Ed Sheeran adds Isaac Slade and Brooks Rosser to his tour line-up following the controversy sparked by Macklemore’s departure.
Ed Sheeran is beginning to rebuild the line-up for his ‘Loop Tour’ after several weeks of controversy that left the British singer without many of his support acts and even some members of his band. He has now recruited Isaac Slade, former frontman of The Fray, and Brooks Rosser, a former ‘American Idol’ contestant, following the removal of Macklemore from the tour after his public statements in support of Palestine.
Slade had already joined Sheeran for his concert in Atlanta on 3 October and was subsequently confirmed for several US dates: Indianapolis on 10 October, Charlotte on 17 October, Arlington on 24 October and Tampa on 7 November. Brooks Rosser, meanwhile, was brought in specifically for the Indianapolis show, marking his first performance since appearing on ‘American Idol’.
Macklemore’s departure triggered a chain reaction across the tour
The reshuffle comes after several particularly difficult weeks for the ‘Loop Tour’. Macklemore had been performing as Sheeran’s support act during the US leg when he used one of his appearances to call for “all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality” and demand a “free Palestine”.
His comments drew criticism from various organisations and public figures. Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, described the speech as “deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community”. The Israeli American Council also called for the rapper to be removed from the tour, arguing that he had used the stage to promote a one-sided political position.
Macklemore‘s subsequent departure sparked a much wider reaction within the tour itself. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, among other artists associated with the US dates, withdrew from their scheduled performances in solidarity with the rapper. Some members of Sheeran’s band also decided to step away, turning the controversy into one of the most challenging moments of the tour.
The dispute quickly spread beyond the concert circuit. Massive Attack, Hayley Williams, Roger Waters, Billy Bragg and Greta Thunberg, among other public figures, expressed their support for Macklemore or questioned how his departure had been handled.
Ed Sheeran eventually addresses the controversy
The singer behind ‘Shape of You’ eventually responded to the criticism, insisting that he had not remained indifferent to the situation. Sheeran said he did not consider himself “complicit” in the decision and condemned the suffering caused by the conflict between Israel and Palestine, describing the pain inflicted on civilians as a tragedy. He also maintained that he had tried to find a solution before the situation led to the breakdown of the tour’s line-up.
Days later, during his return to the stage in Philadelphia, the singer acknowledged that he had made mistakes in handling the crisis and apologised. The tension even led to changes in his live performances: Sheeran temporarily removed one of the secondary stages positioned among the audience because, as he explained, he was concerned about what might happen while performing in the middle of the crowd.
Meanwhile, Macklemore has continued with his own projects. The rapper announced that he would donate $1 million from his tour earnings to organisations supporting Palestinians and subsequently launched a ‘Free Palestine Tour’ across Europe, with announced concerts in Dublin, Paris and London selling out.
With Isaac Slade and Brooks Rosser joining the schedule, Ed Sheeran is now attempting to restore some normality to his tour. However, support acts had yet to be announced for upcoming dates in Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico when the new additions were confirmed, leaving the reorganisation of a tour that has become about far more than a series of concerts still unfinished.
