Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Ed Sheeran’s support act acknowledged the war in Gaza and the importance of finding common ground during his concert in Atlanta on Saturday (03.10.26).
The Shape of You hitmaker’s Loop Tour has been embroiled in controversy after Macklemore was dropped from the bill after making pro-Palestine comments on stage, causing the other support acts to quit in solidarity.
Prior to Ed’s headline set at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Georgia on Saturday, The Fray frontman Isaac Slade appeared as a “special guest” and, after telling fans he was “honoured to be” there, he addressed the difficult global political climate.
In videos circulating online, Isaac said: “Everybody seems to be taking sides in this world and that’s good.
“What’s happening over there [in Gaza] is wrong but if we’re going to get through it, we’re going to need people to step into that middle place, that common ground. That bonfire in the middle of the field that sees both sides, that understands that peace is not a lack of conflict.
“Peace is not a blank canvas that we need to guard and be polite.
“[Peace] holds enough beauty, enough tragedy, enough sorrow, enough joy and life if we learn how to integrate it and hold each other in balance. We will find a way through this together.”
The How to Save a Life singer’s inclusion on the bill hadn’t been revealed in advance, but the venue had announced in a “Know Before You Go” Instagram graphic that there would be a “special guest” opening the show before Ed took to the stage.
During his first concert back after Macklemore was sidelined from the tour, 35-year-old Ed cried and declared he was “so sorry” as he addressed the backlash directly.
Speaking on stage in Philadelphia on 19 September, the Azizam singer said: “This is not usually how I would open the show, but before I play some songs tonight, I hope it’s okay if I say a few words.
“I’m used to my music being criticised … This week the criticism was about something much more important … I am making mistakes and I am so so sorry.”
“I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important, compassionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.
“But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it any more.
“What happened in Israel, and at the Nova music festival on October 7, it was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.
“What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation, loss of civilians’ lives. Children’s lives.
At this systemic injustice, (what) we’re seeing unfolding in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”
Making a rollercoaster motion with his hand, Ed noted the last week had been “like this”.
He added: “I’ve had a week of learning.”
Ed had previously insisted the decision to cut Macklemore from the tour hadn’t been his, and in his speech he appeared to lay the blame at wealthy venue owners.
He said: “I am deeply worried about the idea that venues pre-approved content forms… It should never happen in the free world.”
He then grew tearful as he said: “I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims”.
The Castle on the Hill hitmaker stressed he is listening and learning “because I do not know enough” and told the crowd he was “so grateful” they were there.
He added: “This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand beside people that they don’t agree with on everything, but they can all agree on singing these songs.”
