THE ZUTONS - ZUTONS CRITICISE LIVERPOOL'S CAPITAL OF CULTURE LABEL

Dave McCabe, the lead singer of the Zutons, has criticised Liverpool's tag as the Capital of Culture for 2008.

McCabe, from the Knowsley area of the city, claimed that label was only driven by money.

"I don't believe in that Capital of Culture thing much. I think it's good if it creates jobs, but I just think it's just loads of apartments, and no one's moving into them," the lead singer said.

"I think that it's just money, that's all it's about, just pure money. People with money just want to come in and put green glass buildings up.

"If you're going to make somewhere the Capital of Culture, I don't think money is the answer.

"I just think it's a load of bulls*** to be honest. Liverpool is Liverpool, you can't change it. I don't think it's necessarily a bad place but I don't think it's got loads of culture," he added.

He also complained that organisers of the year-long celebration had used a picture of him to promote the Capital of Culture without his consent.

"They've got a picture of me up," he said. "A big picture of me, that's dead old, from the first album."

Russell Pritchard, the band's bassist, backed McCabe up, saying: "They just want to put flags up. That's all the Capital of Culture is, just putting flags up."

The Zutons are due to release their new single, Always Right Behind You, on May 26th.