- Published
The snowballing controversy over pro-Palestinian rapper Macklemore being dropped as a support act for Ed Sheeran has plunged the tour into crisis and left concert-goers in the middle of the fraught Israel-Gaza debate.
asserted
controversy → publish → debate
Fans who spoke to the BBC - including those who have tickets to see Sheeran's next show - have been split since Macklemore was dropped from the Loop Tour this week after his "free Palestine" protest on stage.
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Macklemore → speak → stage
All of Sheeran's opening acts have since quit in solidarity.
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All → quit → solidarity
"I'm still torn," Damien Given told the BBC on whether he would attend Sheeran's show on Saturday, calling the artist's response disingenuous.
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he → tear → response
Another fan called it a "no-win situation".
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fan → call → it
Since the controversy blew up earlier this week, ticket prices, external for his remaining shows in the US, Mexico and South America have dropped, as calls for boycotts spread.
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calls → blow → boycotts
Sheeran has responded, saying he's been "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine", but would not be drawn into a political debate.
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he → respond → debate
He argued that "those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum" and stressed he was not responsible for Macklemore being removed from the tour.
Still, the backlash has come from all sides.
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backlash → argue → sides
Some are upset Sheeran's tour is continuing without all the listed acts and they want refunds.
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they → continue → refunds
It's no longer the show they paid for, they said.
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they → pay → ?
Given, who is from Northern Ireland, said he's felt in two minds over the tickets he has on Saturday to see the show in Philadelphia.
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he → say → Philadelphia
It will mark Sheeran's first time back on stage since the controversy spiralled.
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controversy → mark → stage
Given said he's felt that Macklemore was treated "very, very wrong" and thought Sheeran was not being transparent with fans.
"
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Sheeran → say → fans
[Sheeran] said he was in support of Ukraine when the Ukraine-Russia war started," said Given.
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Given → say → Ukraine
"You can't just say now suddenly, 'I'm not political.'
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I → say → ?
But he explained the poignant connection he's felt to Sheeran's music that has drawn him to Saturday's show.
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that → explain → show
The singer's hit Thinking Out Loud was the first dance at Given's wedding.
"When she danced," Given, 52, said, recalling the moment with his bride, "the first words of the song were, 'When your legs don't work like they used to before.'
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they → think → song
His wife, Kellie, had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and could barely walk.
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wife → diagnose → sclerosis
She died four years later, in 2024.
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She → die → 2024
Given said if it wasn't for "that connection, I would absolutely" not be attending, but "I'm probably leaning towards going".
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I → say → connection
Fellow fan Patti Ann has felt less conflicted over the backlash and instead said Sheeran was in a "no-win situation".
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Sheeran → feel → situation
"I back [Sheeran] 100% for his decision," she said.
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she → back → decision
"I feel like he has an obligation and a contract with his venues, and sometimes, financially, you can't get out of those types of things."
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you → feel → things
Ann, who has been a Sheeran fan for years, said she thinks a concert venue is not the place for politics.
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venue → say → politics
Believe what you want, she said, "just don't press it on me".
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she → believe → me
She still plans to attend his show in Atlanta, Georgia, in October.
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She → plan → October
Matt Jaye, a Jewish-American from Florida, said he was outraged watching Macklemore's comments on a New Jersey stage earlier this month in support of Palestine.
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he → say → Palestine
He contacted Ticketmaster and asked for a refund for tickets he has to Sheeran's November show in Tampa, Florida.
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he → contact → Tampa
His request was denied, which he said was "pretty upsetting".
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he → deny → ?
His mood changed, though, after Macklemore was removed from Sheeran's line-up.
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Macklemore → change → up
"I'm not in favour of a one-sided presentation of things from an artist," Jaye, 48, said.
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Jaye → say → artist
"That's not why I'm going to the concert."
Jaye said he believed Sheeran bore some culpability for Macklemore's pro-Palestinian protest.
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Sheeran → go → protest
"If [Sheeran's] saying that he's apolitical, I would expect him to maintain those same standards for the artists that he's bringing on," he said.
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he → say → that
"I don't think he handled it in the best way possible."
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he → think → way
He added that he would have liked Sheeran to issue an apology to the Jewish community for making part of his audience "very uncomfortable".
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part → add → audience
Some fans are worried what will become of the tour by the time Sheeran is set to play in their city.
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Sheeran → worry → city
Heather Park, who has tickets this weekend, said she's worried some shows might be cancelled.
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shows → have → tickets
"My main thing was to go see Ed Sheeran," she said.
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she → go → Sheeran
While Park, 49, believes Macklemore's ouster was unfair and a violation of free speech, she said she's mostly unbothered by the drama and prefers to separate the artist from the art.
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she → believe → art
"I still like the music," she says.
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she → like → music
The Aporia
