April 14, 2008 at 04:00:00 PM | more stories by this author
Oasis guitarist slams choice of Jay-Z as headliner of massive UK fest, calling inclusion of hip-hop "wrong."
Oasis has reportedly completed its seventh studio album and is waiting to find a label to put it out.
Between now and then, the band's guitarist will likely be inserting his foot into his mouth.
Noel Gallagher told BBC News this week that it was wrong to have Jay-Z headline the storied Glastonbury festival this year, and that the rapper's place atop the bill is the reason that tickets had not sold out this year.
"If it ain't broke don't fix it," Gallagher said. "If you start to break it then people aren't going to go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music, and even when they throw the odd curveball in on a Sunday night, you go 'Kylie Minogue?' I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."
Hattie Collins, editor of urban music magazine RWD, told the network that Gallagher had "probably never seen Jay-Z live or heard any of his tunes. Hip-hop in a live setting can be fantastic and has just as much right to be there as any other run-of-the-mill indie band. Gone are the days when a guy would turn up with a microphone and grab himself while wandering around mumbling."
The full Glastonbury lineup will be announced on May 1.


9 Comments
Oldest First | Newest FirstOasis are one of the worst things to have happened to the music world in the 90's.
I don't dislike rock, I dislike rap more if anything, but Jay-Z is an immensely talented guy.
Noel Gallagher needs to shut his mouth and open his mind.
Bring on Glasto '08.
Let the people choose, and stop running your mouth.
Then again, watching conservative snobs lose their monocles and spill their wine over "new music/styles/etc." makes me glad this kind of thing is happening. I hope the show becomes a critical success because of Jay-Z; he just makes everything sound better, and no doubt he'll do the same for the Festival.