Culture 4 min read By Morgan Griffin
U2 backs Macklemore and defends Ed Sheeran in tour row
U2 has publicly defended Macklemore's right to speak out on Palestine after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran's US tour, saying no billionaire, promoter or owner has the right to censor artists.
U2 has publicly backed Macklemore's right to speak out on political issues, declaring that no billionaire, promoter or owner has the right to censor artists. The band's comments, made in an interview with BBC News, came amid a row over Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's US Loop Tour in September, a decision that has drawn wider attention to how far artists can go with political statements at large commercial concerts.
Macklemore was dropped from the tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks during two concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Before his removal, he performed his protest song "Hind's Hall" on stage. The Israeli-American Council and the businessman Robert Kraft objected to his appearances, and the promoters subsequently removed him from the run. His backing band and support acts also withdrew in solidarity with him, meaning the decision affected more than one performer on the bill.
Guitarist The Edge defended Sheeran against what he described as vilification, while praising younger musicians who quit the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. The Edge's comments placed the blame for the controversy on the pressure surrounding Sheeran rather than on the artist himself. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. went further, saying artists have a human right to engage in political activism, a position that frames the dispute as one about basic freedoms rather than a single booking. The band said it would resist censorship unless speech incited violence, a limit that U2 presented as the only exception it would accept.
Sheeran has denied being complicit in the decision and has said he wanted his concerts to remain non-political spaces. That position has been central to the criticism he has faced from supporters of Macklemore, who argue that a performer should not be required to remove a fellow musician from a bill. Bono recalled that Sheeran had been reluctant to discuss politics during the making of their collaboration "Yours Eternally", and said Sheeran had reportedly wanted to keep his work free of politics. Bono's account offers a look at Sheeran's approach long before the tour dispute, suggesting the stance is not new to him.
Macklemore has since staged three sold-out "Free Palestine" benefit shows in Dublin, Paris and London. Guests at those concerts included Hozier, Kneecap, Aurora, Greta Thunberg and Paloma Faith, with proceeds going to organisations working with Palestinians. The lineup of those shows gave the benefit concerts a clear political identity, distinct from the mainstream tour from which he had been removed.
Macklemore claims that nine major US arenas have refused to host further benefit shows, and he accuses venue owners of pulling dates once the purpose of the concerts became known. The venue owners' side of those refusals has not been reported, leaving his allegations unanswered by the arenas themselves. The dispute therefore remains one between a performer and the venues that he says have withdrawn from working with him.
The row arrives as U2 prepares to release its new album, "Carnaval De Luz", on November 13. The band also plans to return to full-scale touring in 2027, meaning its public stance on censorship is likely to be discussed as the album campaign and tour announcements take shape.
Source: nme.com
3
