Ed Sheeran’s own backing band and all support acts pull out of US tour
a month ago by Soulphite to c/politics


“You get civil rights on paper and we put the klan behind badges.”
Get this guy a Nobel peace prize!
Get this guy a Nobel FIFA peace prize!
Some of those who work forces are the same that burn crosses.
On one side, most people seem to dislike genocide. On the other hand, Eddie really like money.
I just don't see how to solve this moral and ethical dilemma
Except for the people getting genocided, but we've decided they don't count as part of "everybody."
This is how I feel about people who murder animals for food.
Very few people do. They eat animals murdered by someone else.
If a mob boss orders his employee to murder someone, both of them have committed murder
The person doing the eating didn't order anyone to do anything. They went to a store and bought the meat.
Sure, but since we killed off all the predators, if we don't murder deer for food they'll destroy the ecosystem with overpopulation. Like us. In fact, it may be ethically more correct to start hunting humans to reduce the population for the sake of the total ecosystem.
[Edit: This comment is a commentary on taking reasonable arguments to an extreme. I do not support human hunting]
Cry harder. I'm gonna go buy a teriyaki slimjim.
Edit: I also bought a chicken salad sandwich. Gonna have that for lunch.
Are you Israeli?
I doubt many folks are viewing this through a sports lens, but as a Sounders fan I am very pleased to see the part owner of the Seattle Sounders (Macklemore) stand up for what’s right against the evil New England Revolution owner (Kraft).
The Seahawks beat the Robert Kraft owned New England Patriots last year in the Superbowl. We beat them last week with our back-up quarterback. Small wins in life, yeah?
Sadly I'm a Patriots fan and until this Kraft had a decent reputation for most fans. He can go fuck himself now.
You must not have heard that he's in the epstein files?
In 2019, Kraft was among 25 people facing first-degree misdemeanor charges for soliciting prostitution at a day spa.[145] His attorney electronically entered a not-guilty plea, and later submitted a court filing where Kraft waived arraignment, pled not guilty to all charges and requested a jury trial.[151] A memo filed by Kraft's attorneys revealed that hidden cameras had been installed when investigators entered the facility under the guise of suspected human trafficking.[156] A Palm Beach County judge ruled that prosecutors could not use the videos in their case, citing privacy concerns.[157] A Florida appeals court also ruled that Kraft's constitutional rights were violated, and all the charges were dropped.[162] U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz ordered the videos to be destroyed.[163]
In 2026, it was revealed that Kraft had kept a relationship with child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and that Epstein had recommended Kraft use his lawyer to defeat the charges.[164]
Given the number of legit famous people Epstein surrounded himself with because he was, at that point, rich himself: no being mentioned in the files isn't a defacto "that person is complicit". I don't think Stephen Hawking, Bruce Willis, or Cate Blanchett were diddling kids either despite being in the files. DeCaprio... Well that one wouldn't surprise me.
This is good enough to make me a Seahawks fan for the season so I can talk about the ludicrous displays last night.
That’s the thing about the… Niners? They always try to walk it in.
This is actually a fallacy. Rooting against his team still puts money in his pockets
Okay then fuck the Seahawks go Packers.
Either way some billionaire gets more billionarey.
Bread and circuses and all that.
But, seriously, Arsenal does try to walk it in.
Ownership-wise the Packers are probably the best pro sports team to root for because they're the only non profit community owned professional sports team in the US.
But I live in Minnesota and Minnesotans like to pretend there's some kind of rivalry there lol.
How? I can root against his team without consuming sports media or buying team-related product?
Oh no, I know what it is. I just completely overlooked that part of your post. I'm disappointed in myself because it's a great comment. I edited it to not look like a dick and to correct my mistake.
Woosh.
They were making a joke about sounding
It’s for the Puget Sound! A sound is a body of water! Get your head out of the gutter!
(It's okay I grew up calling the rumble strip on the side of the highway a sounder and also thought it was a weird name at first)
I'm sure someone in Seattle is sticking things in.
Ed Sheeran Is definitely in the wrong too but man people need to direct this anger at the stadium owners too they are at fault too
Yes but I think you missed the "too" as in people need to be mad at both Ed and Kraft, most of the post I've seen mostly talk about ed.
We're already mad at Kraft. We're mad at the billionaire class in general. Kraft's behavior is not novel. Ed's is. That's why his actions are getting more attention. We didn't know Ed would side with the enemy till now.
A multi millionaire siding with more money is surprising?
Cancel and refund the tickets, can you imagine the media coverage he'd be getting instead if he had just done that to the affected shows, and then found smaller venues that welcome them?
Oh no it took the small venue two nights per night to get all the original ticket sales in I bet the artist is heartbroken.
Said no one, ever
Look, I’m all for being on the right side, but Ed is the one who spent tens of millions on prepaid semi trucks, stage gear, countless personnel to move and run a huge production to every venue on the tour, experts to design the show. He can’t just “cancel” those things. Money is spent. People are hired. Contracts were signed.
Robert Kraft is a bad guy here; cut Ed a LITTLE slack for not being in a legal/financial position to cancel like the others are.
When venues start controlling what artists can perform, the industry is fucked. It’s like demonetizing “controversial” YouTube videos, but IRL in a music venue.
If I was on my tour and this happened, I wouldn’t know what the hell to do. What he needs to do is hire a crisis manager.
Ed is the one who spent tens of millions pre-paying semi trucks, Staff, Equipment, consultants on stage design, Travel and lodging and logistics. He apparently fronts the money for his own tours. People are hired, contracts are signed, things are scheduled and paid for. I don’t envy Ed. He’s not in the financial or legal position to simply cancel like the others are.
Robert Kraft is the bad guy here. Changing the rules on what musicians can play and can’t play. Art versus censorship is a tale as old as time. The industry needs to fight back, the fans need to stand up, but I don’t think we should take it all out on Ed here. I got the vibe he wants to be on the right side, but he’s too deep right now and counting on the tour dates to cover his expenses.
Ed Sheeran is worth $400 million and is one of the top 3 touring musicians bar none. He had every piece of power to say "fuck you" to Robert Kraft and in the moment where it mattered he was spineless.
I get that but again, this needs to be directed at Kraft too never said ed wasn't at fault
I hadn't heard of Robert Kraft before this, so I appreciate what Hazelnutcookiez is saying.
The people caping for Sheeran are hilarious. Do you truly not see why people are mad at him? That fence post up your ass must be impacting your critical thinking buddy.
Ed Sheeran has too much power and wealth to be gentle with. He's chosen the Zionist side even when his livelihood wouldn't be in jeopardy.
Never said to be gentle with ed just that this need be directed at both, Kraft is at fault too
By boycotting the concerts at their venues, you are directing anger at them, and hurting them financially.
His backing band and all opening acts pulling out means the tour should be cancelled, and that's hitting Kraft and other venue owners right where it hurts.
Bullets
We need more effective methods
No, not one off events. Sustained boycott is the only way, I don't give a single penny to any of these assholes, and I know other artists will play the venues and lots of people who were outraged about this will attend at those same venues. I don't count on them anyway, they will continue to live life like their actions have no consequence, and pointing out that Kraft and other billionaires are bad won't change that.
It's not like we need more people to know what billionaires are bad, only the braindead don't realize that. We've reached peak awareness, everyone knows what's going on.
That's why I believe it's more effective to point your fingers at the person willingly taking the fall for money. The pressure on Sheeran and the fallout will hopefully translate to other celebrities realizing that cowardice is not an acceptable option for them. That can translate to artists boycotting the venues (even out of self preservation).
Of course it doesn't change who they are, but it can effect their ability to suppress the truth.

We don’t expect decency from them
Sheeran tries to sell his image on it
Ed is the one who spent tens of millions pre-paying semi trucks, Staff, Equipment, consultants on stage design, Travel and lodging and logistics. He apparently fronts the money for his own tours. People are hired, contracts are signed, things are scheduled and paid for. I don’t envy Ed. He’s not in the financial or legal position to simply cancel like the others are.
Robert Kraft is the bad guy here. Changing the rules on what musicians can play and can’t play. Art versus censorship is a tale as old as time. The industry needs to fight back, the fans need to stand up, but I don’t think we should take it all out on Ed here. I got the vibe he wants to be on the right side, but he’s too deep right now and counting on the tour dates to cover his expenses.
Where he messed up big-time was not hiring a crisis manager before he put out that defensive statement. He said some good things, but in the wrong tone, and I think people are reacting to the tone more than anything else.
LOL i don't know anything about sheeran but i wouldn't be surprised if he knows nothing and has no opinion on palestine, only what his managers tell him.
his only course of action now is to fess up and apologize. he was afraid of being blacklisted by venues, now he should be afraid of being ditched by millions of sane people
The thing is he's always been considered a pretty decent person who is much more down to earth than you'd expect from his level of celebrity, and I get why he's tried to avoid taking a stance on this, but the time for sitting on a fence is well over.
It's one thing to avoid it, but when directly confronted with it, he fucked up. Had he told Kraft to pound sand, he'd still have a tour and support, but he picked a side by "not picking a side".
Yeah, I've now purged all my great moments with his songs.
What did you do with the rest of the minute?
well there was a time when many of us thought Elon as smart… Sheeran's "pretty decent" persona was shattered by the ultra low hanging fruit of simply saying "war is bad" (which would have been enough to get him out of this hole)
Not even as high a bar as “war is bad”, because even that can have some nuance, but it was “verifiable genocide, an explicit extinction of a group of people by another, in one of the most one-sided conflicts in history is bad.”
This genocide is like watching a roided-up bull kill several babies on purpose just because they were there, and also also saying nothing about the people who put the fucking thing in the daycare and gave it the drugs after it already attacked people. (Note: I am not saying Palestinians are weak babies and if anyone needs to have the conversation then they don’t have the literacy level to make it worth anyone’s time).
We can't afford to be neutral on a moving train
I am not trying To be an apologist or whatever but the fact matter is Ed spent millions of dollars On personnel, trucks, lodging, Logistics stage design stage equipment expecting to make it back because he fronts the cost for his own tour. Contracts are signed. People are hired equipment is rented trucks are booked. Much of it is prepaid. Ed is the one holding the and the contract not really in a position to just cancel legally or financially.
He put out a really poor statement, yeah, but he’s not in the same position the others are. Cut him a little slack. The venue owner Robert Kraft is the problem here.
Ed needs a crisis manager
If you don’t have an opinion about such a grave disaster, you have an opinion about it.
The church I play music at this year, during the kids' moment of the service, they sometimes open the mic up so the kids can ask questions and make comments. There are third graders (I chose that age because that's how old the kid was) with more complicated, accurate, and empathetic opinions about the genocide of Palestinians than what sheeran gave us.
So like if you don't have an opinion on it, you have had since 1950 (ish. I'm rounding up) to learn. I learned about the intifadas when I was in my 20s, so i don't hold it against the youts if they're not basing their positions off a clear picture. Shit I'm middle aged and I'm still a novice when it comes to international geopolitics. I enjoy reading about it tho.
That’s the thing. If you put the hands in front of your eyes, you actively try to ignore it. There is no way you did not come across zero information about the Israel/Palestine conflict in the past decades. This is why I say that if you have no opinion, you actively ignore the facts (for whatever reason), which automatically gives you a stance on the topic.
There is a difference between “I have no opinion” and “I am not so well informed to have a factual opinion, but my gut is telling me, that there is something bad happening and we should actually talk about it”
Ed is nothing but a coward.
Ed Sheeran should have backed out of the Ed Sheeran tour in support of Palestine.
Ed has more power than the venues and promoters. He isnt getting blacklisted from anywhere when he makes them as much money as he does. He doesnt even need balls to stand up to them. They need him.
Interesting how Ed Sheeran is the one getting dragged in the media and all over Lemmy while the literal billionaire who started this shit is probably getting rub and tugged in Florida right now.
As if I needed another reason to hate the Patriots.
If it was a clear and cut case of contract breach for the tour, that would be one thing. But it doesn't sound like that's what it was about. So Ed is getting dragged for not standing up for his fellow artist.
From what I've gathered, Ed pretty much just threw his hands up and said, "I don't want to get involved, you guys figure it out." Fair enough if that's the case. That's his choice. But we see the result of what people think about those who take the cowards way out.
He doesn't want to deal with politics. He just wants to perform. And I get that. But it's still cowardly to not stand up for your fellow artist. And that's why everyone else is dropping out.
When you’re the leading the artist of a tour there’s a whole bunch of complicated shit. You might be fronting some out of pocket, the promoters become your business partners, and there are a lot of mouths to feed, etc
You could just appease Kraft and find a different opener for the shows at Gillette Stadium but instead they cancelled Mack for the entirety of the North American tour. Why?
Kraft won’t admit it but it sure does seem like he called in favors to all the other owners of venues (almost all NFL stadiums) to cancel him out. I think that kind of collusion is a much bigger story.
This is how you challenge their power. Assign consequence to compliance
A lot of singers like Roan Chapel ditched the agency Ed Sheeran was part of because the head was a huge Zionist. Ed stayed. Now we see the results.
What a lot of these people don't understand is, there is no sitting on the fence anymore, the fence is gone, it's just a line in the sand now and you're either on the right side or the wrong side.
Unfortunately for him, he will be the poster child of cowardice for the next 10 years.
Hated to see this happen to someone but it's about fucking time it did happen to someone.
But then again, I don't hate that it happened to him. Because if that's the way he is, then that's the way it is.
This concert isn't gonna be powerful... but there is a good chance it could be BATTERY powered!
LMFAO
“I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so. I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart know my values too.”
His values

The most attention I’ve ever given this guy is when I watched Game of Thrones and the person I was watching with says, matter of factly, that’s Ed Sheeran.
Me: I’ve heard the name, but who is he and why should I care?
Followed by some pull up of a video with music so remarkable, I remember it not at all.
Then there’s social media. Where you find out about a person not because you care but because a stream of posts starts flowing through your scroll. So you tap in and read about some guy you care about not at all.
Some people really like wonder bread
The only reason I know about the bloke is because I play guitar, and you inevitably come across him if you play long enough. I checked out some of his music and found it pretty uninteresting and boring, so I immediately dismissed him. Then again, I dislike just about every white guy-with-a-guitar act, ironically because I’m also a white guy with a guitar.
He shouldn’t have bent the knee.
It's rare that any rich person says, "Okay, this looks to be enough money/power. I'm done accumulating it."
Evidently, Ed Sheeran is not one of them.
It's not just Ed, There are so many other people tied to the tour and they need money. Sound guys, lights, security, electricity, networks/communications, scene builders, fixtures, etc. Probably far more than most of us realise.
If Ed decides to cancel the entire tour over it. I'm sure he would be fine. But maybe not everyone else. I still think it's cowardly to not even try to stand up for your fellow artist. But I can understand if he feels responsible for everyone that relies on the tour to bring home money to their families.
He's worth a few hundred million dollars, I think he could afford to pay this out of his own pocket if he wanted to.
The other Sheeran-level star signers are pretty quiet these days. Ed is taking a hit for them.
Ed should have mackled more
Boy, I bet he's regretting his "Both sides are bad" take
Going back a few days to Ed’s original statement:
“I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy,” begins Sheeran in an Instagram post.
It’s at least a little bit of a “both sides are bad” take.
But then why ban Macklemore unless he suspected Macklemore would've gone on a political rant?
Regardless, not using your platform to advocate for people without a platform is a form of complicity.
But then why ban Macklemore unless he suspected Macklemore would’ve gone on a political rant?
He wasn't banned ahead of going on a "political rant", he was removed after. So I don't know what you're on about there.
Regardless, not using your platform to advocate for people without a platform is a form of complicity.
That is highly debatable. I heard no one go on a "political rant" about the various internal conflicts in Africa. Are they complicit in those because of that? If an artist just wants to do their art. I say fair enough. I strongly disagree that it's a form of complicity
He wasn’t banned ahead of going on a “political rant”, he was removed after. So I don’t know what you’re on about there.
The rumor mill that gave me most of what I know about this incident didn't tell me that piece, so that's why I'm "on about" not knowing what you know.
That is highly debatable. I heard no one go on a “political rant” about the various internal conflicts in Africa. Are they complicit in those because of that? If an artist just wants to do their art. I say fair enough. I strongly disagree that it’s a form of complicity
A fair point, atrocities come and go from the public eye. A thousand Palestinian deaths is no more tragic than a thousand African deaths. It'd be nice if one could speak on every one of them freely, but evidently speaking on Palestine is not allowed by these tour producers/managers/etc. It would be interesting to see what would have happened had Macklemore spoke about Africa, but we can't wind back the clock so this kinda boils down to a Whataboutism/Red Herring. Suffice it to say, this particular artist wasn't allowed to speak their mind because someone was worried about what the shareholders, Zionists, or "I prefer to stay ignorant of politics" people might say. I think that's lame. You do not.
He's not dead. He's still going on his tour afaik. And he's definitely still fabulously wealthy.
What about now Ed, is now a good time to say something? Unless...
Dropping sick beats with 6% commission
I'm out of the loop is there a new band position that's just fucking around with pedals (Formerly known as your mixer or sound guy) or is sheeran so fancy he can't work a crybaby
Mixers don’t work pedals, thats why they’re pedals. Sheeran was known early on for looping guitar parts in his live performances. He later started using backing bands instead.
I’m sure he get get other acts to participate, like middle aged rock and the draft dodger/pants crapper dude whose name I forget.
You're describing everyone's MAGA uncle.
Ted Nugent
Kid Rock?
Imagine that! being a billionaire bitch backfired!
lol, get wrekt idiot
oh boy...
Macklemore was booted off the tour after his two-minute speech on September 4 and 5 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which advocated for a “free Palestine,” “the occupied West Bank,” and criticism of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Wtf. Is this a typo? Or were they actually advocating for continuing the occupation??
I’ve been trying to figure out a way to say this all day. One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. I said, Free Palestine. I want those words to be loud and clear, so the people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank, know that we have not forgotten them... So I say Free Palestine, I say Free Lebanon, I say Free Cuba, I say Free Congo, Free Sudan, I say Free all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organisation, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.
He advocated for a free Palestine from Gaza to the occupied West Bank. Seems the author didn't realize the occupied West Bank is part of occupied Palestine, but they're not saying he advocated for continuing the occupation...
Kinda wondering if this whole thing was orchestrated as a distraction.
What aren't we supposed to be looking at right now?
If the desperate attempt to silence people who stand up against genocide, torture, ethnic cleansing, intentionally creating the worst famine of this age and other war crimes and crimes against humanity is all just a cover up. Then what is being covered up must be so much worse, we're so intensely fucked.
But that's not the case. The fact people are being silenced is a cover up. The repercussions for doing this are not.
I mean there's this, but I've been watching it like a hawk anyway
I think Trump is about to outperform biden on gas prices for real this time
Definitely looks like a distraction. And everyone in this thread is taking the bait.
GOOD. I know this bullshit isn't Sheeran's fault personally, and I honestly don't blame him for trying to stay neutral, much as I disagree with it, but the musicians need to put pressure on the asshole rich people trying to force their opinion$ and their propping up Israel onto us.
Fence-sitting on genocide is squarely “his fault,” and an unforced error
Are we having the same conversation? The promotors and stadium owners are the ones who got Macklemore kicked, and i flat out said I disagreed with Sheeran not taking a stance. I'm perfectly capable of speaking for myself, you don't need to make up things for me to say.
I honestly don't blame him for trying to stay neutral
Cool. Everyone else does.
Funny how you cropped out the part right after where I said I disagreed with him doing that.
Ed Sheeran has enough wealth and fame he could have told the stadium owners and promoters to go fuck themselves. It would have been the right thing to do just to support his friend Macklemore. It is immensely more correct to do it to be a voice against genocide. So while Ed may not have been the original source of the problem, he is still very much part of the problem.
And even if the tour was cancelled because he took a stand, he absolutely could have turned around and started a new tour. And likely sold out any concerts based on his existing fame and the additional press this has generated. Now he is lumped with every other greedy pos that decided money was more important than lives.
Your not crazy man. These people are psychopaths, lol. I bet they aren't even conscious enough to feel their own face.
Too much privilege makes people less than human.
Ed has all the privileges. He could be completely cancelled and still live a normal life for the rest of his life yet you come here defending him
He said to Mac that holding an, Palestinian flag hurt many people feeling. It is Ed fault personally
Unless Ed personally kicked him off the tour no, that's not how words work. I flat out said I disagreed with Sheeran trying not to take a stand.
He rejected palestinians right to exist by condemning Mac use of a palestinians flag. He did not take no side he took the side of genocide
People talk like this but still fund the nations paying for the wars daily.
You're no different Ed Sheeran in this regard if you live within a nation sending funds and weapons to Israel.
All people still sitting pretty and talking drama about this war while still funding their nations are the enemy. And that includes me too but if you want to actually make change you must understand we fuel it just by living in these nations, we are backbone their evil.
All the trending drama sounds like people complaining about a refs call in football game. You're spectators, you bought a ticket to watch the game, you bitch about a call, but all that money is still going to fund the game (war in Palestine or anywhere).
Humanity is in the palm of evil world wide. Every one is going to hell.
Nations are tools for wealthy to use, and we are the cattle working to make there dreams and war come alive...just by working and paying tax. They want division, they want the dramas like the one above to happen... You are fueling division by participating.
You're saying being impartial to the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly half of them are children, is not his fault?
You don't blame him for falling to condemn the murder, starvation, rape, and torture of an entire People?
In what possible way could he be absolved of his responsibility? If anything, he's even more responsible to speak out against it given the privilege he has been granted with his platform.
Well I didn't say any of that or anything close to that. Were you just waiting to offer up that rant?
Macklemore getting booted is not his fault, ffs you have to really bend over backward to try to interpret what I said differently.
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I tried so hard to find a middle ground between the genocide supporters and everyone else and I just can't seem to do it. People who hate genocide are just so rigid and uncompromising!
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