Pop chameleon Lady Gaga joined classic British rock band Queen for a surprise joint performance on stage at Sydney's Allphones Arena on Wednesday night.
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Gaga sidled on stage wearing a comical black curly wig, a revealing bejewelled black jumpsuit and lethal-looking stilettos for the hit Another One Bites The Dust.
Gaga and new Queen lead singer Adam Lambert delighted the crowd, hamming it up during their duo on the Allphones runway but she departed the stage after one song.
Perhaps surprisingly she didn't stay to sing the 1984 hit Radio Gaga, the song that inspired Stefani Germanotta's stage name. Gaga did watch from the crowd though - and when Lambert sang Radio Gaga he had the auditorium lights switched on and sang a chorus to her.
Lady Gaga's own headlining concert is at the same venue this Sunday.
Lambert, a former American Idol star, did an impressive job performing the anthems the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury made world-famous with his incomparable voice and dramatic stage presence.
Lambert did justice to Mercury's enormous legacy, delivering his own brand of showy charisma without stealing the show. He even thanked the audience for accepting him in Freddie's place. "I'd have no idea what I was doing with this music if it wasn't for the late great Freddie Mercury."
Mercury's metaphorical shadow loomed large over the gig, as it would this being Queen's first world tour in over 20 years - and since their legendary frontman died from an AIDS-related illness. At times his appearance loomed large too, on a giant screen behind the band. A clip of Mercury even "shared" vocal duties on Bohemian Rhapsody with Lambert, who would be celebrated were he not being compared to arguably the greatest frontman ever.
If anything the gig was more about founding guitarist Brian May, whose playing was as sharp as ever on several solos - which perhaps went on too long. Undoubtedly the best moments included Lambert too, but the stand-out moment was Lady Gaga sexing up the show with Lambert.
Peter Vincent, SMH
Jackman celebrates Pan wrap with fries
Hugh Jackman only has one thing on his mind now that he’s finished on Pan: chips.Before the buff Aussie even thinks about shaving off that beard or growing his hair back, he intends on celebrating in greasy style, by chowing down on some french fries.
The Wolverine star, who plays the pirate Blackbeard in Pan, posted a close-up shot of some thick cut chips to his Instagram.
‘‘Wrap gift to myself ... in 3, 2, 1 #PAN #thatisawrap #beyond,’’ he captioned it.Jackman wouldn’t get to gorge on goodies too often to keep that sculptured body of his.
Just last week a video was posted to Instagram showing him doing dead lifts with 180kg weights.His Australians fans still have a while before they can see Jackman on the high seas in Pan.
The movie, also starring Rooney Mara, Amanda Seyfried and Garrett Hedlund, is not yet dated for release here, although IMDB notes that it will hit US cinemas mid-next year.
AAP
Emma Stone rocks a new bob cut in Venice
Hollywood star Emma Stone has joined the bob brigade, debuting her new do on the red carpet.Stone looked classic yet modern at the Venice Film Festival in a black Valentino Couture gown and new blunt bob cut.
The gown featured a plunging neckline, cross-back and romantic tulle skirt to the floor.Stone stars in the festival’s opening film Birdman, which also features Australian star Naomi Watts.
Her bob is on trend, with the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence and Sienna Miller also sporting the do.
AAP
Australia gets own iHeart Musical Festival
Australia is getting its very own iHeart Music Festival.US pop star Miley Cyrus will headline the Australian iHeart Festival in Sydney on October 18.
Other artists on the line-up include Redfoo, rapper Miracle, and The Faders.The festival was announced by Kiis 1065’s Kyle & Jackie O show on Thursday morning.
‘‘These a huge around the world, we don’t really get these big pop festivals here in Australia, Jackie O told listeners.in Australia Kyle & Jackie O has announced the news on their Kiis FM breakfast show on Thursday.
More acts will be added to the line-up in the coming days.
AAP
Chelsea handles stars for farewell
Jennifer Anniston, Sandra Bullock and even Dave Grohl were among a galaxy of stars to send off sharp-witted Chelsea Handler on her last show with channel E!
There was also Miley Cyrus, Ellen de Genres, 50 Cent, LeAnn Rimes, Gwen Stefani and the list goes on for the final episode of Chelsea Lately.Australian’s can only hope Handler brings just one of her friends along for her Uganda Be Kidding Me Live Tour which plays Perth, Sydney, Melnbourne and Brisbane in November.
Handler bade farewell to E! on Tuesday night (LA time), after seven years with the Foxtel channel, to move to Netflix.
Her final show will screen on Foxtel’s channel E1 at 11am (AEST) on Thursday.Her exit song mirrored the We Are The World video clip with Handler joined by Selena Gomez, Gerard Butler, Wiz Khalifa, Chloe Moretz, Johnny Knoxville and Fergie to sing Roll Yourself a Joint and Have a Drink.
‘‘I’m really, really appreciative to E! for giving me this opportunity to do the show, and I never really got a chance to be serious and say thank you, she told the audience.’’
De Generes appeared in a skit in which she confronts a nude Handler in the shower to grill on her on why she had never been invited to appear on her comedy chat-fest Chelsea Lately.
Cyrus performed a version of Roy Orbisons Its Over and Handler’s former lover, rapper 50 Cent, also performed for the live audience.‘‘I did end our relationship abruptly, she admitted to the the rapper,’’ she said‘‘I wanted you to know I have not dated a black man since.
‘‘They say when you go black you cant go back, well I came running back.’’
AAP