Members of U2 have addressed the controversy that resulted in Macklemore being kicked off their friend Ed Sheeran’s tour after the rapper declared “Free Palestine” during a concert, showing support for both artists and criticizing venue owners who use their money and influence to shut down musicians.
The Edge told the BBC in a new interview that U2 “totally support Macklemore’s right as an artist to say what he wanted to say.”
The guitarist’s support for the rapper didn’t mean he was criticizing Sheeran. The Edge also backed up the English singer-songwriter, saying “I don’t think Ed should be vilified. He was in a difficult situation.”
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The Edge also lent his support to the other opening acts and Sheeran’s backing band who left the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. “I commend the other young artists who decided to leave [Sheeran’s] tour. They were sticking up for an artist’s right to free speech, and I think that’s the issue above anything else.”
In September, Macklemore was removed as a support act from Sheeran’s tour after several stadium operators, led by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, objected to the Seattle rapper’s remarks on stage in support of Palestine and threatened to block him from performing if he remained on the bill. For Sheeran’s part, he said it was the promoter’s decision to remove Macklemore from the shows, not his.
U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. gave his perspective on the situation, and criticized wealthy venue owners and promoters while giving a defiant statement for his band as they prepared to tour stadiums across the world and perform at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
“Artists have a right to choose whether they want to be politically active or not. It’s a human right. But we, as a band, will fight for the right to speak your mind, as long as it doesn’t incite violence,” he told the BBC. “Even if we disagree with it or don’t like it, nobody — no billionaire, no promoter, no owner — has the right to censor anybody. And they will definitely not be censoring us, ever.”
If there was any doubt, the Edge solidified the band’s position concerning the ongoing conflict. “We might disagree with some of the members of the pro-Palestine movement, but we absolutely agree with the fundamentals. We absolutely agree that what’s going on [in Gaza] is unconscionable and that a child’s life is equally valuable, no matter what their background.”
U2 consider Sheeran a friend, having collaborated with him on the band’s song “Yours Eternally” from their February Days of Ash EP. Sheeran showed some reluctance to being close to anything controversial when the song was being made. He had expressed his hesitation to being on a song that might be perceived as political to Bono before ultimately singing on the track.
U2 will release their 16th studio album, Carnaval De Luz on November 16th. The following February the band kicks off a world tour.
