Sydney - Songstress Britney Spears on Tuesday responded to complaints from fans and regulators that she was miming to her songs in her Australian concerts rather than singing them.

"I hear there is a lot of controversy in the media about my show," she said in a statement. "Some reporters have said they love it and some don't. I came to Australia for my fans."

Some concertgoers in Perth deserted the pop diva just three songs in to her first Australian performance because she was lip-synching rather than singing.

"People are paying for it and have come here so she should sing," a fan who walked out of Friday's sold-out show told television station Nine Network.

Spears opened her national tour in Perth and is due to take her circus-themed show to Melbourne later this week.

Spears' management has not denied that she mimes to recordings on the Circus tour.

There has been no official response to a call from New South Wales state Trading Minister Virginia Judge that those purchasing tickets should be informed they were not going to see a live show.

"Sydneysiders would not tolerate a Mickey Mouse performance," she said. "Let's be clear, live means live. If you are spending up to 200 Australian dollars (180 US dollars), I think you deserve better than a film clip."

Tour promoter Paul Dainty said Spears was "extremely upset" at the controversy.

"Britney is aware of all this and she's extremely upset by it," he said. "She's a human being. I'm embarrassed, with such a big international entourage here with Britney, to be part of the Australian media when I see that kind of totally inaccurate reporting." (dpa)