Britney tour kicks off
Troubled pop star Britney Spears returned to the stage today for the start of her first concert tour in five years.
Over the next three month, Britney will perform at venues across the US and Canada before finishing in London in June. There are no plans to play in Ireland.
The 'Circus' tour began today in New Orleans, where fans of the singer queued for hours ahead of the doors opening for the near-sell-out comeback gig.
In the five years since she last toured, the 27-year-old has got married and divorced and suffered a high-profile meltdown which at one stage resulted in her briefly being sectioned.
But the release of the album 'Circus' has been seen as a return to form of sorts for the singer.
It has sold more than 1.3 million copies since being launched in December.
The accompanying tour kicked off today with The Pussycat Dolls opening for the main attraction.
Dressed as a sexy ringmaster and directing a cast including jugglers, acrobats and martial arts dancers, the singer was cheered by the crowd as she performed some of her biggest hits, from the recent 'Womaniser' to the classic 'Baby One More Time'.
Spears did not interact much with the crowd however, merely uttering only: “Thank you, New Orleans” at the end of the nearly two-hour show.
She appeared at times to be lip-synching, but that did not seem to bother fans, who screamed wildly as she descended from the ceiling on hoops suspended by wires, at the start of the concert.
She started the show with 'Circus', then went into 'Piece Of Me', which she performed largely from a cage, part of the elaborate, stage backdrops.
Acrobats twirled from suspended fabric as Spears sang and danced, flirting with two male dancers as she performed 'Touch Of My Hand' while sporting a blindfold.
“We’re so happy she’s back,” said 16-year-old Justin Scarbrough, from New Orleans, wearing a T-shirt with his idol’s image and the words: “I Support Britney Spears.”
