Lady Gaga delivered an emotional performance as the UK leg of her Monster Ball tour continued in London tonight (February 26).

Appearing for the first of two nights at the O2 Arena, the US singer wowed the sold-out crowd - which included her parents - with a spectacular stage show that included multiple costume changes.

Despite arriving on stage 40 minutes late, Lady Gaga was in an energetic and talkative mood throughout her twenty-song set.

She repeatedly dedicated the evening to her “little monsters” - her fans - and encouraged them to be “whatever you want to be”.

Centred on her and her backing dancers quest to reach the Monster Ball, the show comprised of four parts: City, Subway, Forest and Monster Ball.

And for the 18,000 fans in attendance, it proved to be a dramatic journey from the moment Lady Gaga emerged as a silhouette during opener ‘Dance In The Dark’.

Echoing Michael Jackson’s iconic routine for ‘Smooth Criminal’, when the curtain eventually lifted it revealed an elaborate recreation of downtown New York, complete with a yellow cab that concealed a piano under its bonnet.

After witnessing hits such as ‘Just Dance’ and ‘The Fame’, fans were then treated to a brief interlude, which saw a woman vomiting green liquid over the singer’s body.

But that wasn’t the biggest surprise of the night, as Lady Gaga proceeded to simulate male masturbation and joke about “big c*cks” during ‘LoveGame’.

She later showed her humorous side again when one of her eye-catching metal-studded boots broke during ‘Telephone’.

“My shoe broke during ‘Telephone’, but I would rather die than have you see me without high heels on,” she said, before adding: “Because that’s what showbiz is all about.”

Provocation and costume accidents aside, the gig proved to be an emotional one for the star, coming just twelve months after she supported the Pussycat Dolls at the same venue.

Lady Gaga was also watched from the stands on this occasion by her mother and father, whom she dedicated ‘Speechless’ to.

Sat at a burning grand piano, the singer appeared to have tears in her eyes as she spoke about her emphatic rise to fame.

“Sometimes I have to fucking pinch myself,” she said. “I really can’t believe this.”

After surviving a twister and unleashing hits such as crowd-favourite ‘Poker Face’, Lady GaGa finally arrived at the Monster Ball only to be greeted by a 40ft high pneumatically-operated monster.

But fortunately for the fans in attendance, the now leopard skin print-clad singer survived the terrifying ordeal just in time to deliver set closer ‘Bad Romance’.

Lady Gaga’s UK tour continues on Monday (March 1) in Glasgow.

Lady Gaga’s setlist was:

City:

1. Dance in the Dark
2. Glitter and Grease
3. Just Dance
4. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
5. Vanity
6. The Fame

Subway:

1. LoveGame
2. Boys Boys Boys
3. Money Honey
4. Telephone
5. Brown Eyes
6. Speechless
7. So Happy I Could Die

Forest:

1. Monster
2. Teeth
3. Alejandro
4. Pokerface

Monster Ball:

1. Paparazzi
2. Bad Romance

(by Jason Gregory)