Guitar Center Addresses ‘Not Legitimate’ Entries Submitted in Ed Sheeran Tour Opener Contest
Guitar Center has been caught in the growing fallout after Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran ‘s tour following the Seattle rapper’s statements onstage in support of Palestinians amid Israel’s war in Gaza.
The company’s “Open for Legends” contest launched on Monday, Sept. 14 — which happened to be the same day Macklemore was removed from The Loop Tour. The competition is open to anyone over 18 with a valid U.S. passport and experience performing in front of a live audience. Per the website, it’s a “brand-new competition series elevating undiscovered musicians to a global platform” with the opportunity to open for Sheeran on his stop in Mexico City on Dec. 11.
Contest organizers will have their hands full, however. Entertainment Weekly previously reported that the current iteration of the contest’s website has no way of confirming whether or not a video contains a musician who genuinely wants to compete — many of the videos uploaded have reportedly been memes and non-musical videos showing support for Palestine and criticism for Sheeran.
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