Lady Gaga Performs ‘You & I’ in a Wheelchair in Australia

Lady Gaga caused a stir -- now that's a real shocker -- at her show at Sydney Town Hall in Australia on Wednesday. The singer performed the piano rock opera 'You & I' while seated in a wheelchair, a decision that some have called into question. (On a side note, we think this is another piece of evidence that 'You & I' will be the next single from 'Born This Way.')

Gaga isn't the first famous musician to wheel on stage in similar controversial fashion. The late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana fame did the same, arriving on stage in a wheelchair in 1992 for Britain's Reading Festival. While Cobain's shock of blond hair obscured his face when he pulled the same stunt, Gaga's lovely faced was shrouded by a black sheath. She actually wheeled herself onto the stage, though.

Now, before you call for Gaga's head for this action, remember the lyrics to 'Born This Way.' She sings "Whether life's disabilities / Left you outcast, bullies or teased / Rejoice and love yourself today / Because baby you were born this way." We believe Gaga when she sings those sentiments, so this could very well have been her way of giving a shout out to any handicapable or wheelchair-bound little monsters. We don't sense any sort of malice or even artistic drama in her choice to perform while in a wheelchair.

Gaga also thanked fans in Oz for being some of the first to show her love, proclaiming, "You believed in me. I broke here in Australia before anywhere else so let's celebrate… You are all looking very, very brand f---ing new and I promise, I promise I won't ever be away so long again."

Watch Lady Gaga Perform in a Wheelchair

Watch Kurt Cobain Arrive Onstage in a Wheelchair

Koki Nagahama