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Amy Winehouse faces a £1 million bill if she axes the biggest shows of her career after a shambolic opening night of her British tour.

The top-selling star staggered about the stage, slurred her words and called the audience “mugs” for buying tickets for her concert in Birmingham. It was no way to celebrate the biggest headline show of Winehouse’s career, a sell-out in front of 8,500 fans. A number of people in the audience responded by booing the singer.

Unlike Pete Doherty, Winehouse’s “car-crash” lifestyle has fuelled record sales and demands to see her perform. More than 50,000 fans have bought tickets for the 17-date tour, which is expected to gross £1,125,000.

Winehouse’s award-winning album Back To Black has sold 3.3 million copies worldwide. It is the biggestselling album of the year in Britain, with 1.2 million sales. Despite a number of cancelled shows Metropolis Music, her promoter, has stood by her. The singer has been dogged by reports of marital strife and drug use.

But Winehouse’s tour manager, Thom Stone, has now resigned, claiming that he passively inhaled heroin while it was being smoked on the singer’s bus. He is believed to have a doctor’s note stating that there were traces of the drug in his system after Winehouse and her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were arrested with cannabis in Norway last month.

Those with her best interests at heart say that now is the time for Winehouse to quit the stage and deal with her demons, despite the prohibitive cost of axeing the tour. A spokesman for Winehouse said that she was determined to continue, although she remains in a precarious emotional state while Fielder-Civil is in prison.

She performed in Birmingham after visiting Fielder-Civil at Pentonville Prison in London. He was remanded in custody this week on charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to a case of grevious bodily harm. Disgruntled fans posted website messages after the gig at the Indoor Arena, Birmingham, at which Winehouse, 24, appeared incoherent.

Some fans walked out, but the singer completed her performance. She dedicated a song to her husband but, following jeers from the crowd, she said: “If you’re booing you’re a mug for buying a ticket. Second, to all those booing, just wait till my husband gets out of incarceration.”

Disappointed fans posted responses on Times Online. Annie, from Birmingham, wrote: “I could not understand a word she was slurring, she could barely stand up, and it was embarrassing for the band who were desperately trying to keep the show going.”

Another member of the audience wrote: “Sorry Amy, but sort yourself out for your own sake. I will be writing asking for my money back.”

Winehouse is due to perform tonight in Glasgow. Her closest confidantes are sceptical that she will complete the tour. A spokesman for Winehouse said: “She told her management that she wants to carry on. If anyone told her to stop and rest, it would only make her more determined to do it.”

Friends said that Winehouse was upset after the prison visit and drank heavily during the Birmingham gig.

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