Noel Gallagher compares Olympics to Iran's nuclear programme

(FILES) This file photo dated 26 October 2005 shows Noel Gallagher from the British band Oasis posing before a concert in Paris. It was reported 07 July 2006 that Gallagher, the lead singer of Oasis, said he will be supporting Italy when he attends the World Cup final for the first time 09 July. He revealed that he and his brother Liam are friends of Alessandro Del Piero and the Italy star believed he had brought him luck in the semi-final against Germany - with Gallagher watching from the stands, the Italian came off the bench in extra-time to score his side's second goal in the 2-0 win. AFP PHOTO / FILES / BERTRAND GUAYShow less

There can’t have been many living, breathing people who saw the London Olympics opening ceremony and weren’t, even if only slightly, blown away. Likewise, there can’t have been many who saw the closing ceremony and didn’t go ‘er, can’t they have got Danny Boyle to do that one as well?’

As it turns out, there were several big name acts who turned down the chance to join the Spice Girls, Kaiser Chiefs and Annie Lennox in the not-quite-illustrious schedule. Among those was Noel Gallagher, who recently explained why he didn’t sign up.

Speaking to a UK radio station, he claimed that the organisers wanted him to mime the concert. “I’m all for miming in TV shows, but if you’re in a stadium with 80,000 people and you’re pretending? I can play live!” he said.

He also claimed he was put off by the level of secrecy surrounding the concert. “I was like ‘Who else is playing? and they were like ‘We can’t tell you, you’ve got to sign a confidentiality agreement’. It’s like it’s the Iran nuclear program of something.”