Ed Sheeran/Macklemore

[WallyHilloughby]

what are your thoughts on this whole debacle?
quite frankly I’m sick and tired of artists using concerts etc as some political forum

It sounds like the cold blast of the threat of cancellation made him reconsider. What a time we’re in.

So is this claim without any foundation or truth, then? Propaganda, so to speak. Why would someone make a claim that is patently false?

I may be unfair, and the poster will be back to support this claim with much credible evidence.

I think Ed shouting Free Palestine at a Kneecap gig kind of showed that he is a Palestine supporter? I don't think many Israel supporters find themselves at a Kneecap gig and then join in.

I've found it so funny this morning seeing that he has now pissed off everyone. The yowling over the fact he said that what Israel is doing is unjustifiable. Trying to play I'm so neutral I just want peaces and love and pissing everyone off in the process.

Even when Palestinians probably don’t want support from gays? It really is “does not compute” for many Muslims. They don’t understand it and think it’s wrong. To them God/Allah has forbidden it and God/Allah cannot be wrong so….

Yes it’s a case of if you sit on the fence you are going to get splinters in your arse.

Any actual evidence of Ed shouting "Free Palestine" at a Kneecap gig? As opposed to him just attending a Kneecap gig in the past?

Though even if he did shout it, that still doesn't mean he is obliged to bring Palestine into his own gigs.

Here's the supposed footage. https://atrl.net/forums/topic/542965-footage-of-ed-sheeran-shouting-free-palestine-at-2024-kneecap-concert-resurfaces/

His mouth doesn't appear to be saying Free Palestine and the sound has been completely removed and replaced with some weird crap so that you can't hear what he was actually singing along to. But I'm sure it's totally legit.

Thank you - not surprised.

He's handled this very stupidly right from the start. All the downsides of having given Macklemore his platform and none of the pros.

Ultimately I do think this is probably going to reduce mainstream opportunities for more outspoken artists until they get to the stage where they have fuck you money/platform, which is a shame.

The decisions made by Ed, Macklemore and the various supporting artists aren't necessarily even the main story now, it's the absolute batshit circus that's grown around it.

No footage of Macklemore doing a Nazi salute was needed to convince many that he’d actually done it, and have it stated as fact so there’s also that.

This whole stupid situation is unbearably ridiculous now. Everyone is coming out worse off than they were a week ago.

Yes it’s totally bonkers. I assume artist management will look at the mess and try to avoid for any of their artists.

Just thinking the same thing.
There is video of it at from the time. Not sure what the song is but it doesn't appear to be anything about Palestine.

Hopefully now some posters will see how a moment in time can be misconstrued (deliberately or not)like when they elevated Macklemore to a Nazi .

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN86ctqHB/

Macklemore no more made a Nazi salute than Elon Musk did.
The truth doesn’t seem to matter though.

How disappointing, he attended a kneecap gig.

I absolutely agree with you but I think it works both ways. The rainbow flag and LGBT rights have pushed their way into every other protest, including peace marches for Ukraine, Palestine and anywhere else. It's annoying and presumptuous on both sides. People are afraid to say anything because they will be immediately labelled as being against whatever it is, because sadly that's the level of stupidity that seems to be rampant these days.

I'm not caught up on the thread but I did just watch Ed's speech and was interested to see that he actually got a massive cheer when he said that he had never wanted to be a political artist. I haven't seen that reported in articles about it.

Whatever the furore online, it looks like his fans in the stadium would have been perfectly happy if he just gave the peace, love, and unity line and continued to stay out of it. That was what they cheered loudest. They also cheered when he acknowledged October 7th, which surprised me.

I'm curious as to how many of the people attacking Sheeran online are actually fans of his. How many listen to his music and would actually pay money to see him? I'm willing to bet the majority have never liked him as an artist, and that's partly why the pile-on has become as big as it has. Ed Sheeran has always been a bit cringe and not taken seriously as a musician. It's easy for Gen Z to turn on him. They're not having to actually sacrifice anything.

I wish he had just upheld his apolitical stance, to be honest, and shown some pride in it. I know social media can make or break artists in this day and age, but a lot of it is also just overblown crap, which is encouraged by people letting themselves be cowed by it. These grovelling apologies celebrities give every time they go against the groupthink are starting to feel like something out of Mao's Cultural Revolution. It's giving me the creeps, frankly. And it never works anyway, not once the bullies have given themselves license to go fully insane. All it does is show weakness and embolden them further.

I appreciate that's not what Sheeran did here, but that's clearly what they want from him, and from Pink, and it's a mentality that just repulses me. "Say the right words! We'll still hate you and offer no forgiveness for your crime, but we demand you say them anyway! Self-flagellate before us!" Barf, barf, barf 🤮

The crusaders doing what they do best - bullying people into thinking their way. I can't stand the spoilt twats. It's always the rappers as well.

It wasn't like this in the 90s. Most musicians were apolitical which was considered fine at the time, even though there were plenty of wars going on. So you knew that the ones who were political were genuine.

Crazy times we live in.

It's not as though the Free Palestine lot are better people. They are just more gobby.

It's crazy. It's not that I'm against political artists - it's the expectation that every artist MUST be political now that I find so bonkers. And stupid. And blatantly insincere.

There's this bizarre "silence is evil" attitude online, as if entertainers are politicians and owe us a full breakdown of their point of view on current events. What? These aren't our elected representatives! They're artists who only owe us the art we've paid for. That's it.

Then there's the "they have to use their platform" argument. Er, right. Do these people seriously think Ed Sheeran could bring peace to the Middle East, if he just gets the crowd to chant "Free Palestine" at his concert? I suppose that's easier than getting off their own arses and doing anything more complicated, but it's not very realistic.

It's like the toddler version of political protest. I can't take it seriously.

The plot thickens. Apparently Macklemore played the half time show at a 'Match for Hope' in Qatar in 2025. Considering their appalling record for LGB rights, that is an odd choice for a self proclaimed queer ally. That said, a lot of Qatari money funds Hamas. They also pour a lot into propaganda. There is something highly inorganic about the selective outrage displayed about this issue.

😆 🤣 no wonder they are the subject of ridicule. The Al Jazeera sheeple.

I agree @SnoopyPajamasmost of them are just puppets. That's why I actually admire anyone who has the balls to speak against the grain. Actors are even worse, they just sing to whatever tune they are told to. The real power is with the producers and studios, the rich white Americans.

Tbh it reminds me a bit like posting on Mumsnet. Unless you are in with a certain left leaning crowd, you are classed as a troll or a bot when you join. It always reminds me of those horrible mean girl groups at school, who you dreaded seeing everyday. When you're older, you still see their type but are more equipped to bat them away.