CROWDED HOUSE - FINN FORCED TO APOLOGISE TO FESTIVAL INTERPRETER

CROWDED HOUSE singer NEIL FINN was left red-faced after accidentally heckling a sign language interpreter at London's Hyde Park Calling festival on Saturday (23Jun07). Signers were on hand to translate for the hearing impaired during Saturday's performances - but no-one informed Finn of their presence. During his performance Finn turned to an interpreter and asked who he was. He later heckled the man's replacement saying, "Where has your friend gone? Are you here as a decoy to make sure no one storms the stage, because you have done it already." When Finn eventually realised who the man was, halfway through the set, he immediately apologised, saying, "You have made me feel very embarrassed." One of the signers said afterwards, "He thought we were encroaching his territory. "You can't really blame him. He obviously wasn't told what we were doing. And he did apologise straight away when he realised."