Gabriel pulls out of Oscars performance

Peter Gabriel has pulled out of performing at the Oscars after being told that he could only play 65 seconds of his song 'Down To Earth'.

The former Genesis singer was reportedly told that he could not perform the complete version of his Wall-E track, which is nominated in the best song category.

"It's a bit unfortunate. The songwriters are a very small part of the filmmaking process but we still work bloody hard," he said in a video on his website.

The song, which is six minutes long and was written with Thomas Newman, was deemed too long by producers. The Soweto Gospel Choir will perform in his place.

Gabriel added that he still intends to attend the ceremony, which takes place on February 22.