Ed Sheeran’s opening act mentions global political climate

Ed Sheeran’s support act acknowledged the war in Gaza and the importance of finding common ground during his concert in Atlanta on Saturday.

The Shape of You hitmaker’s Loop Tour has been embroiled in controversy after Macklemore was dropped from the bill after making pro-Palestine comments on stage, causing the other support acts to quit in solidarity.

Prior to Sheeran’s headline set at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Georgia on Saturday, The Fray frontman Isaac Slade appeared as a “special guest” and, after telling fans he was “honoured to be” there, he addressed the difficult global political climate.

In videos circulating online, Slade said: “Everybody seems to be taking sides in this world, and that’s good.

“What’s happening over there [in Gaza] is wrong but, if we’re going to get through it, we’re going to need people to step into that middle place, that common ground. That bonfire in the middle of the field that sees both sides, that understands that peace is not a lack of conflict.

“Peace is not a blank canvas that we need to guard and be polite.

“[Peace] holds enough beauty, enough tragedy, enough sorrow, enough joy and life, if we learn how to integrate it and hold each other in balance. We will find a way through this together.”

The How to Save a Life singer’s inclusion on the bill hadn’t been revealed in advance, but the venue had announced in a “Know Before You Go” Instagram graphic that there would be a “special guest” opening the show before Ed took to the stage.

During his first concert back after Macklemore was sidelined from the tour, 35-year-old Ed cried and declared he was “so sorry” as he addressed the backlash directly.

Speaking on stage in Philadelphia on September 19, the Azizam singer said:

“I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important, compassionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.

“But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”

Sheeran had previously insisted the decision to cut Macklemore from the tour hadn’t been his, and in his speech he appeared to lay the blame at wealthy venue owners.

He said: “I am deeply worried about the idea that venues pre-approved content forms ... . It should never happen in the free world.”

He added: “This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand beside people that they don’t agree with on everything, but they can all agree on singing these songs.”