Ed Sheeran fans support singer at first concert since Macklemore tour row
Fans have supported Ed Sheeran at a concert in Philadelphia (PA) PA Wire Nick Lester 5 minutes ago Ed Sheeran fans have rallied around the singer at his first US concert since controversy erupted over Macklemore’s removal from the tour after on-stage comments the rapper made about the conflict in Gaza.
All of the support acts for the star’s current The Loop tour announced they were dropping out of the remaining dates after the rapper, real name Benjamin Haggerty, was dropped from the line-up.
Sheeran’s backing band Beoga also announced they were stepping down, writing on Instagram that they “fully supported” Macklemore’s message.
US rapper Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour line-up over comments he made about Gaza (Anthony Anex/Keystone via AP) AP But fans going into the Lincoln Financial Field Stadium in Philadelphia on Saturday night local time said they were sticking by the English musician.
James Webber IV from Scranton in Pennsylvania said: “I stand with Ed. I think there’s a time for politics and a music concert is not one of those places.”
His father, James Webber III, said: “Everything will be fine. In a couple of months this will blow over. He doesn’t deserve this.
“I think he did the right thing, staying true to what he believes and the fans will support him.”
Kassandra Rivera from Philadelphia said: “Everyone has their own opinion and it’s fine.
“I’ve been waiting a whole year to come and see him, so I’m excited to see the show.”
Dwayne Smith from Canada said: “We’re just here for Ed Sheeran. All politics aside, we just like the music. We are here to support him. It’s not about Palestine or Israel tonight, it’s just about the music for us.”
His wife Mandy added: “He’s an amazing artist and we can’t wait to see the show.”
Tony, who did not wish to give his surname, said: “It’s ridiculous, honestly. It’s just supposed to be a concert. I bought these tickets in December and had no idea all this would happen.”
A small but vocal pro-Palestine protest was held outside the subway station that serves the stadium, several hundred metres from the venue.
The 35-year-old singer began his world tour in Auckland, New Zealand in January.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.standard.co.uk — the content belongs to Evening Standard.
