Gwen Stefani plays at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary last night. Her style played into the show as much as her music, with each outfit picked to complement her tunes. (STUART DRYDEN/SUN MEDIA)

Harajuku girls, a moving floor, a covey of break-dancers and whole lot of bubble-gum pop -- Gwen Stefani's first stop in Calgary as a solo artist had everything fans, and the like, expected.

There were few surprises -- nothing to write home about.

But, still, the blond bombshell managed to please the sold-out crowd at the Saddledome last night with her glitzy, over the top, Vegas-style production.

And it started with a creative, loud bang.

After the lights dimmed, a spotlight, perhaps from a police helicopter, roomed the arena in search of the culprits. As it turns out, the cops were on the hunt for Stefani's famous Harajuku girls, who, once found, fled the officers through the crowd and onto the stage where the pop princess was finally shown, locked in a gold makeshift jail cell.

Somehow, Stefani managed to break free, kicking off her 100-minute concert with the title track from her last CD The Sweet Escape followed by Rich Girl, which saw confetti filled with dollar bills pour from the roof.

Stefani's reputation as a fashionista played into the show as much as the music, with each outfit picked to complement the tunes.

For the openers, she wore a skimpy black and white striped prison overall/shorts number.

For 4 in the Morning and Yummy, it was a small pink silk dress adorned with a Japanese-style waistband and sash.

Her set list, however, was a little less fascinating.

Packed predominately with songs from The Sweet Escape, and a few selections from its superior predecessor, Love. Angel. Music. Baby., it failed, at times, to hold the crowd's attention.

Maybe next time, unless the law prohibits it, Stefani will add in a few No Doubt numbers, which would have been a welcomed treat during the show's noticeable lull.

That's not to say the 37-year-old mom and wife of British rocker Gavin Rossdale let the energy wane during her carefully choreographed dance numbers -- she didn't.

It's just with only two solo albums under her fashionable belt, Stefani was forced to rely on style over substance for much of the show.

Hopefully, with a new No Doubt CD currently underway, this solo thing is nothing more than a sweet escape from the ska-pop band, which will soon be over.

Opening act Akon, on the other hand, seems to be on the right track.

The half-naked, buff rapper thrilled the ladies, and a few men, with his moves, groves and attitude during his radio-hit packed set.

The only problem was it lacked controversy.

No one was assaulted or groped, leaving many camera-phone carrying fans with nothing to shoot but his show, which consisted mostly of songs from his second album, Konvicted, including the Grammy Award-nominated Smack That and radio hit I Wanna Love You.

Also missing was his new much-discussed song Sorry, in which Akon apologizes to Stefani for his sexual antics with a 14-year-old at his Trinidad concert -- a move which cost the pop star her Verizon Wireless sponsorship.

British rapper Lady Sovereign, who has a habit of cancelling shows, cutting them short or showing up late, also disappointed on the gossip-the-next-day scale. While her set in Calgary was rather short, only five songs, she was nothing if not professional.

Lady hit the stage on time and quickly won the room over with her charm, perfectly setting the tone for the night.