Avril Lavigne rocks Vancouver

Despite having sold more than 30 million albums around the world by the age of 23, Avril Lavigne still seems to be unsure of her success.

She's had nearly a dozen top 10 hits and she sold in the range of 12,000 tickets to her Friday night show at GM Place, but the pop punk princess was initially uneasy on the stage, looking like perhaps she didn't really believe in what she was doing up there.

Lavigne's most recent album, The Best Damn Thing, received only lukewarm reviews from the critics who bothered to listen to it. And she is regularly the target of hateful jabs from mean-spirited celeblogger Perez Hilton.

But you'd think that the thousands of screaming fans in front of her Friday night would have boosted her confidence. They - the hardcore fans who were mostly young girls - frantically swirled glow sticks, screamed "We love you Avril," and proudly donned $60 pink and black Avril tee-shirts and hoodies to show their dedication.

But when the star of the night rose out of the stage at 8:30 p.m. to open the not-quite-sold-out show with her latest hit, Girlfriend - the one for which she was accused of plagiarism - she looked like she was awkwardly going through the motions of the performance. She sounded terribly off-key and her voice was weak as she half-heartedly marched around the stage with a superficial-looking smile plastered across her face.

Employing skull and crossbones as her signature emblem and wearing chains and patches, it's clear that Avril is holding tight to her original teenaged aspirations of being a rebel punk. But when said skull and crossbones are framed by a pink heart and the patches look like they've been attacked by a bedazzle-happy crafter, all punk credibility quickly flies out the window.

And when it comes to the music, Avril is unquestionably at her best on the belt-'em out ballads, rather than on the pop rock tunes.

The pride of Napanee, Ontario hit her stride and appeared most comfortable Friday when it came time for her five-song acoustic set. She played a pink piano for When You're Gone, a surprisingly stirring ballad about missing a lover. Her voice was clear and strong and she finally looked comfortable and confident.

She played acoustic guitar along with two of her band members for Don't Tell Me, one of the hits of 2004's Under My Skin. And she gave perhaps her best performance of the night when she did an acoustic version of one of her early rock numbers, Losing Grip.

Things slipped back to disappointing though when she got behind a drum kit - it was pink, of course - for Runaway and then a quick rendition of the 1982 hit Mickey, for which she asked the audience to sing along. Nobody seemed to recognize the song.

She rapped briefly for I Don't Have to Try, which again seemed unnatural and perhaps forced by some image consultant. And she returned to Girlfriend, but as a rap remix, for her encore, which did not play up her strengths.

Avril finished off the show after 75 minutes with her 2002 hit Sk8er Boi, during which she again sounded off-key and a bit like she wanted to sprint to the finish line.

There's no question Avril can sing when the song suits her. But perhaps it's time for her to shed her small-town punk aspirations and embrace her inner ballad diva. Maybe then she'd look more comfortable in her own skin.

Via canada.com

Avril Lavigne Launches Abbey Dawn Clothing Line for Kohl’s

The Kohl Corp is teaming up with Avril Lavigne to launch her own rock-inspired clothing line to debut July 2008.

Avril's line will be called Abbey Dawn, aimed towards the tweeners.

The brand will be geared towards back-to-school shoppers and will feature new collections every 2 months.

The collections will include "a lot of hot pinks and blacks and stars and purple and zebra," says Lavigne.

"Basically, everything I wear. I have a very particular style. I actually am the designer. What's really important to me is that everything fits well and is well-made, so I try everything on and approve it all. I want it to be available to a lot of girls, and I want it to be affordable."

The line is expected to retail from $24 to $48 and includes jewelry and accessories.

Via 2snaps.tv

Avril Lavigne Carries World Tour to Minneapolis, Minnesota with Show at the Target Center March 20

Canadian pop punk princess and six time World Music Award winner Avril Lavigne will be hitting the stage in Minneapolis, MN on March 20 at the Target Center.

Prior to her stop in Minneapolis the 23-year-old singer will be playing a series of shows in Canada where she will begin her tour with a performance in Victoria, B.C. on March 5 and then head to Vancouver on March 7 at the General Motors Place.

Lavigne’s 2002 debut album Let Go sold over 16 million albums worldwide and established her as one of the most influential rockers of the new millennium. She followed that album with 2004’s Under My Skin and 2007’s The Best Damn Thing, both of which hit number one in the United States.

Several of Lavigne’s singles have hit number one as well, the most recent “Girlfriend,” which topped the charts in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Italy, Spain, Brazil, New Zealand and earned number one status in Europe as well.

Via transworldnews.com

Avril Lavigne partying with Paris Hilton to repair reputation with media?

Avril Lavigne’s partying with Paris Hilton last weekend was reportedly not just a coincidence or because the socialite used to go out with Avril’s now-husband Deryck Whibley - a source has told the New York Daily News that the sudden friendship is Avril’s attempt to get back in the paparazzi’s good books.

Avril has previously reacted badly to photographers, shouting and spitting at them when they followed her around but now the source claims she wants to turn that around to help boost her sagging pop career.

The source told the newspaper: “She’s aware of the backlash and thinks people like Paris are well-received by the paparazzi.”

The source added that last weekend’s club-hopping together came about after Avril befriended Paris’ longtime friend Elisha Cuthbert and Avril wants to repeat the snapper-friendly behaviour again soon: “Avril loved the attention. Now she’s been calling Cuthbert nonstop trying to meet up - but only if Paris comes along too.”

Via fametastic.co.uk