Oasis in dig at Franz Glasto gig

By Georgie Rogers
6 Music News reporter

Manchester rockers Oasis last performed at Glastonbury in 2004

A year after his controversial comments about Jay-Z playing the Glastonbury Festival, Oasis star Noel Gallagher has taken aim at Franz Ferdinand.

Giving his verdict on this year's line-up, he joked: "If I'd have had anything to do with that bill, Franz Ferdinand wouldn't have been on it."

Speaking about his old Britpop rivals Blur, he said: "If you were a Blur fan it will be extremely exciting for you."

In 2008, Gallagher famously said it was "wrong" to have a hip-hop headliner.

Jay-Z hit back by opening his set with a cover of the Oasis hit Wonderwall.

This year, Glastonbury takes place from 26-28 June. Neil Young will headline the Friday night, with Springsteen topping the bill on Saturday.

"I like Bruce [Springsteen]," Gallagher said. "I don't know, do I like Bruce? I don't own any of his records. I like Crosby, Stills and Nash. I love Neil Young."

I can't play jazz, I can't work out Chinese operas, I don't know about reggae

Noel Gallagher

Blur will close the show on Sunday, one of a series of comeback dates, which come nine year after their last show as a four-piece.

Gallagher said: "Particularly if you're a Blur fan that's come along since the how ever many years it is they've not been doing nothin', and you've almost waited a lifetime to see them - it will be quite exciting I would have thought."

During their time away, Blur frontman Damon Albarn dreamt up virtual band Gorillaz and put on the theatre production, Monkey Journey To The West.

Speaking about the other projects, Gallagher said: "People in other bands can turn their hands to different types of music.

"We never went to college or university - what you see me doing on stage, I'm operating at the absolute limit of my musical ability. I can't do anything else," he continued. "I can't play jazz, I can't work out Chinese operas, I don't know about reggae.

"All I know is how to play the songs that I play, so we've never really been able to do anything else and never really had the inclination to.

"If you're in Oasis there's no need to do anything else. It's why people have never left U2."

The guitarist also dismissed he had anything to do with the organisers' choice to book the titans of rock. "It goes in cycles though. Everybody can't all play at the same time," he said.

And he said he was a fan of other bands on the bill: "I love The Specials - I've just been to see The Specials."

"The Script are playing, they're brilliant, and The Wombats," Gallagher added after his comments on Franz Ferdinand.

Noel Gallagher was speaking to Sharuna Sagar for BBC 6 Music.