Ed Sheeran performed with a new backing band during his Saturday, September 19, concert after his previous team left the Loop Tour in solidarity with Macklemore’s controversial departure.
“There are certain songs that just don’t work on the loop pedal,” Sheeran, 35, said during his Philadelphia concert, per social media footage shared by Billboard. “So, when my friends dropped off this show, I was thinking, ‘How am I going to keep the show the same? And ‘How am I going to get musicians to stand on stage with me in a week where no one wants to stand on stage with me?’”
Sheeran famously plays his concerts live without an accompanying band, using only a loop pedal to mix each track. For the Loop Tour, the singer-songwriter enlisted Irish band Beoga to assist on his tracks “Galway Girl” and “Nancy Mulligan.”
Beoga voluntarily left the tour earlier this week in solidarity with opening act Mackelmore, 43, who Sheeran’s touring company dismissed over comments about the Israeli-Palestine conflict. (The “Thrift Shop” rapper chanted “Free Palestine” during his sets at Sheeran’s two New Jersey concerts earlier in September.)
“I rung up a friend of mine, she’s a superb human and I toured with her all of last year [on my Mathematics Tour] and the one the year before that,” Sheeran said on Saturday, introducing violinist Alicia Enstrom. “I said to her, ‘Would you stand on stage with me?” And she said, yes. I asked her if she knew some musician friends and she said yes, and they’ve had three days to learn these songs.”
He continued, “I just want to say before they come onstage, they said yes to being onstage with the knowledge that the world thought I was a certain type of person. They said yes with the knowledge that the world may hate them too for standing on stage with me, and I am so grateful for them being here tonight and standing on stage with me in front of you guys.”
Sheeran, who previously denied personally asking Macklemore to leave the tour after mounting pressure from stadium owners hosting Loop Tour shows this fall, issued a statement at the start of Saturday’s concert.
“I’m used to my music being criticized, and I’m always happy to take that because I’m lucky. A lot of you like my stuff, and to be honest, I’m surprised,” he began in footage reshared to his social media pages. “I’m not surprised that I’ve even done it. You know, it’s normal. This week, the criticism was about something much more important, and I’ve had to take [it in] and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so so sorry.”
According to Sheeran, he’s never wanted to “disappoint fans” but hasn’t thought of himself as an activist.
“This has put me in the middle of an important, passionate argument about freedom of speech on the most complex issue on the planet,” the Grammy winner continued. “[My music] has always been a safe space for everyone. That matters hugely to me. Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely essential to who I am. That is why I’m here tonight — on my own — continuing my own tour.”
