As in most train wrecks, it was hard to focus on just one thing as the Britney Spears disaster unfolded. There was just so much that went wrong.  Out-of-synch lip-synching. Lethargic movements that seemed choreographed by a dance instructor for a nursing home. The paunch in place of Spears’ once-taut belly. At times she just stopped singing altogether, as if even she knew nothing could save her performance.

Designed to drum up excitement for her upcoming album, Spears’ kickoff to the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night became another example of how far she has fallen. It would have been understandable if MTV’s show had been crushed under the weight of the opening fiasco — yet somehow it rebounded, and even flourished.  The show banked heavily on its own reinvention. After poor reviews and a decline in ratings over the last few years, MTV moved the show to Vegas, shortened it from three hours to two, went to a hostless format and focused more on performances than awards.

Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, Kanye West, Fall Out Boy and the Foo Fighters hosted separate suite parties where most of the performances took place.  But the performance most people will be talking about was Spears’. And unlike her last VMAs appearance, when she locked lips with Madonna in 2003, this time it will be for all the wrong reasons.

Lucky for the show things did get a little better later on.  Rihanna won the coveted Video of the Year award, plus Monster Single of the Year for “Umbrella.” The Best Group was Fallout Boy, and Gym Class Heroes won Best New Artist.  Beyonce and Shakira won Most Earthshattering Collaboration for “Beautiful Liar.” Beyonce’s shimmering gold dress barely contained her top; immediately after she picked up her trophy she asked an assistant backstage to help fix her dress, apparently to prevent a wardrobe malfunction.

Other performers appeared on the show’s main stage, in front of an industry-only audience seated at tables, like at the Golden Globes. Chris Brown gave one of the evening’s most extravagant performances — hopping from table to table in a dance spectacle that channeled Michael Jackson, right down to a brief “Billie Jean” imitation.

Alicia Keys had the evening’s most rousing performance, debuting her new song “No One” and then an inspired, choir-backed cover of George Michael’s “Freedom.”  While performances like Keys’ and Spears’ were delivered on the main stage, others came in snippets: Akon crooned a bit of his “Smack That” before an award was announced, while the cameras zoomed in on Fall Out Boy and the Foo Fighters mid-performance in their suites, giving viewers the sense that they had happened upon an intimate concert.

Poor Britney is fodder again for the tabloids.

Promoters are taking action after tickets for a rumoured Led Zeppelin comeback gig are being advertised.   Despite no official confirmation from the band, hotel and ticket packages are being sold for upwards of £269 for gigs at London’s O2 Arena.

The company offering the deal has now been reported to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).    Promoter Harvey Goldsmith has issued a statement to warn the fans not to fall victiom to ticket touts:

“There have been at least four events advertised which I suspect either don’t exist or where no tickets are on sale or indeed dates finalized. These are the very people whom our industry has spent over a year trying to convince the DCMS to instigate outlawing.  The media should consider the consequences of giving credibility to those who rip the public off.

There are NO packages or tickets for some the events advertised at all, nor do some of the events even exist. We are concerned that the public will be fleeced. The bottom line is that unless official adverts have appeared for concerts, tickets are not on sale. Do not buy from unauthorized sources.”

Goldsmith is promoting Bruce Springsteen’s date and confirms that tickets are sold out and that there are no packages available at this time.   There is still no official word on whether Led Zeppelin’s rumoured comeback will happen.  So there is still hope!