Ed Sheeran returns to stage after Palestinian controversy
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Sheeran has denied being behind the decision to remove Macklemore, saying his tour’s promoter was responsible.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW YORK – Protesters and police were expected to greet concertgoers in Philadelphia on Sept 19 for pop superstar Ed Sheeran’s first show since he became embroiled in controversy set off by his opening act’s pro-Palestinian comments.
Rapper Macklemore was booted from Sheeran’s US Loop Tour on Sept 14 after the owners of stadiums hosting upcoming shows objected to his shouting “Free Palestine” onstage in New Jersey earlier in September.
Sheeran has denied being behind the decision to remove Macklemore, saying his tour’s promoter was responsible.
But four supporting acts soon quit the Shape Of You singer’s tour. They included Sheeran’s backing band as well as performer Finneas, who rose to fame collaborating with his pop superstar sister Billie Eilish.
At a time when a growing number of artists are speaking out against the conflict in Gaza and West Bank settler violence, the 35-year-old British performer has maintained his apolitical stance.
“I am not complicit. 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,” he said on Instagram on Sept 15.
However, he said, “those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum”.
The former busker-turned-superstar, accused by critics of failing to stand up to the stadium owners, has been targeted by boycott calls over the controversy.
On Sept 19, a pro-Palestinian group urged artists, fans and crew members to stay away from Sheeran’s concerts on three continents.
“We now extend our call for boycotting Ed Sheeran’s entire world tour, including the upcoming Latin American dates, and the as-yet-unannounced European leg,” the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) said in a statement.
Gretchen Larsen, a professor specialising in the music industry at Durham University Business School in England, said: “Clearly, there’s some real discontent around how this whole situation is being managed, and he’s definitely having to do some brand reputation management.”
Solo show?
No new opening acts or backing bands have been announced, and it was not known how Sheeran planned to carry out his show at Lincoln Financial Field in the eastern US city of Philadelphia on the night of Sept 19.
A pro-Palestinian rally organised by local groups was scheduled to take place near the venue in the afternoon.
City police told AFP there would be an “appropriate police presence” to “help ensure the safety of concertgoers, employees and neighbourhood residents”.
On the resale market, tickets for the show have been changing hands at a slightly brisker pace since Sept 14 when compared to previous dates on Sheeran’s tour, according to tracking site TicketData.
“Some share of the audience isn’t tuned in to anything political, or is completely indifferent to it, and has only just now become aware that Ed Sheeran is even playing their city. They’re buying tickets with zero connection to the controversy,” site founder Keith Pagello said.
The price of the cheapest tickets had fallen from US$123 (S$157) on Sept 14 to US$67 by the afternoon of Sept 18.
Pagello said the decline was not necessarily linked to the row, as it is common for concert ticket prices to drop as the event date approaches. AFP