  Avril Lavigne kicks off her 2008 world tour at the Save on Foods Memorial Arena in Victoria, BC, Canada, Wednesday. (CP photo)
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VICTORIA -- Pop princess Avril Lavigne launched her Canadian tour Wednesday with a set that had the young audience singing along and screaming with approval.
Alternating between loud rocker romps and sensitive ballads, the 23-year-old from Napanee, Ont., ran through her impressive repertoire of hit songs, including "Complicated," "Boyfriend," "Happy Ending" and "When You're Gone."
Lavigne pranced around the stage with a pink electric guitar early in the show, but later captivated the audience by taking a seat between her two guitarists to pour out what she described as one of her early break-up songs.
It was the opening night of her 15 Canadian city "Best Damn" tour, named after Lavigne's third and most recent recording, "Best Damn Thing". And opening night glitches can be expected.
At one point, Lavigne was set to play the piano, but for some reason it wouldn't work, sending her chuckling to a set of stairs on the stage where she continued singing while a technician fumbled with his tools underneath the piano.
Lavigne's stage was vast yet sparse, allowing her room to move as her band played on a much smaller stage slightly above and behind her. The stage floor was covered with a huge pink skull and crossbones while the backdrop featured a video screen that played clips of Lavigne videos.
"Victoria, are you ready to have a good time tonight?" asked Lavigne as her fans screamed and swung brightly-coloured glow sticks that were being sold for $10 each.
Lavigne played for about 75 minutes, ending the concert with her early, hit "Sk8er Boi", which helped solidify her image as a free-thinking, do-what-she-wants young woman.
The concert was almost entirely about Lavigne. Her band was almost invisible on stage as the spotlight shone on her as she played electric and acoustic guitar, and then took a turn playing a pink drum kit.
At times, Lavigne appeared dressed like a high school teenager, and other times as a black-clad rock-and-roller. When she left the stage for costume changes, her energetic troupe of dancers put on impressive displays of break dancing.
Lavigne next plays Vancouver Friday, then heads to the B.C. Interior for concerts in Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George.
