Fiona Apple was back on the stage on Monday evening (September 24, 2012), though did little to ease the concerns of her legion of fans by looking “worse for wear” and appearing “thinner than usual”, according to the New York Daily News.

It was Apple’s first public appearance since her release from jail earlier this month. The 35-year-old was arrested after being stopped at the Texas border and found to be in possession of hashish. She was promptly booked and spent an evening in the local county jail before being released on a $10,000 bond. Several days later, the singer-songwriter slammed law enforcements officials at her show in Houston, saying, “I want you to know that I heard everything you did. I wrote it all down with your names and everything you did and said, stupidly thinking that I couldn't hear or see you.” Rusty Fleming, of the Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Office was not amused and told Apple in an open letter to TMZ.com, “First, Honey, I'm already more famous than you, I don't need your help…However, it would appear that you need mine. Two weeks ago nobody in the country cared about what you had to say. Now that you've been arrested it appears your entire career has been jump started. Don't worry, Sweetie, I won't bill you.” Unsurprisingly the Daily Mail has also waded in on Apple’s appearance on Monday, describing her as looking “shockingly gaunt.”

The singer’s tour continues this week in Charlotte, Durham, Clearwater and Miami Beach. Her fourth studio album is out now – its title? ‘The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.’