Despite efforts by Australian officials to warn potential ticket buyers that Britney Spears would be lipsyncing through most of her concerts, hundreds of fans left her concert in Perth on Friday just a few songs into the show. Many outlets are reporting that the flack is over the fact that Britney doesn’t actually sing live, but it seems like the main issue is that people couldn’t see her at all, and that the big screens only showed circus-related imagery and didn’t display her live performance. People describe her as a “dot” on stage.
Fans shelled out hundreds of dollars, only to be left disappointed that they’d wasted their hard earned money. Tickets ranged from $185 to $1,300, so you can understand why people would be upset that considering that Britney didn’t sing, they couldn’t see her perform either. It’s like they just paid to hear a recording and watch a pre-recorded video. (Update: there may have been tickets cheaper than $185. CNN reported that “regular” seats went for AUD 200, or USD $185, so it’s possible there were cheaper seats.)
Disgruntled fans walked out of last night’s concert in Perth – the first of her latest Australian tour – upset by her lip synching.
”It was just really bad,’’ Kathy Wright, 32, said. ‘’She has not spoken, there is no interaction.”
Friend Josh Blee said: “We are really big Britney fans but it was crap.”
“I thought after the music awards she would make up for it with a wicked concert, but she has let us down,” Blee added.
Maria Carmody also left with a group of friends. They were disappointed that the giant screens did not show any vision of Spears performing.
The screens only displayed circus-related images but nothing of the performer herself which infuriated large groups of fans as Britney had her back to them for large portions of the concert.
Several fans complained that there was no vision on the giant screens and questioned whether it was cover up her lip synching.
“She is a little dot on the stage,’’ Carmody said.
She was also put off by the bad behaviour of fans in the general admission area.
She claimed she was elbowed and pushed by overzealous fans.
Spears performed to over 17,000 fans last night at Perth’s Burswood Dome.
[From HeraldSun.com.au]
Did the big screens at Britney’s US concerts display her performance, and if so why didn’t they do the same in Australia? It doesn’t make sense that they wouldn’t show her on the screens unless there was some kind of technical glitch and they had to resort to using stock footage at the last minute. Maybe we’ll hear more about this and Britney’s people will apologize. It definitely seems more about the issue that fans couldn’t see Britney rather than the fact that she mimed the words to her songs. Anyone who shelled out nearly $200 and was then disappointed that she was lipsyncing has no excuse for not doing their homework first. Britney’s Australian tour has 12 dates left, so it will be interesting to see if her ticket sales suffer after this debacle.
Update: E! Online has more information, including responses from Britney’s camp. Instead of being apologetic about the concert, they’re defensive and say the complaints are the work of one journalist, that no one complained to them, and that most fans liked the show. That’s funny, because there are at least two reports out of Australia that quote different concert-goers complaining about it.
The promoter of this tour leg refuted claims of fans fleeing the Circus, telling The Australian newspaper “Britney is aware of all this and she’s extremely upset by it.”
Also issuing a nuanced response were reps for the Burswood Entertainment Complex where the Perth concert was held, who announced, “From Burswood’s perspective, the event was a huge success.”
Not sure how well that response will go over with the woman who told the Telegraph, “It was a waste of $200—I could have got four pairs of shoes for that.”
Spears’ manager, Adam Leber, also came to the superstar’s defense via Twitter, claiming that it was the work of a sole Australian journalist that sparked the lip-synch debate.“It’s unfortunate that one journalist in Perth didn’t enjoy the show last night. Fortunately the other 18,272 fans in attendance did.”
[From E! Online]
Here’s Britney out in Perth on 11/7 (sunglasses) and 11/5/09 (no bra). Credit: Scope Features, PacificCoastNews.com. She’s also shown with her sons out in Calabasa, CA on 10/22/09. Credit: Fame Pictures
Maybe I am judging this situation a bit harshly because I strongly dislike Britney. Still, I have to ask myself; how utterly stupid her fans have to be to pay between $185 and $1,300 (this I cannot believe!), only to see a talentless tart who can neither sing nor dance, not even bothering to at least try to do so? And the worst thing of all is that they couldn’t even properly see the stage, which is crazy.
If I paid that amount of money to see someone, they’d better offer a spectacular show and sound better than on their records, because otherwise I would not only walk out, but openly start to boo them, and then ask for my money back.
Apparently, Britney and her people are crazy enough to believe that you can make people pay high prices for tickets and leave them content with a disastrous show.
Well, then again, that’s what her mentor Madonna has always done and she’s had a thirty-year long career, so maybe Bit Bit does have a point.
Dear Britney,
You no longer have the ladies to pull off the no bra look. Perhaps your nipples were confused by which hemisphere you were in as one seems to be pointing south while the other is attempting to head back north.
For the sake of their embarrassment, may I suggest a sexy pushup bra. That way you can still look trashy without showing the world which side you favoured for breast feeding.
Signed,
Concerned for your lady bits
I thought the $185-$1300 was for premium seating and ticket packages. But if $185 is for the worst seats, that’s obscene. However if people are stupid enough to pay for it, I don’t blame Britney’s team for doing it. It’s ridiculous not to show Britney on large screens. Unless you have floor seats nobody can see. I’m still shocked that Australia made a big deal of her lipsynching. It’s been common knowledge for years. Tickets have been onsale for months and probably soldout. So sales won’t be effected.
@Beth, CNN reported that “normal” seats went for AUD 200, which is USD $185. Maybe there were cheaper seats though, I will reword that.
Anyone paying more than $40-75 bucks for a ticket to ANY concert is an idiot, unless John Bonham rose from his grave and Led Zepplin was back together.
Shame on anyone who charges money for folks to see them (do what made them popular) and then fakes a performance.
The problem is that fans have made it acceptable for concerts to be lip-synched in the first place.
LED ZEPPELIN….I WOULD SLEEP IN LINE FOR TWO WEEKS TO BUY TICKETS..I may have to pack my orthopedic sleeping bag but that’s the price you pay for entertainment..
Britney lip syncing? You’ve got to be kidding! I’m not even sure it’s her singing on her own records.
If you know who Britney is, have watched at least one of her “performances” and you still shell out nearly $200 to see her.. well, I’m sorry, but you kind of got what you deserve. I’m not a fan or a hater, but really, I’ve known she lip syncs for years.
I agree on the big screen comments – there must have been some technical difficulties, because it’s sort of standard that those are used so people in the nosebleed section can see the action, right?
Her “concerts” are about elaborate productions with a ton of dancers and many changes of clothes. The singing is purely secondary. Hey, that is Madonna!
@Rosalee- Got an extra Otho sleeping bag I can borrow? LOL!
I had a friend who saw her in Helsinki and was really disappointed. Britney was just a dot on the stage, doing about a third of the dance moves of her dancers. The big screens only showed pre-recorded video clips. It’s just a very clever tactic used by the Spears’ business machine to milk a gullible public.
Poor girl looks mentally ill. Will probably be dogged by episodes of it all her life.
Wonder if her parents messed her up or if she was just born with a genetic time bomb just waiting to implode.
Roma: hilarious. But you really think she nursed those babies? Nuh-uh. Red Bull in a bottle all the way, hun. From birth.
Secondly, I’m with those of you who say the fans are CRAZY for spending that much to see her. AND her production team is awful for putting on “shows” like this. She’s awful for going along with it.
Obviously Brittney is not collecting a massive cheque from this tour, she can’t even afford a decent bra. We should pass the plate and send her a gift card asap and if anything is left over get her a LED ZEPPELIN t-shirt..Rock on Firestarter!
@ Roma & Firestarter – thank you! Couldn’t agree more, with both of you.
Yeah, Britney is WAY past the point where she can go braless. Her sons are also WAY past the point where they need to be carried (or have a pacifier). No doubt that at the ages of 3 and 4, they are most likely able to walk on their own. Maybe she doesn’t realize this.
I don’t have any sympathy for idiots who shell out their hard-earned money to see Britney “perform” and are then disappointed at the fakery of the whole thing. Coulda told ya that…
Roma: LMAO! As a mother of two, I can personally attest to everything you said.
Is that really the price she’s asking her fans to pay to see her lip sync and perform? Please! There had better be some bar-b-que ribs or a plate of caviar included with that price.
This is why I can appreciate a performer like Lady Gaga. Yes, she’s OTT, but the woman can sing, and sing better LIVE, AND do the dance routines.
@Firstarter …
yep, paying more than 40-75 for a concert, even with a good economy, is just…well it better include food and beverage.
LOL! It would have been nice if I had spelled Zeppelin right in my first post!
Britney, lipsynching?? The travesty! I, too, can’t believe people pay that much (or anything) to watch her “live.” Especially since this is her first tour after the big break down…
And, seriously, WEAR A BRA! I really don’t understand how she thinks that looks ok/good? I know you can “take the girl out of the trailer, but…” But, come on. She’s not 21 anymore and she’s had two kids. NOBODY in her camp will tell her to hike those puppies up? Lynn?? Come on. That is definitely something a mom should tell her daughter. “Wear a bra, honey. They are pointing in two different directions.”
Hilarious Roma!
We paid about 45 quid to see Mott The Hoople’s 40-year reunion in London (and it was killer!), but nobody else would make me pay that, and that’s on the low end.
I agree with everyone’s statements. She just needs to pack up her sh*t and go back to the trailer park where she can carry her dirty little kids all she wants.
Stop buying her tickets people and she will eventually go away.
Most stars are dots on stage. This supposed realisation strikes me as petty bitching. I’ve attended concerts years ago where bands and singers appeared like dots. It can’t be helped. The most recent U2 concert via YouTube would have been the same if people stood a distance away (and weren’t online watching via YouTube). The main issue about Britney is the lip synching and it isn’t new. Elton John criticized Madonna when she lip synched. I don’t think that people should be paying so much to see a performer if they’re lip synching.
If Britney’s people think that it’s justified, then using the same logic, we may as well pay to watch Milli Vanilli as well. I doubt Britney can sing live, not with all her cigarette smoking. She is basically remixed in a studio and played during concerts. While I don’t want to be outright/mean and say, ‘people must be daft to buy tickets to see Britney,’ I can understand why they’ve done it – they place good faith in concert promoters, record companies and the singers/performers.
In Australia, the stark contrast between Britney and Pink is salient; Pink respects her fans enough, and herself as a performer, to be faithful to a live format.
Doesn’t she always lip sync? Why is this a surprise?
Why does her kid still have a pacifier in his mouth?
What is amazing to me is that Britney has all this money for lipo, botox, hair extensions, etc., and manages to look like sh*t. Even when her handlers dress her up and slather on the makeup with a trowel and fix that nasty mop of hair, she STILL looks horrid!
I wonder what medications she’s on for her mental illnesses, because she’s got that look. I’m betting she’s on antipsychotics like Depakote or Zyprexa, because her chunkiness is a dead giveaway. She looks better than she did, but she still doesn’t look as good as she did about 5 years ago, and I think a lot of that is medication-related.
Believe it or not, I feel bad for her. I really think she is borderline retarded and therefore has no idea how to handle her own affairs. IMHO, she should be under a permanent conservatorship, because I cannot imagine that she will EVER be mentally capable of any type of normal, intelligent behavior, or able to make proper, adult decisions. However, I feel bad for her but I cannot like her as a person. I find her repulsive, slatternly and pathetic. She proves that money and fame cannot buy anything of real worth, which is sad. I do wish someone would try and show her how to function, but I won’t hold my breath.
(I do like her last few CD’s, to my eternal shame!)
I’m not sure about the other cities, but in Melbourne there were tickets for AUD100-150.
That can’t possibly be comfortable. If I don’t holster the girls I get a terrible back-ache.
I read the header with great respect for the Aussies. Then I realized that they actually shelled out money for the show.
If you saw the movie Pure Country, you would see a situation in it that might explain why Britney couldn’t be seen on the big screens, nor heard in conversation with the audience. Are they sure she was actually there? Or, was there a performer up there who was “filling in”…
Concerts must be overpriced her in Australia I guess?? I wasn’t aware it was but seems so, it’s pretty standard to pay AU$200 for a seat at a big international acts concerts! ‘Regular’ is pretty much used to describe the worst seating in Australia, there may of been ‘General Admission’ tickets for a little bit less, you do not get a seat for these though and just have to stand around the whole time! It’s really poor that the screens are not showing a live feed of her concert. Quite a few of my friends are heading to her Melbourne and Sydney concerts and are really looking fwd to it (I’m much more into indie music so Britney really isn’t my thing).
Also, just to defend Australians a little… We are not all making a huge fuss over her lipsyncing etc, it was one state politician using Britney as an example. Pretty sure everyone in Australia is aware she would be lipsyncing, they would however be expecting a much higher quality concert experience! I just hope my friends who paid crazy prices for good seats at her concerts are not going to be disapointed 🙁