By Matt Elias

Well, the beautiful weather in London was short-lived, but that didn’t stop Amy Winehouse from soundchecking Friday in Hyde Park. Despite the drizzle, Amy (who was featured in a bizarre Rolling Stone article this week) is at least that much closer to performing at Friday night’s concert honoring Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday, which also features Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, Queen, Leona Lewis and the Soweto Gospel Choir. More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the show, according to CNN.

We weren’t on site for Winehouse’s soundcheck, so unfortunately we don’t have pictures. But a source confirmed that Winehouse was there, alive, and singing. She hit the stage during a break in the storm and performed “Rehab” — adding to the already obvious irony of the song selection, a bottle of vodka was sitting right next to her. Seriously!

(Britain’s Telegraph does have a shot of the singer apparently buying booze before soundcheck.)

The show’s finale is expected to be feature Queen, Winehouse and Jerry Dammers (of British ska legends the Specials) performing “Free Nelson Mandela,” a Dammers-penned song from 1984 that was quickly adopted as an anti-apartheid anthem at the time.

According to CNN, concert organizers say Mandela plans to use the concert to mark the beginning of his retirement.

“I am supposed to be retired, but my friends and the charitable organizations that bear my name want to use my 90th birthday year to raise funds to continue our work and so, of course, I want to help them,” he said in a statement released earlier this month. “So, we have a bargain — I am going to London and they will host a concert in Hyde Park, which will raise awareness of our continuing work and much-needed funds.”

Be sure to check back for a report on the show!