VANESSA CARLTON - CARLTON SLAMS SIMPSON'S LIP-SYNCHING

Sexy singer VANESSA CARLTON has hit out at pop rival ASHLEE SIMPSON, accusing her of continuing to lip-synch during live performances.

The A THOUSAND MILES star was performing live at New York's Irving Plaza last week (ends18MAR05) when she made the scathing attack, while Simpson was appearing at the nearby Hammerstein Ballroom.

Insisting her own performance was completely live, Carlton re-opened the humiliation Simpson suffered when she was caught miming on US TV show SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE last year (04).

PIECES OF ME singer Simpson's backing band played her set in a different order to what had previously been agreed, and Simpson's voice was heard while her lips remained motionless.

Carlton told her fans, "I don't want you guys thinking I'm pulling an Ashlee Simpson.

"This show is live, it's just me up here, unlike whatever's going on uptown."