To feel sorry for Ed Sheeran.....

[mids2019]

So Ed Sheeran's tour is in tatters simply because he believes music for entertainment and personally he likes to keep politics out of it (as many many stars do).

Simply because his support wanted to highlight the oppressed people of Iran and the use of capital punishment to stifle dissent support wanted to bring up Gaza without any reference to the start of the war due to a massacre on October 7th and Ed didn't want that he is suddenly the bad guy? Perhaps Ed succumbed to sing of thinking of Jews in the audience and the connotations of 'Free Paelstine' he is now on the naughty step of virtue signallers.

So all those Sheeran fans could lose out seeing someone they have waited months to see because some humpty has to jump on the Gaza bandwagon with a few trite soundbites as part of his act (because hey the ME isn't complicated) to look a bit radical or whatever. Bloody disgrace.

Numpty NOT humpty (or maybe t%at would have worked)

Nah, not something that pulls on my heartstring s

Nope.

Nope. A privileged multimillionaire crying because he’s had to choose between money and moral discomfort isn’t someone I can bring myself to feel sorry for.

Nope, I liked him and his music but found myself very disappointed with his statement. Like the Desmond Tutu quote says “if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor”.

He did not say anything against the people of Gaza. Ed simply decided he didn't want a political dimension to a concert. It is simply bullying to not support musicians right to not get involved or wish to say silent. Maybe Ed does support the people of Gaza who knows but he made a moral decision to not have political statement at a gig and people should repect that.

Hes a coward

It's all got quite silly.

It became an issue because the venues for later on in the tour said they'd pull out if Macklemore was there.

What could Ed have done? Cancelled the tour when the venues said they'd pull out?

I think the context of the Israel/Palestine conversation is different in the US to here.

Frankly if Macklemore had made the same comments in the UK I don't think the venues would have reacted the same way.

Hamas arent exactly the model victims here IMHO...but that's just me. No oppression in other countries in the middle East of course according to the bible of the Palestinian fall waving zealous.

He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The venues were threatening to cancel if he kept that guy on board.

I'm surprised some of these other musicians can afford to quit though- it's a tough business and I'm sure there are many many others who would jump at the chance to take their spot.

I hope he carries on with the tour, for his fans' sake and also the crew.

But he's a musician, not a political campaigner or an expert on the middle east? If he prefers to keep his opinions to himself and have his concerts the same then that's his choice. Why do we need to hear everyone's opinions on everything all the time anyway?

I think people would just be a bit bored of singers posturing and shoving middle Eastern politics down people's throats when maybe they just wanted a night out.....

He was happy to be vocal about the people of Ukraine though? So hardly non political in the past. He bowed down to the money from the stadium bosses who pulled the strings about his Macklemore support.

I mean all the supports have pulled out too. People he is apparently long term friends with.

Personally I like to keep my entertainment and my politics separate, so I agree with the promotors forcing his hand.

Not sorry for him in the slightest.

It is a hideous kind of bullying to suggest you either stand with the 'cause' or be cancelled. Reminds me of some of the trans stuff.

Nope, don't feel sorry for anyone that bows to an ultimatum made by a billionaire friend of Epstein and Netanyahu.

The Ukraine situation is nowhere near as divisive, not the same thing at all.

Nice straw man

No one is siding with Hamas.

Sheeran should have cancelled the tour when he was pressured to drop his friend. Regardless of any politics, this is not how you treat a long term friend. But Sheeran is all about the money.

Instead his support acts have made the decision for him.

The t and c's of the tickets state opening acts can be changed at any time without notice so if fans booked to see a specific opening act they should know this.

And you think there wouldn't have been backlash and kicking off if he's cancelled a tour in solidarity? He didn't have any good choices here

He wasn't asked that though was he? He fired Macklemore other artists stood down in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran wasn't asked to stand with any cause but he chose the cause of a billionaire named in the Epstein files

It was a bit more clear cut who the aggressor was with Ukraine and maybe there was less chance if offending Russians. I guess as a Jew if you were chanting statements associated with the abortion of your religious homeland you might feel intimidated (and a lot of Jews are).

If Sheeran or his management couldn't guarantee a non political show then what choice was there for Ed?

Wild guess… you’re a BIG fan of Sheeran and have seen him live @mids2019