Ed Sheeran has added two new opening acts to his Loop tour: American Idol contestant Brooks Rosser and Isaac Slade, the former lead singer of The Fray. The move follows the removal of American rapper Macklemore from the lineup after comments he made about Gaza.
Support acts withdraw after Macklemore exit
After Macklemore's departure, Sheeran's other support acts also withdrew from the remaining tour dates. Those acts included Irish vocalist Aaron Rowe, Danish singer Lukas Graham, musician Finneas and backing band Beoga.
Rosser, who appeared on this year's series of American Idol and reached the top seven, will perform at the October 10 show in Indianapolis. He wrote on Instagram: "My first show since American Idol, and it’s at Lucas Oil Stadium opening for @teddysphotos I’m beyond excited and grateful. See you Saturday!"
New dates and remaining schedule
Slade, previously the frontman for rock band The Fray, joins as a support act for concerts in Indianapolis on October 10, Charlotte on October 17, Arlington on October 24 and Tampa on November 7. Confirming the tour dates on Instagram, Slade added: "See you out there." He also took to the stage during Sheeran's show in Atlanta on October 3.
Sheeran has remaining dates in Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, but no supporting acts have been announced for these shows.
Gaza controversy and fallout
Macklemore sparked controversy in September when he told an audience he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten amid the conflict with Israel. A petition was launched demanding he be removed from Sheeran's remaining shows, and Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns the Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, was among those who contacted the British singer saying he would not be able to play the venue unless Macklemore was removed from the tour.
Sheeran insisted he was "not complicit" in Macklemore's exit and was "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine" but was not willing to "abandon" his crew and support acts on the tour. At his first gig after the row, he broke down in tears and apologised for making "mistakes" amid the furore and described the conflict in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate".
He has faced backlash from a slew of celebrities for choosing to continue with the tour. Chef and Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain accused him of weaponising "white tears" while Sheeran's estranged cousin Jethro called him a "bad human" and a "coward". Sources have claimed he is "terrified" at the thought of protests at his upcoming shows and is reportedly considering going "totally off-grid" and taking a break from music altogether.
Macklemore's response
Macklemore has donated his one million-dollar (£747,328) tour net earnings to charities supporting Palestinian people, and challenged Kraft, who reportedly called for his removal from the tour, to do the same. He has also announced a Free Palestine tour in Europe to help provide humanitarian aid and support for people in Palestine.
His tour will kick off in Dublin's 3Arena on October 26 followed by a show at Paris' Accor Arena on October 29 and wrap up at London's Wembley Arena on October 30. Proceeds from the concerts will go towards a number of organisations working in support of Palestinian people including medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, community support and advocacy.
