More News On Avril Lavigne

Taken from The Electric News Paper

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story/0,4136,175021,00.html

SHE had to change a couple of words for a few songs, and limit her wardrobe changes.

--TNP DESIGN: PRADIP --PICTURES: REUTERS, UNIVERSAL MUSIC

So out went the skirt. Ditto the shorts.

The pop-punk princess stuck to long pants for her concert in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Explained Avril Lavigne: 'We are not allowed to wear tank tops, skirts or shorts. It will be hot... but we will do whatever they ask us because we are respectful of the country we are playing in.'

Indeed, respect was a topic that kept cropping up when The New Paper spoke briefly yesterday with the Canadian singer, who kicked off the Asian leg of her The Best Damn Tour in Malaysia's capital.

The Grammy-nominated 23-year-old made it a point to repeat, throughout the interview, how she was very respectful of the country's rules and was quite happy to abide by them.

It'll be hot, but we must be respectful

'I am really glad to be able to make it as it is important for me to perform for my fans here,' she said diplomatically.

However, she confessed she was surprised by the controversy and said she had 'never experienced anything like it before'.

COVERED UP: Avril Lavigne at her concert in Kuala Lumpur last night. --PICTURES: AP, REUTERS

The concert at Stadium Merdeka came after weeks of uncertainty over whether the Malaysian government would ban her show.

But three hours before she took to the stage, Lavigne sounded chirpy and laidback over the phone.

Never mind that the youth wing of the conservative opposition party, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), had threatened to hold protests at the concert venue last night.

A few days ago, the PAS youth wing even called for Malaysia's religious leaders to issue a fatwa (religious edict) on Lavigne's concert, saying that her 'too sexy' image was immoral.

In a memorandum given to the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage on 8 Aug, the youth wing said that 'rock and punk is (sic) not suitable for the young generation and especially so during Merdeka (independence) month'.

The ministry initially cancelled the show, saying it was unsuitable for Malaysian culture and could not be held two days before Malaysia's independence day celebrations on Sunday.

However, the government did an about-face earlier this week and announced that Lavigne could go ahead, reported the Associated Press.

The Malaysian concert organiser, Galaxy Group, had apparently told the government that it had sold thousands of tickets and the cancellation could hurt tourism.

When asked how she felt about the 'sexy' and immoral tag, Lavigne - who is known for her skater punk image and doesn't show that much skin on stage - didn't really know how to respond.

'I wear a lot of hoodies. I typically don't show my midriff a lot,' she said.

She's hardly like other international female artists such as Gwen Stefani, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and the Pussycat Dolls who have come under fire from the authorities in Malaysia for their sexy performances and risque outfits.

Stefani covered up for her performance in KL while Beyonce and Aguilera skipped the city on their world tour last year.

The Pussycat Dolls' 2006 performance caused such a ruckus that the concert promoter, Absolute Entertainment, was fined RM10,000 ($4,300).

Lavigne herself has no problem complying with Malaysia's dress codes and performance restrictions for international artists - hence, the changes.

But her gig at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 7 Sep will not have those changes, she assured us.

This will be her third world tour and third visit to Asia.

Lavigne, who is married to Deryck Whibley, the frontman of pop-punk band Sum 41, performed here in 2005.

She was also in Singapore in 2003 for the MTV Asia Awards.

She said her fans here will get to hear all her old hits from her successful albums like Let Go and Under My Skin, as well as her new ones from the 2007 CD, The Best Damn Thing.

When asked if the controversy in Malaysia had left a negative impression about the country and Asia in general, she emphatically said no.

She added: 'I love Asia... I am very happy that people in this part of my world know my music.

'This is my best show ever.'