Whitney Houston's Train Wrecks in Australia

[Don]

http://www.popeater.com/2010/02/23/whit ... australia/

Australian fans are in an uproar after watching Whitney Houston flub her way through a concert in Brisbane on Monday night. The 46-year-old diva reportedly took a break after just two songs, brought her brother onstage to hit her high notes and slurped from a water bottle through a closing performance of 'I Will Always Love You.'

"She couldn't entertain a dead rat," one concertgoer told the press outside the show. Yikes.

Monday's performance at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre was the first of several Australian stops on Houston's comeback 'Nothing But Love' tour. It was an ominous Down Under rebirth for an R&B queen frequently dogged by rumors of health and drug problems.

Today, concert promoter Andrew McManus took to defending the star against the many ticket purchasers calling for a refund.

"It was not a train wreck," McManus told Agence France-Presse of Houston's performance. "She was hitting most of the notes; yes, her throat was a little croaky. Her health is fine, but she's also not 22 years of age anymore."

The promoter's comments are of little consolation to those who paid up to $200 for seats. One fan tells Brisbane's Courier-Mail, "I have e-mailed the fellow down in Melbourne to get our money back but I don't think we will get it."

"We saw Liza Minnelli and she was marvelous," the fan continued. "But this one just walked all over the stage going: 'Um, I've got to go and have a drink.'"

According to concert reviews cited by the AFP, Houston appeared disoriented during the show, relied heavily upon backup singers and struggled to remember the names of her bandmates.

"This show was like watching a slow and painful death of a living legend," a Courier-Mail reader wrote in.

McManus saw it differently.

"If [fans] expected to hear Whitney of 20 years ago, go buy a CD."

Maybe the guy's got a point.

[StevePerryHair]

And what exactly did they expect from Whitney Houston

[Don]

Was it the Aussies who wanted to sue Britney for Lip-syncing? Tough crowd.

[StevePerryHair]

Was it the Aussies who wanted to sue Britney for Lip-syncing? Tough crowd.

I think they set their expectations WAY too high

[KenTheDude]

They should just replace the term 'train wreck" in the English language with the name "Whitney Houston". It's the same thing.

[Michigan Girl]

Yikes!!
I would have paid to see her again!!

[Voyager]

David Lee Roth can't hit the high notes anymore either, and he doesn't give refunds. Augeri never gave any refunds for butchering the high notes, nor has Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. If you want to hear high notes, buy the CD. If you want to see the artist perform on stage, buy a ticket.

[portland]

David Lee Roth can't hit the high notes anymore either, and he doesn't give refunds. Augeri never gave any refunds for butchering the high notes, nor has Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. If you want to hear high notes, buy the CD. If you want to see the artist perform on stage, buy a ticket.

Or the Memorex performances.

[Since 78]

David Lee Roth can't hit the high notes anymore either, and he doesn't give refunds. Augeri never gave any refunds for butchering the high notes, nor has Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. If you want to hear high notes, buy the CD. If you want to see the artist perform on stage, buy a ticket.

Or the Memorex performances.

At least he tried.

[portland]

David Lee Roth can't hit the high notes anymore either, and he doesn't give refunds. Augeri never gave any refunds for butchering the high notes, nor has Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. If you want to hear high notes, buy the CD. If you want to see the artist perform on stage, buy a ticket.

Or the Memorex performances.

At least he tried.

Hey 78....love the AV..my favorite!!!

[steveo777]

Sad, really sad. If she wouldn't have wasted all those years with that loser, Bobby Brown, as well as doing drugs, she would have been able to retire gracefully. Now she probably works because she needs to work. I wouldn't rely on her 100% not to relapse either, which she may have. Kicking crack is pretty tough.

[Jana]

Sad, really sad. If she wouldn't have wasted all those years with that loser, Bobby Brown, as well as doing drugs, she would have been able to retire gracefully. Now she probably works because she needs to work. I wouldn't rely on her 100% not to relapse either, which she may have. Kicking crack is pretty tough.

When I saw her in the Oprah interview I felt when she was talking she sounded so streetlike still, very rough, but much better than when she was on the Bobby show. But I felt then she would relapse some day. I hope she hasn't. I don't blame Bobby 100 percent for one reason. I think she gravitated towards him b/c she needed someone like him to live that drug lifestyle. His Bobby reality show was a trainwreck, but he was far more functioning than she was. Watching her broke my heart. She was like a street crack whore on there. I didn't even recognize in her the old Whitney that she used to be.

A bunch of us were at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta one day, where they lived. And she and Bobby and a few other people were a few tables over. They were in great spirits and a lot of fun and she was very friendly and so was he, but that was 14 years ago.

[Behshad]

David Lee Roth can't hit the high notes anymore either, and he doesn't give refunds. Augeri never gave any refunds for butchering the high notes, nor has Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. If you want to hear high notes, buy the CD. If you want to see the artist perform on stage, buy a ticket.

Or the Memorex performances.

At least he tried.

Hey 78....love the AV..my favorite!!!

Um. I think he's had that AV for at least um 78 months.

[Andrew]

Was it the Aussies who wanted to sue Britney for Lip-syncing? Tough crowd.

I think they set their expectations WAY too high

LOL. We just don't take bullshit to easily

[Behshad]

Yikes!!
I would have paid to see her again!!

We know you would , dear. Thats what seperates you from the rest of us & Tito.

[Michigan Girl]

Yikes!!
I would have paid to see her again!!

We know you would , dear. Thats what seperates you from the rest of us & Tito.

lol ...I didn't have Tito pegged for a Whitney Fan!!

[hoagiepete]

I gotta slow down at my happy hours. I thought the article said the Wombat was the promoter. Whew.

[SherriBerry]

I don't think anyone expected to hear the Whitney Houston of 20 years ago, but they did expect a solid performance from someone who isn't staggering around taking a break after two songs and mumbling "I've got to go and have a drink" - I wonder what was in the water bottle? I watched the Oprah interview and Kathy Griffin pegged it when she noted that Whitney got a little too excited describing to Oprah exactly how she used to lace her joints with cocaine. Who wants to lay odds that Whitney and Courtney Love are going to be on the next season of 'Celebrity Rehab with Dr.Drew'? What a horrible waste of an incredible voice and talent (Whitney, not Courtney!).

[brywool]

David Lee Roth can't hit the high notes anymore either, and he doesn't give refunds. Augeri never gave any refunds for butchering the high notes, nor has Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. If you want to hear high notes, buy the CD. If you want to see the artist perform on stage, buy a ticket.

??? Roth hit high notes ???

[fightingilliniJRNY]

I gotta slow down at my happy hours. I thought the article said the Wombat was the promoter. Whew.

I did too, actually. You're not alone.

[stevew2]

Yikes!!
I would have paid to see her again!!

We know you would , dear. Thats what seperates you from the rest of us & Tito.

lol ...I didn't have Tito pegged for a Whitney Fan!!

He cant be, he hates colored people and mexicans

[Don]

Yikes!!
I would have paid to see her again!!

We know you would , dear. Thats what seperates you from the rest of us & Tito.

lol ...I didn't have Tito pegged for a Whitney Fan!!

He cant be, he hates colored people and mexicans

Doesn't everybody?

Better add Gypsies too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8534030.stm

French national rail operator SNCF has apologised for a note that singled out Romanians over baggage thefts and triggered accusations of xenophobia.

The note asked employees to bring "all activities of Romanians" to the attention of rail security services.

The note was distributed at the end of January in the Midi-Pyrenees region.

SNCF said the note was a "regrettable individual initiative" and had been recalled as soon as regional train officials learnt about it.

An SNCF spokesperson told the BBC that the official responsible for the note had been summoned along with their superiors, and had been reminded of the "obligations and culture of the SNCF".

She said the matter was being dealt with internally.

[Michigan Girl]

I'm Romanian ... I wasn't aware we were gypsies!!
Escargot, I did not realize your people were so racist ...

[steveo777]

I'm Romanian ... I wasn't aware we were gypsies!!
Escargot, I did not realize your people were so racist ...

Isn't that where Vampires come from?

[Don]

I'm Romanian ... I wasn't aware we were gypsies!!
Escargot, I did not realize your people were so racist ...

Next, you're gonna tell me that you didn't know that all Americans born in the south are racist.

[Don]

I'm Romanian ... I wasn't aware we were gypsies!!
Escargot, I did not realize your people were so racist ...

Isn't that where Vampires come from?

The Little River Band also.

[Tomulator]

I'm Romanian ... I wasn't aware we were gypsies!!
Escargot, I did not realize your people were so racist ...

I'm Romanian too, btw. No gypsy here either.

MG...I knew there had to be a reason why I like and respect 99% of your contributions here.

We Romanians gotta stick together.



PS Ever try Kolach (traditional Romanian bread...I might have misspelled it)?

[Rockindeano]

Next, you're gonna tell me that you didn't know that all Americans born in the south are racist.

Dude, stop it already. Your subtle humour slays me something fierce. I am higher than a kite right now, enjoying the post surgery drugs that were given to me, and you are ruining the buzz. Too much.

[Michigan Girl]

I'm Romanian ... I wasn't aware we were gypsies!!
Escargot, I did not realize your people were so racist ...

Next, you're gonna tell me that you didn't know that all Americans born in the south are racist.

My American girls were born in the south, sir and they are not racist!!
Does it count if they were born to yankees?!?!

That is very stereotypical of the southern folk and it really is much
more prevalent here, but more so with the older generations!!

[Don]

I'm Romanian ... I wasn't aware we were gypsies!!
Escargot, I did not realize your people were so racist ...

Next, you're gonna tell me that you didn't know that all Americans born in the south are racist.

My American girls were born in the south, sir and they are not racist!!
Does it count if they were born to yankees?!?!

That is very stereotypical of the southern folk and it really is much
more prevalent here, but more so with the older generations!!

Sorry, I didn't hear you. I was talking to this box of rocks next my desk.