Lavigne steals Timberlake's thunder at MTV awards

Canadian rock and pop singer Avril Lavigne poses on the red carpet before the MTV Europe Awards ceremony in Munich November 1, 2007. [Agencies]

By contrast compatriot Pete Doherty, in the headlines for his self-confessed drug addiction and affair with supermodel Kate Moss, led the Babyshambles in a haunting rendition of "Delivery."

Asked what was behind this apparent change, he told Reuters: "Yeh, it's all different now. I don't know ... God, and melody."

Munich music fan Ina Rousseau and her friend Ana Jordan particularly liked Doherty's performance. "He was here. He was singing and not falling down," said Jordan, 26.