U.S. pop sensation Madonna earns rebuke from Aussie crowd after 2.5-hour late arrival

U.S. pop diva Madonna has been rebuked by angry Australian crowds after the star arrived over two hours late for a concert in Brisbane overnight in a tour that's been classified as trainwreck.

Hundreds of angry fans walked out on the 57-year old pop singer and received refunds before she finally arrived on stage at 23:30 local time, 2.5 hours after her scheduled 21:00 start.

"We started late, that hardly ever happens," Madonna told the crowd when she finally appeared, local media reported Thursday.

"You were here too early. You should have taken your time doing your hair and make-up, then I wouldn't have been late."

Aussie crowds weren't receptive to the apparent apology, calling her rude and not the Madonna they knew.

"I thought that was a bit crude as people had paid good money to see her from jobs that they will need to be at this morning," local resident Nick Sowden, who left at midnight, told Australia's national broadcaster.

"She lip-synced a good amount of songs too. It wasn't worth the wait," Sowden said, adding most of the songs he saw were from her new album "which is pretty horrendous".

The pop diva's Australian tour, her first in 23 years that started with an intimate, cabaret style warm up show in Melbourne on March 10, has been described by commentators as a "trainwreck" with reports of Madonna guzzling booze, taking drugs and falling off a tricycle, signalling a potential "onstage meltdown".

Madonna has hit back at the criticisms, claiming that they were sexist and misogynist.

"We are still treated like heretics if we step out of line and think outside the box," Madonna wrote on social media.

"Too bad people don't know the art or of (sic) acting and playing a character... I could never do any of my shows high or drunk."

The 57-year-old Material Girl is set to return to the stage in Brisbane on Thursday night before finishing her tour in Sydney this coming weekend. Endit