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McCartney paid £1 for Olympic gig

Major stars such as Sir Paul McCartney who performed at Danny Boyle's Olympic extravaganza were paid a fee of just £1.

The tiny sum - a nominal fee for contractual purposes - contrasts with the huge payouts they could normally expect for a headline performance.

Others such as Mike Oldfield, Dizzee Rascal and Emeli Sande are also among the stars who are thought to have been paid the token figure.

Big names had originally agreed to play the show in the Olympic Stadium for free, but the inclusion of the £1 figure was to make the contract binding.

It means the star names were paid less than one-twentieth of the cost of the cheapest ticket for the ceremony. Seats ranged up to £2,012 for the best available.

Other performers on the night included Dizzee Rascal who performed his chart-topping hit Bonkers and the singer-songwriter Frank Turner who was a warm-up act prior to the start of the main ceremony. Arctic Monkeys played their number one single I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor and a cover of The Beatles' Come Together.

A spokesman for games organiser LOCOG confirmed the £1 fee which had been necessary for contractual purposes, although the acts had been happy to perform without any payment.

Many of the dancers and actors who were contracted to take part were paid the professional rate, although the vast majority were volunteers who gave their services for free.

Many of the music acts will be quids-in due to increased sales of their albums following their performances.

Source: music.uk.msn.com
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