Gallagher: 'Hip-hop wrong for Glasto'

Noel Gallagher has claimed that there is no place for hip-hop music at Glastonbury.

The Oasis guitarist said the festival should stick to its traditional indie music roots rather than booking acts like Jay-Z if it wants to remain popular.

He blamed the rapper's addition to the bill for the lower number of people registering to buy tickets for this year's summer bash.

"If it ain't broke don't fix it," Gallagher told the BBC. "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 curve ball 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."

Jay-Z will headline Glastonbury 2008 alongside Kings of Leon and The Verve. Gallagher's group headlined the annual music festival in 1995 and 2004.

He also revealed that the Manchester band have finished mixing their latest record in LA. They will release their seventh studio album later this year.

Speaking about the record, he added: "That's finished. All done. We're just kind of waiting to get a record deal and get it out.

"We've not managed to get a title yet. We're in the middle of doing the artwork. Down to a shortlist of about three. The first single? That will be four-and-half minutes long."