Britney Spears
Gossip

As we reported last week, Britney Spears brought the Circus tour down under, but has not received the welcome she expected ... or would have expected, if she had any clue where she was at the moment or what people were saying about her.

Fans have been complaining about the quality of her performance, even walking out of her concert in Perth, according to reports in the Australian media.

The cause? Disgruntled concertgoers apparently aren't thrilled what you would think would be the obvious realization that Britney Spears lip-syncs live.

That, and she gives "a lackluster performance overall," according to one paper, who went on to say that the sexy American songstress was just "boring."

Spears' promoter refuted claims of fans fleeing the Circus, telling The Australian newspaper "Britney is aware of all this and she's extremely upset by it."

We're just impressed she even knows she's in Australia.

Britney Spears' Circus tour has met its share of Australian critics.

Also issuing a carefully-worded response were reps for the venue where the Perth show was held: "From [our] perspective, the event was a huge success."

Not sure how well that response will go over with one woman who told The Australian, "What a waste of $200. I could have got four pairs of shoes for that."

To which The Hollywood Gossip would reply: 1. That sucks, but 2. This is a surprise? Go see Britney Spears live if you want, but how do you expect better?

Spears' manager, Adam Leber, came to her defense, claiming that it was the work of just one Australian journalist that sparked this whole lip-synch debate.

"It's unfortunate that one journalist didn't enjoy the show," he said. "Fortunately the other 18,272 fans in attendance did." Well, 18,271. Shoe lady didn't.

Perhaps the best comment on the story came from none other than a certain douchebag also in Australia promoting his album, who posted on his Twitter:

"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." LOL. So true, John Mayer.

OMG! Britney Spears does not sing live! Australia is just now getting this memo issued in 2003, apparently. Do you even get the Internet down there, mates?

Britney just arrived down under Thursday, but already she's the subject of government scrutiny over the fact that she'll be lip-synching portions of her shows.

Government scrutiny. What a great country. If this is what their elected officials have to worry about, we're living in the wrong place. Sydney here we come!

No, seriously. This is a real story. Virginia Judge, Minister for Fair Trading for New South Wales, said she is considering options to make sure fans aren't misled.

Britney's Circus tour tickets are going for more than $1,300, and while "it is Britney's 'prerogative' to lip-sync, it is my job to make sure consumers know what they are paying for up front," Judge said in a statement released by the government.

OMG WHAT? Britney doesn't sing live? Devastating and shocking.

One idea is to require disclaimers indicating that portions will be pre-recorded. They should also warn about expletive-laden tirades and wardrobe malfunctions.

Seriously, does anyone not know or care about this? It's no secret that many artists, including Spears, lip-sync at times during their elaborate stage shows.

We can't imagine anyone goes to see Britney live for the well-sung lyrics. They go to watch a hot girl gyrate on a stripper pole and dry hump backup dancers.

This isn't to say $1,300 isn't a ripoff. They play Britney Spears' "3" at strip clubs, too, and you can actually pay for a private dance there. Not that we know.

Britney Spears' Circus tour has officially touched down in Australia.

"Longest flight ever but we had a great time ... So excited to be here," Britney's interns Twittered upon landing in Sydney just after 6 a.m. Thursday.

Spears then promptly boarded another jet bound for Perth, where the pop star will perform the first of 15 shows scheduled in the country on Friday.

Of course, this is Britney Spears, so you know there will always be some controversy with her. She's already getting criticism in the Australian media.

Why? For lip-synching much of her shows while charging up to $1,360 for tickets. Fair, but think of the wardrobe malfunctions you get for that $1,360!

Britney Spears touches down in Australia.

Brit-Brit didn't leave L.A. without a minor ruckus, either. She was seen trying to go through security at LAX airport sucking down a huge Big Gulp drink.

This is a big no-no. Ordinary citizens are not allowed to bring open beverages through security. And besides, all that caffeine and sugar is bad for you.

The one-woman stimulus package is bringing quite an entourage with her: 225 crew members, 45 band members and dancers, and 15 circus performers made the trip to Australia, where she will hire 150 local workers per city.

Controversies aside, Australia is in for a treat.

As soon as the "3" music video flashes on screen and Britney starts disrobing, gyrating, panting and lip-synching like a madwoman, all will be forgotten.

With her first-ever concert tour through Australia starting in just a couple of days, pop star Britney Spears is doing her best to live a normal life while she can.

Well, whatever her equivalent of a normal life is. This is a woman who cleans up her image at the same time she releases her "3" music video, remember.

Friday night, Britney took her boys Sean Preston Federline, 4, and Jayden James Federline, 3, out for a family dinner in Calabasas, Calif. Here's mommy ...

Britney Spears' son Jayden is so big! Kids. They grow up so fast.

It's been really nice for Britney to be spending some low-key time in L.A. recently. The kids have really gotten to know their new dad-in-waiting Jason Trawick.

Click to enlarge more Britney Spears pictures featuring the international superstar and mother-of-two doing what she does best. Or at least loves most ...

[Photos: Fame Pictures]

After three preview clips (five freaking seconds each, spread throughout the day Thursday) and a word from her sponsor ("Fantasy" by Britney Spears, natch) the marketing machine has run its course and Britney Spears' new video is out.

Take a look at the uber-sexy, threesome-themed video and after you go take a cold shower, tell us what you think of it by voting in the poll below ...

What do you think of Britney Spears' "3" music video?

Britney Spears' new single is called "3." In case there was any confusion, that's the number of sex partners involved in a provocative encounter she's singing about.

It's also half as many seconds as the video clip she posted on Twitter, promoting the new "3" music video. Yup, it's that frickin' short. But c'mon, it's still so hot!

There's not too much more to say about it, given the ridiculous length of the clip. But we must say, Britney's newer, cleaner image must not extend to her music ...

This concludes the first Britney Spears "3" video clip. We hope you're satisfied. There are supposedly two more coming, too ... which is actually what she said.

Sorry, we've been reading too many Office quotes lately. That crazy Michael Scott.

UPDATE: The second and third clips from "3" are released! Peep 'em post-jump:

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Comeback Story of the Year Britney Spears is being remodeled and revamped into a gentler, sweeter star by her father and conservator, Jamie Spears.

Well, except for her music of course. Minor detail.

"He’s really trying to clean up her image," a source told Fox News of Brit's chief handler. "He’s making a lot of changes to the people around her."

"Everyone is a bit on edge they could be replaced."

Sean and Jayden's new dad Jason Trawick seems safe, but Jamie Spears and his team have been busy hiring and firing various people in the star's camp.

He is also said to be paranoid of afraid of letting anybody get too close or learning too much about his daughter, whose past troubles are well documented.

"Britney’s family has seen what happens when she gets too close to outsiders (cough, Sam Lutfi) and they lose control of her completely," said the source.

Britney Spears' days of pantsless, 2 a.m. visits to Kitson are over, thanks to her dad. But her risque music is here to stay. [Photo: PacificCoastNewsOnline.com]

But how does Britney apparently feel about all the changes instituted by her father? "She is so out of it she just doesn’t care anymore," added an insider.

Of Britney, a source close to her reports: "She just does what she’s told and is totally in her world, she’ll even call people at all hours of night for a general conversation and acts like it’s the middle of the day or something."

Raise your hand if you're surprised. Anyone? No?

Of course, while Jamie is busy trying to shake up those surrounding her, one thing he doesn’t seem to be changing or trying to make more innocent is her music.

Britney is set to soon release a raunchy music video for her new single "3" - a track which focuses on exactly what you think it does. Her having a threesome.

"Merrier the more, triple fun that way," a breathy Britney sings. "Three is a charm, two is not the same. I don’t see the harm, so are you in the game?"

Gulp. Yeah. Somehow we assume that raunchy style isn't going away anytime soon. Otherwise her record sales would. It's all she's got going for her.

When Sean Preston and Jayden James Federline were looking for a male role model to play with in the pool on a recent trip with mom to Mexico, they needn't look far.

Britney Spears' boyfriend Jason Trawick was ready to jump right in.

"Jason is great with the kids and you can tell Britney really trusts him," an eyewitness at the Tides Zihuatanejo resort in Mexico told Us Weekly of Britney's beau.

Falling in love with him helped save Britney, but also benefits the kiddies: "He would pick up Jayden if he wanted to be held, immediately calming him down."

Britney Spears is all smiles with her new man - and so are the kids.

Sources close to the pair say Jason Trawick has a calming influence over the boys that has Britney, who divorced their dad Kevin Federline in 2006, at peace.

"He is absolutely fantastic with the boys," a Trawick pal said.

"When you see him with them, you wouldn't think for a moment that he wasn't [Sean Preston and Jayden James'] dad. He treats the kids like they are his own."

"[Jason] is very mature and seems ready to take on the responsibility of a single mom with two kids," another friend of Britney's agent-turned-lover extolls.

Trawick, 37, described as "a nice guy who doesn't take life too seriously," stood by Spears in her darkest moments and has been instrumental in her recovery.

Spears has visitation rights and sees her sons about half the time, although that dirtbag K-Fed maintains custody of them, at least from a legal standpoint.

Enjoying downtime in L.A. before she hits the road for Circus tour dates in Australia, pop star Britney Spears is making the most of normal life these days.

She just returned from a brief family vacation in Mexico, and yesterday, she took sons Sean Preston and Jayden James Federline to the movies. What a nice outing.

Here's the cute family en route ...

Britney Spears, Jayden James and Sean Preston go catch a flick.

Kids. They grow up so fast. Sometimes, it's hard to come to grips with the fact that three or four years have passed by ... and that they can stop using pacifiers.

Seriously, Britney. Are you just shoving that in Jayden James' mouth so that he won't talk? We wouldn't be surprised if he's still rocking that in middle school.

Oh well, at least she's not barricading herself in the bathroom with him.

Click to enlarge more Britney Spears pictures with the kiddies ...

[Photos: Fame Pictures]

After a terrible marriage to Kevin Federline and rocky flings with JR Rotem, Isaac Cohen, Howie Day and Adnan Ghalib, Britney Spears may have found The One.

That would be Jason Trawick, her agent-turned-boyfriend.

"'He's the kind of man you would dream of your daughter marrying. The kids love him, and he's stable,'" says Brit's mom Lynne Spears, according to Us.

Jason Trawick, 37, stood by Britney during her darkest moments, like when she was involuntarily committed twice to a psychiatric hospital in early 2008.

During that period in her life she lost many people close to her - not to mention custody of sons Sean Preston, 4, and Jayden James, 3. But Jason stayed.

Jason Trawick has saved Britney Spears. We'd actually give more credit to her father, Jamie, but there's no question that her new boyfriend is a great influence.

"Most everyone else abandoned her, but Jason refused to be completely cut out of Britney's life," says a source close to her "He's very protective of her."

Besides his quick wit and ability to make her laugh in any situation, the best attribute of Jason Trawick is that he accepts Britney Spears - drama and all.

"She has been honest with Jason about what she’s been through in a way that I don't think she's been with other people, and he always preferred to not sugarcoat the harsh reality of what happened to her," says a pal.

"He tells her that she should take responsibility for her own actions."

Bold idea. Now we just need Jason to date Lindsay Lohan next.