It's the age-old female dilemma before a big night out... which outfit to wear.
But in most cases it is only her man who is kept waiting.
In Lauryn Hill's case, 2,300 fans were packed into the London Coliseum wondering where she was.
When the 8pm concert finally got underway at 10.40pm, the former Fugees singer announced to her audience: "I have a problem with procrastination. I have a great deal of difficulty deciding what to wear - it's a woman thing."
Miss Hill, a notoriously outspoken proponent of women's rights and black independence, offered no hint of an apology and proceeded to play the concert as if nothing had happened.
The Coliseum, home of the English National Opera, has been attempting to widen its scope with the O2 Voices Season, a programme showcasing different genres and musical styles.
But after considerable success with Latin American and Asian music, its first venture into hip-hop descended into farce.
The hordes of faithful, mostly twenty-somethings, were kept in their seats initially by the sheer desire to see Miss Hill, whose performances are rare.
After about an hour they were growing restless and the ENO sent a bow-tied official on stage to announce that she had been delayed by "heavy traffic" and would be on in 40 minutes.
The singer is known to have been staying at the Savoy, barely five minutes walk from the theatre.
Fans sat and read their programmes, milled about in the bar, or left the theatre to buy food. Incredibly, most were still there when she finally came on stage. But they were far from welcoming.
Fans heckle
Some heckled, others threw popcorn at the stage, and no-one took up her invitation to get up and dance. "That was a disgrace," shouted one angry fan. "I paid for a full set, not a half-assed performance that came three hours late. It's so late I can't even get home now."
ENO staff were left with long queues of ticket holders berating them, and yesterday announced that full refunds would be available to anyone who returned their ticket stub.
Spokesman Jane Livingstone said: "We wanted to try and get a different audience through the doors of the Coliseum, and break down some barriers. Unfortunately it seems that these type of people keep to their own time schedule."
Mother-of-four Miss Hill, 30, found fame in the 1993 movie sequel Sister Act 2, aged 18. Three years later she stormed to the top of the charts with The Fugees' cover of Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly.
Since then she has developed something of a reputation as a loose cannon. She has played only a handful of concerts in the last five years but still managed to stir controversy. During a performance at the Vatican she lambasted priests responsible for child abuse.
Fashion note: Miss Hill finally decided on an old-fashioned lace blouse and long evening skirt, paired with African bracelets and Asian earrings.
But in most cases it is only her man who is kept waiting.
In Lauryn Hill's case, 2,300 fans were packed into the London Coliseum wondering where she was.
When the 8pm concert finally got underway at 10.40pm, the former Fugees singer announced to her audience: "I have a problem with procrastination. I have a great deal of difficulty deciding what to wear - it's a woman thing."
Miss Hill, a notoriously outspoken proponent of women's rights and black independence, offered no hint of an apology and proceeded to play the concert as if nothing had happened.
The Coliseum, home of the English National Opera, has been attempting to widen its scope with the O2 Voices Season, a programme showcasing different genres and musical styles.
But after considerable success with Latin American and Asian music, its first venture into hip-hop descended into farce.
The hordes of faithful, mostly twenty-somethings, were kept in their seats initially by the sheer desire to see Miss Hill, whose performances are rare.
After about an hour they were growing restless and the ENO sent a bow-tied official on stage to announce that she had been delayed by "heavy traffic" and would be on in 40 minutes.
The singer is known to have been staying at the Savoy, barely five minutes walk from the theatre.
Fans sat and read their programmes, milled about in the bar, or left the theatre to buy food. Incredibly, most were still there when she finally came on stage. But they were far from welcoming.
Fans heckle
Some heckled, others threw popcorn at the stage, and no-one took up her invitation to get up and dance. "That was a disgrace," shouted one angry fan. "I paid for a full set, not a half-assed performance that came three hours late. It's so late I can't even get home now."
ENO staff were left with long queues of ticket holders berating them, and yesterday announced that full refunds would be available to anyone who returned their ticket stub.
Spokesman Jane Livingstone said: "We wanted to try and get a different audience through the doors of the Coliseum, and break down some barriers. Unfortunately it seems that these type of people keep to their own time schedule."
Mother-of-four Miss Hill, 30, found fame in the 1993 movie sequel Sister Act 2, aged 18. Three years later she stormed to the top of the charts with The Fugees' cover of Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly.
Since then she has developed something of a reputation as a loose cannon. She has played only a handful of concerts in the last five years but still managed to stir controversy. During a performance at the Vatican she lambasted priests responsible for child abuse.
Fashion note: Miss Hill finally decided on an old-fashioned lace blouse and long evening skirt, paired with African bracelets and Asian earrings.
