Massive Attack criticise Ed Sheeran after Macklemore tour removal

Massive Attack have criticised Ed Sheeran after Macklemore was removed from the US leg of Sheeran's Loop tour. The dispute centres on pro-Palestinian remarks by Macklemore and who was responsible for his exit. Sheeran says he did not drop him.

Macklemore had been booked as a support act, the opening performer who plays before the headliner, for the US dates. He said "free Palestine" on stage during a show at MetLife Stadium, according to The Guardian. He was then dropped after his statements in support of Palestinians in Gaza led some venue owners to bar him from performing, as reported by Rolling Stone.

Sheeran has said he was not responsible for Macklemore being dropped from the line-up, according to the BBC. In his own statement, Sheeran said he chooses to use his fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. He did not publicly name the venue owners or give a detailed account of how the decision was made.

Massive Attack rejected that position in blunt terms. "No artist should tolerate the censorship of another artist, however many millions of dollars are in play," the group said. It added that it stands in solidarity with artists risking their careers in defence of the rights of the Palestinian people.

The group also said: "Neutrality in the face of the slaughter can never be neutrality," according to NME. In the same exchange, reported on 16 September, Massive Attack said entertainment can never be bigger than resisting apartheid and genocide. That language was the group's own characterisation of the issues at stake.

Garbage also joined the criticism of Sheeran. "Ed, there is only one victim here: the Palestinian people," the band said. It called the response to Macklemore being dropped "a major turning point" in the mainstream conversation surrounding Israel and Gaza. In a post published on 15 September, Garbage said: "After decades of Israeli persecution and genocidal intent against the Palestinian people, this day feels like a major turning point."

The fallout has spread to the rest of the bill. Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe have withdrawn as support acts from the Loop tour. The BBC reported that Sheeran's support acts quit the tour in support of Macklemore.

For fans holding tickets, this means the US shows will look different from the line-up first announced. A support slot is both a performance and a job, with fees for artists and work for crews around short changeovers between sets. Replacing three opening acts at once requires new bookings and revised running orders for each date.