TRAVIS - TRAVIS BACK 'DRUNK' NUTINI

LATEST: TRAVIS have defended their Scottish colleague PAOLO NUTINI from reports he was drunk during a recent gig, insisting he's entitled to "have fun". The New Shoes star performed at the Oasis Centre in Swindon, England, last month (23Apr07) but left fans angry and bitterly disappointed when he mumbled songs. Onlookers believe Nutini got carried away celebrating his favourite soccer team's success, as Celtic Football Club had won the Scottish Premier League a day earlier (22Apr07), and blamed the singer for being "unprofessional". But Travis guitarist Andy Dunlop urges fans to go easy on the singer. He says, "The guy's 20, he's in a band and his team won the league. What do you expect? "He's young and he's having fun. That's what it's all about. People should get off his back and let him get on with doing what he does best." Nutini has blamed his "strong Scottish accent" for fans' failure to understand him during the gig but Dunlop is adamant that, even if the excuse isn't believed, Nutini's reputation won't be damaged by the incident. He adds, "At least people are talking about him, keeping him in the public eye. It's all good at the end of the day."