Handling a problem like Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey arrived in Sydney last night, hoping her long-awaited concert here will run more smoothly than her Gold Coast opener. Carey had sound system problems at Tuesday night's gig at the Gold Coast Convention Centre. Arriving on stage just after 10pm after what felt like an endless series of warm-up acts, the superstar appeared to struggle through the early phase of the show after opening with Can't Take That Away from her 1999 Rainbow album.

 Tottering across the stage and constantly adjusting her dress and hair, the newly christened American Idol judge frequently disappeared from the stage for what seemed to be "rest breaks" and kept fans waiting between songs, sometimes appearing out of breath. Twice the 42-year-old pop diva - whose visit to the Coast was co-ordinated by Jupiters Casino - performed while seated on a chaise longue.
 Sound problems provided the night's backdrop as Carey complained openly of not being able to hear through her earpiece, saying it was distorted. "There's like 200 of you, can one of you just fix the ear thing," she called to her crew, adding: "I hope I'm not asking for the moon and the stars ... there's a lot of sound problems going on here. I don't know if it's me or you, or something in the air, but can we fix it?"
 And just when Confidential thought the night couldn't get more peculiar, Carey announced she was to welcome two "special visitors" as she and husband Nick Cannon brought their 18-month-old twins, Morroccan (whom she referred to as Rocky) and Monroe, on stage. While many of the 4500 fans cheered their cameo, some questioned if, at just before 11pm and in front of a boisterous crowd, such a gesture was appropriate.
 Carey plays at Allphones Arena in Sydney tonight.
(The Daily Telegraph)