Let’s not give Britney another nervous breakdown

Dan says:

06:55am | 09/11/09

Is this really as big an issue as you make it out to be? Or more to the point, does Britney care? She’s unlikely to read the Daily Telegraph, or any other Australian paper for that matter, and if the story about WA fans demanding refunds is false, then why should she care about that? My guess is that she’s come here simply to do the shows, will make alot of money, and will then leave. I doubt that her mental health will be threatened by what the media in a (relatively) small country on the other side of the world thinks about her.

danj says:

07:26am | 09/11/09

Not a fan of Britney, but can’t believe how hard the media is going at her. What did she ever do to them?

Peter Thornton says:

07:42am | 09/11/09

In words so simple that even the average Britney fan can understand them: I just don’t get Britney Spears. I never have. Maybe in 30 years time a certain nostalgic spin could be applied to her entirely underwhelming entertainment contribution. But really, what is she? Just another attention seeker in a world overflowing with attention seekers. modern thinking suggests that stars of today should come complete with drug addiction, eating disorders and vast emotional problems and that such things are merely symptoms of a single, underlying problem which we all identify with. Yeah…Life: it’s a terminal disease. Just bloodywell get on with it.

Ruth says:

07:45am | 09/11/09

So close on the tail of Pink’s successful tour of Australia, Britney has her work cut out for her anyway.

Charntel says:

07:51am | 09/11/09

Top Cure reference. It’s dead true! I can’t think of many bands that could belt out three whole albums at cd quality in one stint. No lip synching there..As Kyle (or was it stan?) said: “Disintegration is the best album ever!”

Drew says:

09:00am | 09/11/09

absolutely agree. hit the nail on the head perfectly on all accounts! the one claim that stuns me is that she was singing with her back was to the audience. Its a ROUND stage people, last I checked its hard to be looking 360 degrees at the same time, she moved around the stage all night and dance breaks were shared amongst all parts of the stage. I had a good time, Ive grown up with her for 10 years or so and it was my first chance to see her and thats what I got. I just think that this fiasco might have blown any chance we have of seeing her again (or even finishing the tour)

Peter Thornton says:

09:10am | 09/11/09

Unsurprisingly Pink gets a mention…

Plus, this just in: ‘I’ve grown up with her’

God save us from ourselves. What a sookfest!

Jolanda says:

09:31am | 09/11/09

I think that in Australia people can be very cruel.  It goes against what we present as our culture of a fair go. 

Some havent even given her a chance to warm up and given what she has been though things wouldn’t be easy.  Those who bought tickets knew that she mimed - whats the big deal?  Surely there are other more important stories to cover like for instance bias, manipulation and corruption in our Education system and an administrative process of complaint handling that is set up to cover up and deny complainants procedural fairness and natural justice.

Education - Keeping them Honest
http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/education/
Our children deserve better

sam goodall says:

10:03am | 09/11/09

She is hot and THE pop princess!  Media people are just a bunch of losers who somehow try to make a living by writing about her.

N says:

10:07am | 09/11/09

I am so sick and tired of Australian’s proving everyone right, we are the BIGGEST whinges in the world!
If you don’t like Britney, DON’T GO TO HER CONCERT!!!!!!!!!!!
Is it really that hard to understand?
I was at the Pink concert and she didn’t sing every song live.
Australian’s will never learn their lesson, even when all artists refuse to come to this country because they are going to be treated in the most disrepectable ways!

Once again, I reiterate,

IF YOU DON’T LIKE HER, DON’T GO TO HER CONCERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peter Thornton says:

10:16am | 09/11/09

There’s one sure way to determine whether or not you’re at a lousy gig. Look at your ticket. Does it say Britney Spears, Pink et al? Boom! There’s your evidence. It’s not hard - and I’m sure those three words are regularly heard by Britney & Pink fans.

Carry on.

Stephen Pickells says:

10:16am | 09/11/09

I don’t see a problem with lip-synching. Britney’s is a visual show. When you’re trying to dance and sing at the same time, your breathing is all over the place and it just doesn’t sound very good. Even Liza Minelli switched to playback during her more vigorous numbers. You can see it in “Liza With a Z” which was filmed over 35 years ago. There was a campaign back in the 80s to “Keep Music Live” in pubs. The trouble is that the sound systems available were so inadequate that the shows often sounded like crap. On the other hand, I was dragged along to see Joe Jackson perform at the Entertainment Centre. It was technically perfect but utterly boring. The musicians just stood there and they might as well have been miming to a CD.

Kimberley says:

10:22am | 09/11/09

This article is ridiculous. Painting Britney as a helpless victim. She’s not helpless and I’m sure she’s not hiding out as media suggests, she’s just in her hotel counting her money! If Britney is so vulnerable and fragile why is she out touring the world charging $1500 for ‘love seats’!! $200 to see her lip sync and barely interact with the crowd is a rip off and that’s just for the cheap seats! She puts herself in the position to be harshly judged by charging large amounts of money to see her perform ‘live’. If she is not ready, then she should not tour. Listing to her numerous mistakes does not make people fell sorry for her, it only proves my point more. If she wants to sell her tour as a fantastic live show, people deserve to see that. I have seen Christina Aguilera perform live and she had a very active show, with a lot of dancing, a lot of special effects and she still managed to sing live - very well!We can not continue to baby Brittney through and tell her that near enough is good enough, when she still expects to be treated the same way as other artists, charging the same amount (or even a lot more) then other artists. If she needs to be rested and look after her children and get over her rehab stints, then she should go do that. But for now, she has made a choice to stay in this harsh business. She’s made her bed, time to lie in it.

Janette says:

10:27am | 09/11/09

In 3 words… Tall poppy syndrome

Bruce says:

10:29am | 09/11/09

This issue is getting what you paid for. Promoters must inform the public that “Lipsinking” is involved and then price the tickets accordingly. Do this and poor Bwitney will not have a “hissy fit”. Neither will the public.

She's just eye candy people! says:

10:33am | 09/11/09

Fools and their money are easily parted.

Nowadays they run to the media but those who complain are so talentless they lack the ability to pull off a “chk chk boom” kind of story.  That’s the amusing irony of it all, their complaints are so pathetically contrived they make Britney look like Audrey Hepburn…

Jimmy says:

10:39am | 09/11/09

Any excuse to push your own agenda, right Jolanda?

Sorry guys, but Britney is past it (not even really sure she had “it” to begin with really), and if she can’t handle the rigors of touring and actually singing, then she should do what every other pop tart eventually does: retire. And end up on Herbalife ads.

Just sayin’

PdM says:

10:42am | 09/11/09

Sorry but if you put your self out there and charge like a wounded bull , you better have the goods. otherwise go home and find a new career. If she lip syncs some of the songs because she put on a high energy show ( as suggested ) then you could MAYBE say ok , but it isnt.. If she has a nervous breakdown because people complain then she better toughen up.. THIS ISNT MICKEY MOUSE CLUB.  Im sure she can console herself .. with her money..
SHE IS NOT A VICTIM , she is a willing participant in her life, she could just stop singing…. or lip syncing as it were.. her father controls her money because she has proved she is incapable.. Bad reviews are part of the business ask any formidable entertainer…

Kat says:

10:46am | 09/11/09

I do get the point of her being a bit fragile and don’t like the side of it all that more pressure to live up to the public’s expectations could have damaging consequences for her as a human being.

But at the same time, I think she should be held accountable as she is charging people so they can come watch her not only lipsynch, but also underperform too.  As is being compared again and again, Pink pulled off a 55 date tour hanging upside down for parts all completely live.  And she’s older than Britney and been through some personal issues herself over the past few years including a marriage breakdown too.

I just don’t get WHY we shouldn’t be allowed to be upset though.  Why should we not be able to expect more from our artists?  We are the customers who spend heaps of money on their products and Britney charges more for her product then Pink did for hers so by logic you should get more or better quality right?  If a product was shoddy or faulty and charging a lot of money for it people would be in an uproar about it and that’s what this is all about.

As much as I wouldn’t want to see anything terrible happen to Britney from the pressure I think it’s wrong that the ‘customers’ who want to be able to expect more are the ones that are being made out to be the bad guys now and not the product that isn’t delivering.

Rob says:

10:47am | 09/11/09

I think we have already seen the best of her . Nudge,nudge, wink, wink know what i mean eh?

Liz says:

10:54am | 09/11/09

The Stones do it,most do it, what’s the fuss were the public naive enough to think she charged all this money to see her sing live? If she’s not fit enough she shouldn’t be here.

Bateman says:

10:58am | 09/11/09

Spears has sought out and exploited the attention of the media to her own ends in order to fuel her “music” career. She can’t then ask for privacy when that beast uses her for it’s own ends.

She’s a talentless trollop that lived off the hype afforded her by her braindead teeniebopper fans who jumped on to the popular bandwagon.

This is not news

Ka. says:

11:02am | 09/11/09

Actually, N, I don’t think you were at the Pink concert. Or at least not paying attention - she did sing EVERY SONG live.

Unless you actually took her joking about lip synching after one song seriously??? In which case, all I have to say is pay more attention next time.

As for Britney… I think it’s fairly weak to lip synch and charge the prices she does, but to be fair - did anyone expect anything any different? It’s not the massive story it’s being made out to be. Britney is - at the very best - just an entertainer. If she entertains her fans with her show and they’re happy, then great, end of story.

Peter Thornton says:

11:01am | 09/11/09

Pink is the kind of act appreciated by bogans who think they’re intellectuals.

BA-HA-HA-HA!

cate swannell says:

11:41am | 09/11/09

come on Sam, get serious. how can you defend this kind of crap over-priced stadium pretence hard on the heels of Pink’s epic tour where she sang every note live while hanging upside down 30 feet up when she wasn’t dancing her ass off? please. britney is worthy but in no way, shape or form a live performer worth the kind of money she is asking. if the realities of that depress her, well, shit eh. welcome to reality Ms Spears, where the rest of us have to deal with the fact that we might not be the duck’s nuts our ‘friends’ have been telling us we are since we were 15. get real. if i’m gonna fork out $200 for a concert, you had better be the real deal.

baffled says:

11:56am | 09/11/09

Brintey who ??

Musician says:

12:08pm | 09/11/09

“The musicians just stood there and they might as well have been miming to a CD. “

The hallmark of a great musician is one who can replicate their music LIVE as is on the cd WITHOUT miming or sync;‘ing

Steve Smith says:

12:31pm | 09/11/09

People who aren’t going to see her, yet still complain just sound like a bunch of pretentious wankers.

Carry on with this topic.. clean up stains when your all done.

Peter Thornton says:

12:37pm | 09/11/09

In 2006 i left Australia, traveled approximately 12,000 miles to England and married. In 2009 i returned. Alone.

During my time in England, while participating in a discussion on music, my wife spoke the words that eventually estranged us:

‘i like some of the stuff Britney is doing.’

there is a limit to the amount of altruism that a bit of middle class guilt can induce.

Jason Ealey says:

12:38pm | 09/11/09

LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!

All pop stars use backing tracks of some description- ALL of them.

Those of us stupid enough ( me included) to spend $200 on a Britney concert are there to be part of a pop cultural moment.  Who really cares if she is singing live?  The crowd of gay men and 13 yeard old girls wont care. Im always quite underwhelmed by the Beyonces and the Kylies and their overall live singing ability anyway. Broken-down Britney has risen from the drug and crazy fuelled ashes and we love tragic celebrities that come back again and again and again.  Of course, Britney is the curtain raiser for Whitney and oh mama, we’ll all be there for that one too. Well some of us will.

Metey says:

12:41pm | 09/11/09

Uh, Bruce…. it’s ‘lipsynching’ not ‘lipsinking’.

MJ of Brisbane says:

12:46pm | 09/11/09

So does she lip-synch because her routine is so vigorous? Wouldn’t fans prefer her just prancing around stage while her dancers do all the work if she actually got to sing?
This is a debate about value. We don’t see the value in paying a lot for a ticket, where the artist doesn’t sing and big stage screens show (us in the nosebleed section) not the artist, but other images in relation to the theme of the performance.
we want to SEE and HEAR our fave artists belt out our fave songs if we pay to see them in concert. I agree with some CD assistance to avoid fatigue, some of these shows (i.e Beyonce, Kylie etc) are massive productions, but at least they talk to us live saying “I love you (insert city)” , then I think .. ok the mic isn’t just a prop ok..
All the best to Britney for the remaining shows, take it as a kick up the bum, not a kick in the teeth, and sit down with the managers and show producers and say - well let’s fix this.

EnoughAlready says:

12:55pm | 09/11/09

This non-story is really all about Britney being punished by the Australian media for not agreeing to any interviews with the Australia media.  Believe me, if there were Australia journalists waiting on a scheduled interview as part of the tour process when she is in town, you wouldn’t be hearing about this .... they wouldn’t dare jeopardise their access! Talk about biting the hand that feeds you ....

Brad Coward says:

01:00pm | 09/11/09

Britney Spears is merely another graduate from the Milli Vanilli Talent School !  There are quite a number of other graduates currently enjoying chart and financial success for their trouble.

Metey says:

01:15pm | 09/11/09

Sorry,that should be…..‘Brintey whom’......
Thanks….

Andrew says:

01:41pm | 09/11/09

@ peter thornton.
What is your issue? Some sort of deep seated hatred of people enjoying music you dont? The only problem I see with your comment is “In 2009 I returned”. This argument about who’s music is better is meaningless, the issue that is raised in this article is the person’s mental health (and yes, she is a person). All pop singers lip sync or let their backup singers take over at one stage or another because they are breathless or need to swallow spit etc. As far as Britney is concerned, what is failed to be mentioned is that the Saturday concert was improved with more screens and more interaction in response to the criticism, which shows maturity on the tour’s part, since she has probably done this exact same show about 200 times before and hasnt got the level of criticism she received on the weekend. Australia loves a tall poppy to tear down, its part of the national psyche, maybe the public will tear her down enough that she becomes an underdog and people can start rooting for her then? What a joke.

Ro says:

01:57pm | 09/11/09

Totally agree with this article. Australians are very critical people, I can say that as I’m one of them. I’m embarrassed by the way people are acting over this actually, especially while she’s here on tour. How is she going to get out and give us the best show she can within the intended parameters if she feels like we’re all against her? Do we really want to be responsible for any reversal of her road to recovery? If you don’t want to go to her show because it’s not your cup of tea, fine, but just shut up and let the rest of us enjoy it.

steve says:

02:01pm | 09/11/09

Very good write up. Britney’s a popular artist which makes her a popular target for critisism. Like her or hate her but noone deserves the kind of crap she has to deal with. She’s not allowed a second of privacy and people wonder why she’s so messed up? If anyone who wasn’t a celebrity had to deal with those constant intrusions in to their private life they’d scream bloody murder over it and the personal rights advocates would be out in force.
She’s done nothing (with the lip synching) that hasn’t been done by numerous other artists. 20 years ago people were making the same complaints about Janet Jackson. I really can’t understand why people are so shocked by what is really standard for most performers who include energetic dancing in their acts.
And let’s give the Pink comparisons a rest. Really not the same music genre and not the same sort of performance. It’s like comparing Beetles and AC/DC. Both successful and popular but not the same sort of performers.

Peter Thornton says:

02:45pm | 09/11/09

“This argument about who’s music is better is meaningless,”

On the subj. of meaningless…

Only a Britney fan. Only a Britney fan.

Mickey says:

02:51pm | 09/11/09

Steve, you cant be serious. You are right. Most people would cry foul over the treatment if they were on the receiving end. But i would venture most people would put up with it if also given the massive financial rewards. This is her job. And in the real world, do a crap job and you will hear about it.
  The comparison to Pink is also valid. A female vocalist that is able to provide an active performance while singing. Its Britneys camp that started this ball rolling by stating she couldnt be expected to sing and dance at the same time. Well, obviously it is possible. If the level of talent is sufficient.

Bateman says:

03:05pm | 09/11/09

Steve Smith says:12:31pm | 09/11/09
Did you vote for Obama or George W. Bush? Did you vote for their opponents?
Unless you did I hope that you have never mentioned or criticised any of their policies, actions or statements

Bruce says:

03:06pm | 09/11/09

Metey. Yes, thats right ! “Lipsinking”.....also notice “Bwitney”. Humour Metey ! Just fishing or is it fisching ???? Caught one !

H says:

03:14pm | 09/11/09

Instant respect to the author for mentioning the trilogy gig

Ryan says:

03:24pm | 09/11/09

The problem is that she is coming shortly after Beyonce and Pink have performed shows blew people away. They sung, danced and interacted with the audience. Britney didn’t sing, danced (albeit poorly) and didn’t interact with the audience at all. Additionally, the whole audience could see them due to big screens focussing on them, whereas Britney opted for screensavers to save the embarressment of lip syncing - the end result being half of the audience barely being able to see her.
Regardless of how you frame it, it was an appalling show. Just because she has a history of lip synching is not an excuse.

Adam says:

03:26pm | 09/11/09

I am offended that people call that dancing, Britney cannot dance so that’s no reason not to sing. Posing and posturing like a cover girl..that she can do well and if that is all her fans demand of her let me pay and enjoy, like it or not music lovers and people who care too much.

Steve Smith says:

03:32pm | 09/11/09

@Batemate: When did Obama tour Australia? I would have loved to have seen that concert! I must have completely missed the George W gig, I’m not the biggest fan of his.. but would have gone for the experience.

Sheldon says:

03:35pm | 09/11/09

We expected her to lip synch tonight (Saturday), but even that failed to produce any form of “vocal” coherance in its delivery. It was impossible to comprehend the words belching out of the speakers. It took us quite a while to realise the songs she was (not) singing. At our area alone of 100 patrons, at least 10 people left half way through the concert, including a bevy of well dressed girls all in arms with exasperation. In fact the best part of the concert was the recorded rock smashing version of Sweet Dreams originally sung Eurythmics. Oops she did it again! (actually she didnt sing this anthem).

Kate says:

03:45pm | 09/11/09

Saw the show twice on the weekend and have to say the miming isn’t the problem. Knew about it, expected it and wasn’t disappointed. The problem was with no screens up you couldn’t see a damn thing from more than a metre away from the stage. Paying $200 for so-called “Diamond” seats and not knowing which blonde on stage was Britney… That’s why the real fans who were there were disappointed.

binn says:

04:16pm | 09/11/09

pink had pre-recorded tracks, too, to help her out when she couldn’t make all the notes… and madonna, and so many other pop singers.  everyone’s just picking on britney coz she’s made more money than us common people, and is such an easy target.

i went to the friday night britney concert at loved it!  if you had crap seats and oucldn’t see anything, that’s your own fault, not hers.  i’d rather her lip synch than sing poorly like gwen stefani, coz she danced heaps (and in HEELS the WHOLE time).  it was more of a show, rather than a concert, but it was well worth my $120. didn’t care that she didn’t interact with the audience much.  it’s like when you to see a ballet - you don’t expect the dancers to talk to the crowd.  and we all knew she was going to lip sync, so we didn’t really expect more than that.  i would’ve been outraged if she just stood still with just a microphone and lip synched without dancing at all.  then that would’be been totally inexcusable. 

but she hardly walked a single normal step - she always skipped around from stage to stage in those high heels - i was so impressed by that, as most women i see walking down the street on the way to work can’t even walk normally in their heels - they always have their knees bent weird and walk like they’re retarded.  so yes, very impressed that she danced her ass off and skipped in those heels so naturally.

her performance was energetic, and so were the circus acts - so much was going on at one time that sometimes you didn’t know where to look coz i wanted to watch everything.

apparently britney did sing one song - every time.  she did sound good, but a few notes were a bit off-key - doubt that they’d play that out loud if it were just a recording, coz wouldn’t she pick a better recording then?

Graham says:

04:22pm | 09/11/09

It seems that we have a generational thing here.  Seems that the kids really don’t have a clue about good artists.  Britanny Spears mimes because she can’t sing to the level that is achieved in the recording studio, and if you are prepared to pay a Kings ransom to see someone with very little talent on stage, then more fool you.  I have seen many great acts over the years.  The Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond, Simon & Garfunkel, INXS with the late Michail Hutchance, U2, David Bowie & Dire Straits to name just a few.  They all sung live.  The best of the lot was seeing Cat Stevens at the Horden Pavilion with just himself and his guitar on stage for a number of songs.
These people didn’t have to mime as they had the talent to backup what were they were doing.  Brittany has very little talent, and if she wasn’t an American she wouldn’t have the hype around her to continue with this charade.

realist says:

04:30pm | 09/11/09

Personally I think it’d be funny if britney wigged out and shaved her head onstage or totally flipped it and started screaming at the audience!

steven says:

06:34pm | 09/11/09

What a patronizing article Sam. Is Britney a victim? She is certainly one of the world’s highest paid entertainers that people are prepared to pay a premium to see. But they expect to be entertained and to see a professional performance - even if it is only pop music - which you imply does not require high standards.

The problem does not seem to be that she mimed, but that by several accounts she did it poorly and her dancing was not good. Maybe Kylie, Pink,  Madonna etc mime. Maybe not. If they are doing it, at least they are doing it well enough that it is still up for debate!

Martin Rosenberg says:

07:03pm | 09/11/09

WHO CARES??
GIVE the price of the ticket to a charity of your choice….

Charntel says:

09:38pm | 09/11/09

Enough about Britney. Let’s talk some more about The Cure and how rad they are.

toby says:

09:38pm | 09/11/09

othello at the old vic?? i must admit this guy knows his stuff. that performance is legendary.

Gra says:

10:37pm | 09/11/09

If Britney is still so fragile after her breakdown, why is she on tour? People have paid good money to hear her perform. If they wanted to listen to her recorded music I’m sure they would have been more than happy to listen to their Ipod or whatever. To expect people pay for the rubbish performance that was offered is bordering on fraud.

Stephen says:

11:04pm | 09/11/09

Spare me the “poor Britney” angle.
She’s crying all the way to the bank, “boo hoo!”

I’m more concerned about the poor Aussie concert goers who earn considerably less than this over-rated diva and have paid big money to see her perform. They are human beings too and deserve better. They have problems too, and don’t have millions in the bank to allow them to at least “be miserable in sumptuous comfort” like Britney does.

John Smith says:

11:51pm | 09/11/09

Sam, you must be joking!  Allow a substandard performance to go by without comment simply because the performer is not able to face the criticism?  I cant sing a note, but under your rules I can charge a small fortune to an audience and expect them to sit meekly in their seats in case I get upset if they object.  Please, as an honest reporter,  tell it as it is so that a future audience can be aware of what they can expect.

Steeve says:

01:45am | 10/11/09

Why arent you under a blanket with tear streaked running mascara screeching “Leave Britney Alone”  on youtube??...She’s One DUI from a future career of being trailer trash. I can see it now..
“Shh kids be very quiet”
“Ok Mommy”
“See if you look really close you can watch the Britney eat a whole Pizza and the delivery boy in one mouthful”
“Thanks mom for taking us to see the rare white trash ex celebrity in the wild’
ROOAAARRRRR!!!!
“Ok kids quick she’s seen us,.. jog ,.. her huge bulk takes a while to build up speed”
In short, don’t defend the indefensible. She is crap. Always has been, always will be. Would rather watch a class talent like Xtina or Gwen Stefani lip synch any day. Have done and would do it again. they put on a show. Britney,.. a tired old moo clining to the last crumbs of stardom to pay child support to the douchbag who’s amazingly a better parent, K-Fed
Thats saying somehting

lucy says:

06:18am | 10/11/09

ok so this is ridiculous. like really. why is the media all over her. its not fair. shes out living her life . leave her alone. and one more thing about the lip singing , so what? hello, news flash. almost every single singer does it. lemme ask you something, can you run around, dance, jump and all while singing good? i think not. point made.

Clyde says:

09:28am | 10/11/09

I stumbled on Brit and the mother and friends in 2004 shopping. They are seriously trailer trash and good examples of Yanks that look down on us. They only see a $ here (exchange rate is not so good for them now) . They live in a dreamland in the USA where they are surrounded by yes men. Here we live in the real reality TV show. And we are blessed with a culture that promotes truth over fantasy.
Americans reach great heights, some artificially held up by the promoters that benefit by default by association with failed pop stars like Britney. Perhaps it may be that Britneys fans are just seeing themselves in Britneys place and can see their own faults. Are all of Britneys fans trailer trash or numbskulls? probably. P.S. She looks like an elephant on stage. Using the vehicle of a Circus troupe dancing around her is a good ploy.

Simone Clencie says:

10:23am | 10/11/09

IF Britney Spears is so fragile then perhaps she should be concentrating on getting healthy rather than ripping off fans with a supposedly “live” concert. The bottom line is if you bought a toaster and it only toasted one side of the bread then you would return it and ask for your money back.  People are not paying to see some half arsed lypsyncing concert that most could perform in their own loung rooms.  And as for those saying she can’t sing and do all that vigorous dancing..are you deluded or did you break in Brits medicine cabinet and down some of those drugs of hers?  The tots down at the local daycare could do a better job and with much more enthusiasm.  Britney stands to maker millions of dollars from this tour.  It is breathtaking arrogance and a disgrace for her to rip of those very people who made her into the multi billion dollar celebrity that she is now.  And we could all be forgiven for thinking that Sam Cleveland has somehow found himself on the Spear’s PR payroll.

Trina says:

11:05am | 10/11/09

I love John Mayer’s tweet. “If you’re shocked that Britney was lip-syncing at her concert and want your money back, life may continue to be hard for you” (via @johncmayer)

Hannah says:

12:30pm | 10/11/09

I went to the concert on friday night and i stll have my ticket and i wanna get it framed!! we love britney!!

Nicole says:

12:50pm | 10/11/09

The bottom line is, she is a disgrace. I dont care if the media go down hard on her, it is high time someone did. Don’t preach about her “fragile” she is, cuz I dont buy that. She is a clever little scam artist. Kudos to the Australian media for their honesty and not kissing butt like the American press. ANd to the person who mentioned that Pink didnt sing live at all her shows, are you friggen INSANE?. Pink is the only pop artists that sings 100% live. That is why her 60,000 seater stadium shows in the UK which went on sale recently were sold out in 10 minutes. Ppl know who is the real deal. Britney Spears will never be able to sell out stadiums even in the U.S where all of em handle her like a valuable china and kiss her butt at every opportunity.

Myraspice says:

03:12pm | 10/11/09

she makes millions of dollars for this tour, if it isn’t up to scratch she can cop the bad reviews, every artist needs to be able to accept that kind of criticism if they are in the public eye!

If you read the reviews, it wasn’t just about that stupid news story of a few fans leaving early, it was actually an honest critique of a lack-lustre performance, a total absence of crowd interaction and a criticism of the trashy costumes and concepts used in the ‘Circus’.

Of course the fans knew she lip-synced, BUT lip-sync or not, she was not even dancing that much, and at least the other lip-syncers (Kylie etc) interact with the audience and do sing a few songs live

Al says:

04:36pm | 10/11/09

It is time this talentless individual changed to another ocupation. She cant sing (as proved by her recent actions), has limited dancing & minimal acting ability. She IS a scammer & milks the media constantly. Australia & maybe the world has had enough of this Brittany. When does she return to USA, will be a good day

Hannah says:

04:57pm | 10/11/09

While I sort of cringe at the supposition that we’re worried we’re going to give her a breakdown (we’re barely a blip on the radar of her incessant touring) I applaud the sentiment of this article. It’s good to see a journalist actually admitting that there were some givens when Britney came to town—lip syncing being one of them. I am so tired of this manufactured scandal born of poorly researched gossip mongers and D-grade journalists.

Kate says:

06:43pm | 10/11/09

Sam, I think you’re missing the point. I went to see Britney in London and was bitterly disappointed by her ‘performance’. No, I didn’t expect her to sing live… but yes, I did expect her to look like she perhaps wanted to be on stage… and she didn’t. I have never seen such an uninspiring, lifeless performance… and I went along fully expecting an awesome show (lip-synced and all!). No Britney fan expects to see her sing live… but those who buy tickets deserve more than a robotic performance. You’ve suggested she ‘dances her ass off’?! At what point was that? Clearly I (and hundreds of others) missed it.

Gangus says:

07:26pm | 10/11/09

What were we talking about again? Oh yeah! Someone said that The Cure are wicked good. I must agree, they really are. So why are people mentioning this girl who only got famous cause she put on a $lutty $chool uniform and told us she was a virgin? She was lipsyncing then, and she’s doing it now. Bottom line for me is that if you’re paying for a live performance, you should get a live performance.  When I go to the movies I pay $15 because I know it’s pre-recorded. If i had a team of cutting edge actors and special effect artists generating the stuff we see on screen live, I’d be glad to pay one hell of a lot more!

HonkyTonks says:

09:47pm | 10/11/09

Let me preface this with stating that I am NOT a Britney Spears fan, but I do agree with the article. The question here isn’t whether she duped people into forking out hundreds of dollars to come and see a lackluster performance. Most of the comments I have seen on this story from those who were at this performance, said they enjoyed the show and that only a handful of people walked out and this was only after the second song. The point is, the media has jumped on this non story and splashed it all over the internet, making a big “song and dance” about how fans STORMED out of the concert, angry, etc. Everyone knows this was a huge embellishment, yet one has to wonder why the media has chosen to attack one performer over lip syncing when most pop stars do. I think Britney is just an easy target from the media, we love to hate her. On top of it all, I can’t understand why you would spend $200 on a concert ticket only to leave at the beginning, and/or complaining about lip syncing, which I think is standard for pop artists like Britney.

Roxstarr says:

07:03pm | 11/11/09

i cant wait to see Britney Spears concert., We have been waiting for this for
quite some time now and miming its not an issue as long as she puts on
a best show in town. Heaps of entertainer lipsynch but they pick on someone vulnerable like Brit….hey guys leave her alone and we know that
she got the best voice and dance routines. We love you Britney…

cassie says:

11:22am | 13/11/09

Britney Spears has a medical complaint, lets not forget that.  She is immensely talented and thinks she is doing what fans want of her.  Maybe Britney should go back home, have a break, and come again…this time as her old self and nothing fancy.

Bob Gee says:

03:26pm | 13/11/09

A breakdown would be far more entertaining to watch than lipsynching, and honest

Simon says:

07:49pm | 13/11/09

If you want to charge someone a premium to be entertained, you better give them what they pay for . I am sure everyone would complain and stand up and make noise if you paid for a Porsche and a Holden Berina arrived at your front door. But as with all media hype, I am sure there are 2 sides to this story but we only seem to hear one..

Kathryn says:

08:45pm | 13/11/09

Toughen up princess. I deal with complaints at work all the time (some justified and some just completely stupid) as do millions of other people world wide. But I, like most other people, suck it up and get on with it. And yes I, like many people, have serious emotional baggage. It is common knowledge she mimes so anyone stupid enough to fork out the money to see this piece of rubbish passed off as music got what they paid for. However, to charge such stupid amounts of money for people to hear some really poor quality backing tape and her ‘dancing (I have seen the footage)’ is ridiculous. May as well buy the DVD for $30.00. And honestly if you can’t sing and dance/play instrument at the same time with enthusiasm like my classes of pre-schoolers or like some of the real professional singers/bands Iive seen and then deal with criticism for ripping people off then go home count your money and make way for actual talent. And if I want to see a ‘show’ as they’re calling it there’s a real local circus in town every few months. They only charge $40.00 and it’s damn good value for money.

nil says:

10:05pm | 13/11/09

I have to agree with Charntel and Gangus on The Cure, but for a live performance, I would say Queen was the greatest.

For those of us old enough to remember proper live gigs, get used to the pretend performances, as there doesnt appear to be much in the way of talent who can actually perform live anymore.

SJB says:

02:34am | 14/11/09

The fact of the matter is that if you pay $200 for a ticket to a ‘live’ performance from one of your favorite artists, you expect something that you can’t get from listening to an album, or watching the live dvd, you expect an experience like no other; the rush from seeing an excellent performer, well, perform. Spears is simply lazy. ‘Boo hoo, I’m tired from performing too much’. ‘Go easy on me, I’m a loony’. Harden up, and give the people what they pay for.

Sue says:

08:04am | 14/11/09

bottom line- if Britney is so fragile, why is she even touring???? & any idiot who doesn’t realise that she lip-synchs and has her voice digitally altered in nearly every song produced- must be mad or living under a rock! Honestly!!!!!

Trish W. says:

10:15am | 15/11/09

Lordy, another case of not being responsible for one’s own choices, action & behaviours. Geez, give us a break Sam, she’s a big girl & has been laughing all the way to the bank for years.

Ian says:

10:30am | 15/11/09

All she has to do is pack up and go home. WE do not want these frauds here anymore.

CelebritiesVsthePeople says:

12:54pm | 15/11/09

I would reckon that not talking about Britney Spears would actually send her over the edge of a nervous breakdown. She has survived this long in a very bitter world of celebrity on her ability to keep the press glued to every breath she takes. The press is using her for selling papers. The networks are using her for people glued into the telly news. And, she is using everyone for her career by making a circus out of each and everyone of us here in Australia. Do we really want Australia to be an extension of the States. Already,  Americans are now saying they don’t want to travel to Sydney as much as seeing Melbourne because Sydney is basically the same as visiting Los Angeles with all the problems there. I would hope as Australians we can tell the world we will support your talent and be welcoming hosts, but we are smart enough to know the schemes of the American media and how they stir up controversy to create celebrity.  I am quite sure Ms. Spears is having the time of her life as the centre of our media’s attention.