Ed Sheeran on Macklemore

episode

Liveline 45 min 2 speakers 8 chapters transcribed 2 hours ago

▲ 0

Transcript

jump: chapters · speakers · find in transcript

Transcript

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Why did Ed Sheeran drop Macklemore from his ‘Loop’ tour?

Ciarán McCarthy 0:00

I want to talk about the increasingly lonely Ed Sheeran, the English singer-songwriter, hugely popular, popular here as well, not shy about talking about his Irish connections, is touring North America and where once he had five supporting acts. Now he has none. And it all started with Macklemore. I'm going to give you the whistle-stop version of this story, but just for anybody who doesn't know, Macklemore, the Seattle rapper, one of his big support acts at a couple of different venues, was talking about what's happening in Israel-Palestine, was talking about free Palestine and supporting the people of Gaza and the West Bank. And then the promoters and different venue owners came together for the rest of Ed Sheeran's tour and said, we don't want Macklemore anymore.

Ciarán McCarthy 0:43

on stage anymore and McLemore has duly been dumped. Ed Sheeran says, not his decision, the promoter's decision, but he's gone. And then what happened? Well then, Lucas Graham and Phineas, they both jumped ship and the Irish acts who are touring with Ed Sheeran, Aaron Rowe and Bioga, they have both jumped ship as well in solidarity with McLemore leaving poor old Ed Sheeran on his own. Lucy is on the line. Lucy, Ed Sheeran is coming in for some criticism for continuing with the tour, at the moment anyway. Do you think that's fair, that criticism?

Lucy 1:18

Hi, Ciarán, how are you?

Ciarán McCarthy 1:19

Good.

Lucy 1:20

I think it's the personal hate he's getting online. I mean, it completely, I think what's after happening is terrible. And I think, but it's the personal hate, like people are really personally attacking him. They're not saying we're disappointed in the decision. it's just the personal hate is getting like, it's his music, everything about him is just getting absolutely attacked. And there's just so much hate personally to him online at the moment.

Ciarán McCarthy 1:46

And do you think that's unfair?

Lucy 1:48

I do. I do think it's unfair because I think it's just they're personally attacking him. They're not like saying, oh, it was a bad decision. They're disappointed. It's just a personal, like they're saying his career is over, he's cancelled. But I just think that's a really, it's really hateful what's happening online.

Ciarán McCarthy 2:05

Do you think it is going to be damaging to him in the long run?

Lucy 2:09

It's hard to say. I don't know what's going to happen now, like what he's going to come out and say with his concerts or what's going to happen in that regard. But from what it looks like on social media, it's just constant. He's getting constant attack and criticism over what's actually happening.

Ciarán McCarthy 2:26

What did you think of... Ed Sheeran's explanation for what happened. Like I said, he was quite clear. He said Macklemore coming off the tour was the promoter's decision. It wasn't his. And he was working behind the scenes to try to build bridges, I think is how he put it. In terms of Macklemore's comments, he didn't say anything directly, but... What he did say was that he tends not to wade into these types of waters, he says, because he wants his concerts to be inclusive places and there are young people there and there are kids there and he's conscious of the message that they're going to be hearing and he wants them to be about unity and joy and escapism.

Lucy 3:04

Yeah, I can understand that. I suppose like he is just going, he wants his music to give happiness. Like there's young kids there, there's people from you know, different backgrounds, everything that he's trying to, I suppose, use his platform, like, just for that, for his music. And I can understand this in, like, he was friends with Macklemore for years. Like, Macklemore has, like, always been pro-Palestine. And I think that the fact that they're friends and he was happy to have them at his show, I think that he, well, from what it looks like, he's no problem with that or anything. So...

Ciarán McCarthy 3:37

I won't defend anybody as kind of having a go at him personally for his music or his looks or anything else like that. I mean, that's indefensible. But what about the criticism from some, Lucy, that I guess he is picking sides by continuing to tour after the promoters came and said, get rid of that fella.