Ed Sheeran Addresses Controversy at First Show Since Openers, Backing Band Dropped Off Tour, Calls It ‘The

Before his show in Philadelphia, Sheeran read a statement acknowledging the issue of Israel and Palestine, but still tried to keep things neutral.

Ed Sheeran precisou resolver a situação antes de começar a tocar violão. Não era assim que ele queria iniciar seu show, e ele deixou bem claro que a última coisa que deseja ao seu redor é controvérsia ou, em suas próprias palavras, ser um “músico ativista”.

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Mas aqui estava ele, no primeiro show depois que seu apoio e amigo Macklemore foi expulso da turnê, sob pressão de um grupo de proprietários de locais liderado por Robert Kraft, que se opôs à declaração de apoio à Palestina.

That led to the rest of the tour’s openers and even Sheeran’s backing band for the tour dropping off the tour in solidarity with Macklemore — all of which became a huge news story and PR nightmare for the usually very un-controversial Sheeran.

And though he had already made one highly scrutinized statement online while the news story was at its most potent, Sheeran felt the need to address the crowd at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night (Sept.

19) in person, before the show really started. Related How Mariachi Found a Home in China & Earned Mexico's Recognition, Plus More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music Charlie Puth Cancels Australian and New Zealand Arena Dates Former Ed Sheeran Opener Aaron Rowe Defends Singer Amid Macklemore Tour Fallout.

The crowd in Philadelphia – a nearly full Lincoln Financial Field – enjoyed that, and there was little sign of any controversy from that point on in the stadium.

Any protests outside of the venue had disappeared by the time most of the crowd had shown up, and if there was heightened security as reports had suggested, it wasn’t obvious.

Havia talvez algumas equipes de reportagem extras cobrindo o show enquanto as pessoas entravam e saíam, mas se Sheeran não tivesse trazido o assunto, a multidão não parecia particularmente ansiosa por qualquer elefante na sala.

Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” centers around his performances mostly entirely alone, using a loop pedal to create backing tracks each night and mostly spending time on stage alone.

Mas agora, sem os artistas de abertura e o apoio da banda irlandesa Beoga, que se retirou do tour em solidariedade com Macklemore e com empatia pelos palestinos, a solidão de Sheeran foi ampliada.

At the break in the show where he would have typically gone to a separate “B stage” setup, Sheeran explained that that part of the show had been scrapped for safety, as he was concerned about “what might happen if [he] stood in the middle” of the crowd.

Without directly calling out Beoga — and assuming the crowd either knew the full story or didn’t need to know that detail if they weren’t privy to it — he introduced his backing musicians for the evening, led by violinist Alicia Enstrom, who has toured with Sheeran in the past, and proceeded with the section of the show that included the Ireland-set ÷ hit “Galway Girl.” Sheeran didn’t elaborate whether this last-minute backing band would stick around for later dates on the tour.

It was mostly business as usual after that first statement, with Sheeran only occasionally letting on that things were different. Before introducing “Old Phone,” he joked that “until this week,” the only time he appeared in the news was if he was in court.

Mais cedo, ele perguntou em tom de brincadeira se o público gostou das aberturas. Tais comentários eram sutis o suficiente para que, se um membro da plateia, especialmente uma das muitas crianças presentes, não estivesse por dentro, eles simplesmente não perceberiam e seguiriam em frente.

Antes do grande final, porém, Sheeran sentou-se na borda do palco e fez sua declaração mais longa da noite, ainda mais longa do que a do início, que estava claramente sendo cuidadosamente referenciada de um teleprompter.

Sheeran said that the reaction from his audience strengthened his resolve to make sure the show, and tour, went on.

He finished by leaning back into something reflective of his original statement online and the commitment to unity — apologizing for the fact that he had to make a statement and take something resembling a stance at all, in his eyes complicating what should be a simple night of music free of any argument or tension.

Sheeran then wiped his eyes, stood up, and then he went into the last few songs of his set, complete with pyrotechnics, like nothing had even happened.

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