In a lengthy new statement posted to Instagram, Ed Sheeran said the decision to drop Macklemore from his tour was not his but that of the promoter Messina Touring Group, combined with pressure from venues. The singer-songwriter said that after hearing some venues did not want Macklemore to perform after taking issue with his “Free Palestine” comments at MetLife Stadium, he spoke with the owners, including Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft. His efforts to change their minds, however, were unsuccessful.
Of his decision to go with their decision, and not risk the rest of the tour, Sheeran explained: “I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.” Reps for Macklemore, the promoter Messina Touring Group, and Robert Kraft did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s requests for comment. In his statement, Sheeran took a neutral stance on the war between Israel and Hamas, saying he was “appalled” by the war. In another bullet point, he wrote that he was not “complicit” with any particular ideology, adding, “I have my personal views on this devastating conflict.
Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care. Nor does it mean I don’t support causes in my own, personal way. I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes.
However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace. I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change.
There are different approaches to being an advocate for change.” Messina Touring Group told Rolling Stone on Monday that Macklemore would no longer remain on the Loop Tour because venues said they would cancel the concerts if he were involved. He was supposed to support Sheeran at eight of the 10 upcoming concerts Sheeran has booked in the U.S. In his own Instagram statement, Macklemore placed the blame on Kraft and others.
District Attorney Says The Internet Is Tearing Stella Lefty Apart. Nashville Sees Her Success Differently Kash Patel Defends the FBI Welcoming Applicants Who Have Engaged in Bestiality Kraft responded in his own statement, saying that he had indeed said that Macklemore wasn’t welcome at Gillette Stadium due to how he perceived the rapper’s “recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.” Kraft did not, however, respond to Macklemore’s allegation that he had “rallied” other venues to join him in blacklisting the artist. When Macklemore performed at the New York City–area MetLife Stadium earlier in September, he yelled “Free Palestine” at the first of two concerts.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
