LONDON -- Nobody rocks London in April like Avril.

Teenage rock star Avril Lavigne brought her Try to Shut Me Up Tour to a sold-out John Labatt Centre last night. For thousands of the young girls in the crowd, it was probably their first big show. Those pre-teen Avrilites were in no mood to keep quiet, either.

The fans waved signs saying "Avril Rox" and "We (heart) soccer and Avril" and all Avril-fan sentiments in between. They pumped their fists when Lavigne did. When she jumped up and down during My World, about growing up her home town of Napanee, hundreds of them standing on the floor jumped, too. So did many of the fans up in the seats.

The 18-year-old star, who has sold 10 million copies of her debut album Let Go, noticed. "Thanks to every single body in this building for showing up here," Lavigne said late in the show.

Dressed in a dark, sleeveless top, dark pants, skater wristbands and sporting a tattoo-like heart enclosing an X and an O on one shoulder, Lavigne didn't stray from Let Go too often.

Lavigne started her 70-minute set with one of Let Go's biggest hits, Sk8er Boi, and played everything on the album. Sitting up near the drums, she sang I'm With You, showing off her big rock voice. Lavigne is no hyperactive stage presence, but her voice commands respect.

When it came time for Complicated, Lavigne pulled two surprised fans out of the crowd to help with the words. Emily (or Emilie), 14, and Dave, 16, we salute you. You know the words to Avril's mega-hit and and you can come up with instant pumped-fist choreography, too.

Your rewards were big hugs from the tiny star and big applause.

When Lavigne did move away from the 13 songs on Let Go, it was to speed through Green Day's Basket Case and enjoy the bad language and punk attitude of her B-side I Don't Give. She didn't pause much between songs and had run down six songs of the 15-song set about 20 minutes into the proceedings.

Lavigne is not the only teenager who can pull a huge crowd at the centre in April. That is generally the job of the OHL London Knights.

Lavigne is younger than most of them and definitely shorter than the Knights. But her persona -- spunky, hard-working, no-quit -- has a lot more in common with the Knights' work ethic than it does with the other teen and pre-teen wannabe stars who have played London recently.

Last night's audience had plenty of parents with their little Avril fans in tow. Many of the young fans sported ties, an Avril fashion statement from a few months ago. Many parents have expressed their appreciation of Lavigne's clothing, ties or otherwise. It may be skater-style now, but her outfits always cover more than the skimpy, bare midriff look of other young female stars.

Lavigne showed off her unplugged mastery with the first encore, Tomorrow, shared with lead guitarist Evan Taubenfeld.

Then the entire band came back for Things I'll Never Say, one of Lavigne's happiest songs, about a love so "perfect" words might spoil it. All her Avril-shouting friends in the house knew how she felt.

Opening for Lavigne for two Vancouver-area acts, hip-hoppers Swollen Members and punk rockers Gob. (More on Avril Lavigne)