Anger over Gaga's wheelchair stunt

Lady Gaga. Photo / Supplied

Lady Gaga has been slammed by a disability group for rolling out in a wheelchair during a performance in Sydney.

Gaga shocked the crowd as she wheeled on to the stage of the town hall wearing a black funeral shroud.

It was apparently an unveiling of a new mermaid alter-ego "Yugi".

The pop star performed the song You and I while sitting in a wheelchair.

She has previously defended performing in a wheelchair in the video clip for her song Paparazzi, saying it was a portrayal of "watching the celebrity fall apart".

The stunt was slammed by a disability group in the United States.

"I haven't seen Lady Gaga's performance, but respect her artistic expression as an artist," Radar Online quoted founder of the Life Rolls On Foundation, Jesse Billauer, as saying.

"Since this isn't the first time she has used a wheelchair in her performances, I invite her to learn more about the 5.6 million Americans who live with paralysis.

"They, like me, unfortunately, don't use a wheelchair for shock value," he said.

However, an Australian disability group was not upset about the performance. Sue Egan, the executive officer at Physical Disability Australia, said it seemed like a storm in a teacup and no member had made a complaint.

"We're not that precious about this type of thing," she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"If she used a wheelchair to embellish her act, well as long as she didn't take it too lightly and it would seem the audience weren't concerned about it."

The singer was later attacked by egg-throwers as she left a club but the attack was not thought to be related to the wheelchair performance.