"She'll never do another tour," grumbled a woman in the toilets after waiting an hour for Winehouse. "I'm not buying a ticket again."

Some fans were grumpy that the notorious wild child had not bothered to show up at 9.15pm and there were rumours that the music licence ended at 11pm so if she came out now, they would be sold short.

They were wrong. Winehouse appeared, splendid and sober, at 10.15pm and played a fabulous show with two encores which left the audience eating out of her hand.

Looking like butter wouldn't melt with a pink hair bow and a black and white polka dot dress, she played a faultless gig.

Her raspy and powerful voice, terrific stage presence, banter with the crowd and her habit of never playing the album version made her live show a million times better than listening at home.

There were all twelve songs from Back To Black, including Valerie as an encore. There were no tears for Blake, but Wake Up Alone was dedicated to him and other lyrics were changed.

From Frank, there was In My Bed and Cherry plus covers of Lauren Hill's Do Wop (That Thing) and Sam Cooke's Cupid.

She occasionally swigged from a glass that looked suspiciously like cola and the only rock-and roll-rebellion was the smell of someone in the audience breaking the smoking ban.

In the tabloids Amy has become a caricature and at other gigs she has apparently behaved like a diva. But in Brighton, she proved she can still turn on the talent and charm to win over anyone.