COLDPLAY - MARTIN FIRES BACK AT GALLAGHER'S LIVE 8 CRITICISM

COLDPLAY frontman CHRIS MARTIN has slammed celebrity pal NOEL GALLAGHER for claiming this weekend's (02JUL05) Live 8 concerts won't help relieve world poverty.

The OASIS guitarist is one of the only big names in Britain who is not performing at the London leg of the anti-poverty concerts in the capital's Hyde Park.

Saturday will see seven simultaneous gigs held around the globe, which aim to pressure leaders at the G8 Summit in Scotland to alleviate debt in developing countries.

Last week (ends24JUN05), Gallagher said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but are they hoping that one of these guys from the G8 is on a quick 15 minute break at Gleneagles (in Scotland) and sees ANNIE LENNOX singing SWEET DREAMS and thinks, 'F**k me, she might have a point there, you know?'

"KEANE doing SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW and some Japanese businessman going, 'Aw, look at him... we should really f**king drop that debt, you know.'

"It's not going to happen, is it?"

However Martin, who is one of rock's leading anti-poverty campaigners, responds, "Anybody who is cynical about Live 8 didn't listen to geography lessons at school.

"Noel Gallagher is a diamond geezer (top man) and I love him to bits, but I wish he wouldn't criticise this."