PAOLO NUTINI - NUTINI BLAMES SCOTTISH TWANG FOR 'DRUNKEN' PERFORMANCE

Singer PAOLO NUTINI has rubbished reports he turned up for a concert last night (23Apr07) completely drunk, blaming his "strong Scottish accent" for fans' failure to understand him during the gig. The New Shoes star performed at the Oasis Centre in Swindon, England, but left fans angry and bitterly disappointed as the 20-year-old struggled through the gig mumbling over his songs. Onlookers believe Nutini got carried away celebrating his favourite soccer team's success, as Celtic Football Club had won the Scottish Premier League on Sunday (22Apr07), and blamed the singer for being "unprofessional". Eyewitness Sarah Coombes, who walked out midway through the gig, says, "It was an absolute disgrace. The only reason Paolo had the microphone was to help him stand up. "His football team won and he was celebrating but if I turned up to work like that I wouldn't have a job. We couldn't stick (put up with) any more. It was an embarrassment." But Nutini's spokeswoman, Emma Elwood, insists the singer had not had a single alcoholic drink before he went on stage. She says, "His strong Scottish accent can make it difficult for some people to understand what he's saying when talking between songs."