Ed Sheeran has announced new support acts for his Loop tour, which resumes on 10 October, after Macklemore was removed from the bill. Isaac Slade, the former lead singer of The Fray, will open stadium shows in Indianapolis on 10 October, Charlotte on 17 October, Arlington on 24 October and Tampa on 7 November. Slade also played the Atlanta date on 3 October. The new names are intended to fill the gaps left by a series of departures from the tour in recent weeks.
Macklemore was taken off the tour after he called for a “free Palestine” during a speech on stage. Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, criticised the remarks as “deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community”. Pink and the Israeli American Council also objected before the rapper was dropped. The removal quickly turned into one of the most widely discussed controversies in live music this autumn.
The decision prompted a wave of support for Macklemore from figures including Greta Thunberg, Massive Attack, Roger Waters, Dropkick Murphys, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Billy Bragg and Hayley Williams. Sheeran’s band and other support acts also withdrew in solidarity. Macklemore gave his full tour earnings, reported at $1 million, to six organisations supporting Palestinians, and has announced a Free Palestine Tour that has already sold out.
Sheeran said early in the row that he was not complicit and was appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine, calling the suffering on both sides a tragedy. When he returned to the stage in Philadelphia he apologised for making mistakes. Opinions in the industry have been divided: Tom Morello praised Macklemore for holding his ground, CMAT said some of the criticism of Sheeran was unfair, and Bob Geldof defended Sheeran while praising the artists who left the tour. Aaron Rowe, a former Sheeran support act, said anger should be aimed at people like Kraft, while Zach Bryan wore a Free Palestine T-shirt at Gillette Stadium and Lorde posted a photo of herself in a similar jacket.
Former American Idol contestant Brooks Rosser is also due to appear at the Indianapolis show at Lucas Oil Stadium, which he described as his first concert since the programme. Sheeran’s remaining dates in Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico still have no opening acts confirmed. Further announcements are expected as the tour moves into South America. How the tour handles the row in its final months is likely to remain under close watch.
