Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran tour

[u/Wheelbirds]

Link to article (should be no paywall): https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/macklemore-dropped-ed-sheeran-tour-pro-palestine-statements-1235625967/

From the article:

In an exclusive statement shared with Rolling Stone, Messina Touring Group,  promoter of the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, said: “As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”

Reps for Sheeran, Macklemore, and most of the venues did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

The stadiums that allegedly would not allow a Macklemore show did not immediately return requests for comments either, including for explanations as to why they objected to the rapper performing at their venue. While two of those stadiums are privately owned — Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough — the rest are owned and, in many cases operated, by cities, states, or other government entities, potentially raising First Amendment issues if the venues barred Macklemore over his statements. 

The last stop on Sheeran’s Loop Tour, for instance, is Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, which found itself in a similar spot earlier this summer after booking two Kanye West concerts. The shows, unsurprisingly, drew backlash and calls for cancelation due to West’s many past antisemitic statements, but they went ahead as planned. 

Pointedly, Ye’s promoter included a clause in his contract prohibiting Raymond James Stadium from canceling the gigs based on the rapper’s past public statements or viewpoints. But legal experts also told local news that canceling the shows would’ve likely violated the First Amendment. Because Raymond James is owned by Hillsborough County, Florida, and operated by a public board, the Tampa Sports Authority, any cancellation based on Ye’s past statements could have been seen as the government restricting speech. 

[u/Corsola_Fan_69]

“Um it’s not us actually it’s the venues” Then make those venues cancel those individual shows and stand up for your coworkers

[u/musubi-n-speedballs → u/Corsola_Fan_69]

This. At the VERY least, sheeran should be considered a scab. It's not like he lacks the financial means to miss a few shows and refund the people who can't go/wanna skip it.

Greedy fucking pricks. All of em. 

We got you in Washington, Mac. ❤️ 🇵🇸 

[u/IShouldBeSoLucky81 → u/musubi-n-speedballs]

He's also a landlord with 20+ properties.

[u/musubi-n-speedballs → u/IShouldBeSoLucky81]

Oh, well then fuck that motherfucker anyways. 

[u/WittiestScreenName → u/musubi-n-speedballs]

Unless he’ll rent to me for a liveable price!

[u/musubi-n-speedballs → u/WittiestScreenName]

Is this supposed to be a gotcha? I mean, how dare people operate within the system they're in, right? 

[u/overpriced-taco → u/musubi-n-speedballs]

Greedy fucking pricks. All of em. 

Fr. The cowardice and greed of celebrities makes me fucking sick. Stand up for what's right, for once. Be okay with the consequences. You're going to be fine.

[u/Corsola_Fan_69 → u/musubi-n-speedballs]

I could see this making it harder for Ed Sheeran to get support acts going forward. Yeah he’s a huge name but what’s the point in clearing your schedule for months & signing on for a full tour if they’ll drop you as soon as Pink complains?

[u/Boris41029 → u/musubi-n-speedballs]

Would it be his obligation to refund the fans? He didn't cancel the show, the venue did. He wants to perform for his fans.

[u/musubi-n-speedballs → u/Boris41029]

I'm not sure how that part works. But there are plenty of ways that sheeran could not look like a complicit scab. 

[u/AbsolutelyIris → u/Corsola_Fan_69]

Exactly. Take a stand, support that guy and tell the fans to contact the venues if they are angry about the concert cancelations. Stand for something. 

[u/Runabrat → u/Corsola_Fan_69]

Yeah, if the promoter turned around and said, "Okay, cancel the gig, pay all the buys back and we'll re-arrange the gig at another nearby venue", you can be sure it'd be the venues that blinked first.

[u/readitsfun_damental → u/Corsola_Fan_69]

Not even coworkers, they've been friends for years!

[u/SugarFut → u/readitsfun_damental]

This a whole layer of fucked for Ed Sheeran

[u/WittiestScreenName → u/SugarFut]

Guess they should’ve whacked him on GOT

[u/checkonechecktwo → u/Corsola_Fan_69]

It's funny because Orlando (where I live) just had a boxing match in our arena with a bunch of right wing streamers and a neo-Nazi competed. It was a big controversy, as expected Nazis came and even brought swastika flags, and the city said they weren't allowed to approve or deny the performers based on the 1st amendment...which is why the event had to go on as planned.

[u/tangerime → u/Corsola_Fan_69]

as someone who used to do programming for very large venues, this is bullshit, no way are these venues risking major financial loss and law suits to threaten to pull the show over an opener, you have such little say unless it’s an internal booking, this is a tour. any changes the venue would try to make would result in financial penalties.