Britney Spears asks Manchester, 'What's up London?'

London: She had driven 320km from London to get there. But when Britney Spears greeted the audience at her Manchester show last night it was clear she had absolutely no idea where she was.

"What's up, London?" she yelled to the stunned fans gathered at the MEN arena - the only gig outside the capital on her Circus tour.

Perhaps making a rare departure from her lip-syncing script was too much for her. Or maybe an earlier stop-off at McDonald's on the journey had left her feeling a little dozy.

Whatever the reason for her confusion, concertgoers were less than impressed with the 27-year-old singer's slip -up. "If she can't tell the difference between London and Manchester what hope has she got?" asked a mother who took her 14-year-old daughter to the show.

Another was upset with Britney's decision to mime to recorded backing tracks, adding: "People have paid to see her live, so she should sing live."

Britney made a similar slip-up on stage in San Jose, California in April, when she shouted: "What's up, Sacramento?"