contact.

Her voice though. 🎤🤩

Oh I know, she was a standout artist. I’ve enjoyed her music for years now but never bothered looking at her performances. I was surprised that such a mainstream artist didn’t have more of a pop star presence. Not necessarily dancing to choreo but like, commanding the audience’s attention so to speak.

Darting eye contact was more than likely the drugs, and alcohol. She also had horrible stage fright, which may also contribute to this. I was saying Yorke is hard is watch, just saying unusual.

Saw one of her last performances (Bestival, Isle of Wight) and it was painful. The crowd really wanted her to be good and were supportive as hell, but she was just gone. Real shame as she definitely had great talent.

Oh yeah I mean many of her performances were a mess because of her unfortunate addictions. But even her small scale performances that were recorded prior to being signed had this distinct uncomfortability to them that I wasn’t expecting to see

Such a shame on so many levels

Yeah she never really liked performing on stage she was uncomfortable with it for sure. And while you mentioned her great voice, there's something you didn't mention that's the reason why she was so special. When she sang, all the angst, pain, trauma, whatever she went through, all of those things were in her music and voice. It was incredible what she did.

I can pretty easily imagine myself as a musician and performing would be my least favorite by a landslide. Her discomfort with it so evident.

Yes her voice is really the reason why she got any fame at all IMO. I did fail to mention her talent as a lyricist! The words were perhaps a bit simple but she knew her vocal emotionality would add all the necessary subtext. And in general I think she had a natural skill for saying a whole lot with few words in her songs.

This is why I liked her so much. All that pain, angst, etc. You literally could feel it in her music.

This.Shame on her handlers/dad /whoever who let it contiue.Was never a huge fan-but watched the docs and really liked her.Am ex addict.Someone should have turned the cameras off...but,you know,$$$

Amy was awkward and lovable. Damaged but kind. Her voice got her to fame, but her pain informed her art and that includes her discomfort with performances. Seeing her on stage sober despite that made me love her more. That was a challenge and she did it anyway.

In a variety of interviews you can see she had low self esteem. Amy was exploited like a cash cow and her story gives me a visceral reaction every time I think of her.

Except that she wasn't at all like that in 2004:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDghKCo8xv4

There's a couple of videos online of her in rehab (mixed reports) recording acoustic versions of A couple of songs and she just looks so far gone it hurts

I saw her live in fairly small venues a few times before she really blew up and she was amazing. She was throwing candy out to the crowd and was cracking jokes. Her 3 backup guys were phenomenal and played off of her very well (they would end up being the saving grace of her later performances) I always loved her quirks, I mean she had a four foot beehive, she was odd, but historically, being odd makes for a great performer. Watching her decline was devastating. I’m a huge fan.

I guess it depends on the performances and perspective? I don't feel like I've seen too many where she seemed odd but I purposely avoid ones people label with her being high / on drugs. I don't want to see her like that because that's someone who had a lot to offer and I'm not going to let that detract from her legacy for me.

I always wished Amy, Duffy and Paloma could've done something together as the women dominating that soulful vintage R&B sound.

She still has weird eye contact. She may have had stage fright. I think she did, iirc.

She didn’t want to be famous, she just loved music, it is what it is

As I read these comments I think my surprise was really just that.

I was a teen when she was at her peak of celebrity and just assumed she was so famous because she had that “star quality” meaning she was a natural born performer with a brilliantly jazzy voice.

Now that I’ve explored more of her life and work this past year I was very much not expecting her to be such a normal person who just wanted to make and sing songs for herself.

There’s a story that she needed to get away from it all and wanted to go to the Caribbean and just hide out for a while. She took her dad along who, true to form, invited a film crew. That’s the kind of shit she had to deal with.

This is it. She conveyed the emotion so well, something I find lacking from many of the vocal gymnastics divas that, while technically impressive, will never be truly great. It’s soul. She puts me in mind of someone like Nina Simone.

You are right about everything.

Always... XD

Haha