He certainly didn't act like any love god to me

Fan Teresa Devaney

A large section of the 4,500-strong audience had restricted views because of the horseshoe arrangement of the venue's seating.

According to the tabloid the crowd started booing and White turned around on his seat for the next two songs.

The newspaper said that 2,000 fans left the show early, some after just 30 minutes, and were chanting outside the box office of the venue.

After an hour, the promoters offered refunds to fans.

"He actually looked like he wasn't coping at all, he was wiping his head constantly with a silk hanky - he certainly didn't act like any love god to me," Teresa Devaney told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio on Friday.

After the show, Ned Shankman, White's personal manager told the newspaper that he "thought the sound was the best he had ever heard".

Tickets for the show cost up to Aus$134 (�40).

The singer is due to give a second performance in Sydney on Friday night.

Earlier this year the 56-year-old performer spoke at the Oxford Union about his three decades in the music industry.

In his speech he said he was worried about the effect the distribution of music via the internet would have on performers and producers.