War of words

BLUR and MASSIVE ATTACK have hit out at OASIS - branding as "absolutely ridiculous" NOEL GALLAGHER's claims that their anti-war efforts are useless.

NME.COM met up with Damon Albarn and Robert '3-D' Del Naja at Olympic Studios last week, where Massive Attack are preparing for this weekend's demonstration in London (September 28).

In a recent NME interview, Oasis ' songwriter Noel Gallagher said: "I don't understand all these pop stars saying 'We should have a democratic debate about the war'...my opinion means nothing. The people in the White House can change this, I play guitar in a band and we're really good. Arsed about anything else." His brother Liam added: "Nobody's gonna listen to knob'ead out of Blur... no-one even listens to Bono."

His comments are in reference to 3-D and Damon's adverts in recent issues of NME, calling for no UK involvement in any prospective war in Iraq.

In an exclusive interview 3-D hit back. "The idea is as an individual you say something, make a statement and other people who are like minded join you," he told NME. "Eventually you create a force. Otherwise, how do you do it? It always starts with one person. That's how any political party starts, how any trade union starts, any force of protest starts, always with single voices. And to suggest that as musicians we shouldn't have a view is absolutely ridiculous because as musicians we're still British subjects who live within this country."

Damon Albarn added: "We live within this country so therefore as citizens our responsibility if we believe strongly in something is to express that view. If I didn't have such an appalling history with Noel Gallagher I'd say what I think about what he said, but it just perpetuates something which just negates from what we're actually trying to do."

There is a rally for the Stop The War coalition this Saturday (28 September) in London it assembles at 12.30pm at Embankment to march to Hyde Park - www.stopwar.org.uk.

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