Good evening, i am sat in the dressing room of the Bowery Ballroom in New York.
We've been in New York since yersterday and i'm always so happy to be here.
We arrived from Philadelphia yesterday afternoon and the guys and i went out for nice meal and then i got an early night, and still managed to sleep thru to 12pm.

Tonight I am going to be on the Craig Ferguson show on CBS for all who want to see it and on Friday i am going to be on the Ellen show which is super. My 2 US TV debuts :-)

We started the tour off in San Francisco, which seems like an age ago now but it was a great show, and what was even more exciting was in the San Francisco Virgin megastore, there was a massive display for me. I had a huge poster and a listening booth for people to listen to my music. Simple things like that make me happy :-)

Over the past few years i have worked so hard and in Europe it's starting to really pay off. I am so proud of everything i've achieved. It's strange to be starting over again and playing tiny venues in the US, but you have to start somewhere.
I have gigged and gigged and gigged some more and i have a real sense of achievement. I dont see the sense in being hyped up and instantly playing to 5000 people, where is the fun in that? My band and i have so many happy memories of playing in tiny, empty venues and we all feel so happy to have come so far together.

A year ago, we played a European tour. Every gig was half empty and the venues were very small. Next month we start another European tour, most of the venues have been upgraded and we're now playing in places that are around 3000 capacity.
In November we play to a sold out audience of 5500 in Holland, compared to 100 people last year.

I just want to say a huge thankyou to everyone who has supported me, and all the labels around the world that have kept putting their time and effort into my music, even when things weren't going so well. Everyone's effort has really payed off and lets hope this time next year, i'm writing a blog about how well things are going in the US.

So back to now. Today i had a great wee day to myself. I had to go to Macys and buy a new suitcase as mine had started to fall to bits. It was literally being held together by Bright Green Gaffer tape - the glamorous life of a pop star eh? :-)
The thing i hate about the American department stores is that they are sooo bloody huge! I was constantly getting lost, dragging a massive suitcase thru the lingerie department. It reminded me of an episode of Father Ted!
When i finally got to the ground floor, i was getting pushed and pulled in every direction. Out of nowhere there was a sudden influx of hundreds of people, all rushing in the same direction. There were then flashes and people shouting and i came to the conclusion that there was somebody 'famous' in there. I will never understand this. I don't see what makes that person(whoever it was) any better than anyone else. Celebrity is a weird thing which i will never get my head round.

The past few gigs have been quite tricky as i've got something weird happening with my throat, it felt like tonsilitis at first but now just feels like there is something lodged in there. It's a nightmare. I've been feeling pretty run down the past few days but i think i'm finally coming out of it.

I'm really looking forward to getting home now, even if it is only for one day, the UK dates start as soon as we get home.

I can't wait to have some time to myself and go and see some football matches ;-)
Stevie has now scored twice for Falkirk and i haven't been there :-(

Anyway I best be off.

Amy xx