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Rock legend slams Ed Sheeran as US tour crumbles over Macklemore-Palestine controversy
(www.the-independent.com)
this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2026
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I don't agree with Roger Waters' "the West is always in the wrong" worldview, but his music has always been heavily political and opinionated, and is better for it.
Not every band has something to say about society and the world at large, but Pink Floyd and Roger Waters certainly do.
Commercial musicians make music based on what the listeners want to hear. Genuine artists make music based on what they want listeners to hear.
One is marketing, the other is expression.
I find it ridiculous when either side tells artists that they need to stay out of politics or stay in their lane.
I don't agree with most of what Roger Waters says, but I will defend to the death his right to say it, in his music and otherwise. I think that's healthy and absolutely neccessary.
I will also defend the right for me to say what I personally think about all the things he has the right to say. Like that it's too bad he's some idiot tankie who doesn't think Putin has to respect those kind of rights in his country, and how I think that makes him a piece of shit and complicit in Putin's evil. He can still say it though, that's his right, and I like it when pieces of shit advertise themselves.
Is it any less ridiculous to not respect someone when they choose to be apolitical? Do you think someone isn't a "genuine artist" when they're apolitical?
That's what's happening here isn't it? Ed Sheeran doesn't want to be involved with politics and is being bullied for "not taking a side."
Macklemore and those billionaires put Sheeran in the middle of the argument. But you don't get to not pick a side when one side is literally supporting the wanton murder of innocent men, women, and children. I don't think you can be a member of society and remain apolitical when innocent people are being slaughtered.
Is that unfair to Sheeran? Maybe, but I don't care. The guy is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and the loss of this tour is not any more than an inconvenience for him. I side with the innocent children gaza being killed by snipers.
It's not unfair. Imagine if we applied the same logic to the duty to report child abuse: "I'm apolitical, and I want to remain neutral. I don't want to get involved, I just want to do my job and nothing more. I shouldn't have to report abuse of a child if I don't want to. It's not my fault they're getting abused, actually it's unfair to make me get involved in something like this even if I know it is wrong, because it might have consequences for me if I say something about it. Obviously I'm sad the children are getting abused but they should find some other way to deal with that which doesn't involve me."
A very good point.
Sheeran cancelling Macklemore's involvement in his tour based on the stadium owner's political views of Macklemore's political views seems pretty "involved with politics" to me. He was definitely put in a situation where he had to pick a side, but Robert Kraft put him there, not the public who are reacting to his decision-making.
I think the best way for Sheeran to stay above the politics is to simply sit back, say nothing and let his opening acts say whatever they want to say.