Pictures: Lady Gaga fans in Philippines eagerly await concert despite religious protests in Manila

Filipino Lady Gaga fans await for the beginning of her concert in the capital city of Manila, despite religious groups rallying for the cancellation of her shows.

Lady Gaga's two shows in Manila follow Conservative Christian protests on Saturday, which demanded the cancellation of her two concerts this week.

The groups believe that her songs carry "demonic" undertones.

The protests in the heavily Catholic Philippines followed a decision this week by authorities in Indonesia, a secular state but with the world's largest Muslim population, to refuse her a permit to perform in Jakarta next month.

In Manila, dozens of anti-riot police stopped hundreds of protesters from two groups from marching to the concert venue with placards reading "Stop Lady Gaga concert" and "Don't support Lady Gaga".

A much larger group prayed and sang hymns as the performer arrived in the evening in the city.

Concert organisers said they were aware of no plans to cancel the concerts, with fans prepared to pay up to 15,000 pesos ($350) for tickets - in a country where the average monthly wage is about 10,000 pesos.

"We're hoping that if they will continue the concert, they should tone it down," Benny Abante, a Christian pastor, told reporters. "She should not sing songs that could offend our spiritual senses or wear bikinis in front of the crowd."

Other group members described her songs as "grossly blasphemous, immoral, lewd and carrying demonic and occultic undertones".