Dropkick Murphys' Ken Casey Criticizes Ed Sheeran's Macklemore Booting
Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey criticized Ed Sheeran for removing Macklemore from his tour following the rapper's political comments about the war in Gaza. Casey argued that artists should stand by their tour partners rather than bowing to promoter or venue pressure.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing tensions in the music industry regarding political expression, artist autonomy, and the influence of promoters and venue owners.
Dropkick Murphys ‘ frontman Ken Casey has spoken up about Macklemore being forced off Ed Sheeran 's Loop Tour after the rapper made onstage comments in support of Palestinians and criticized Israel's war in Gaza.
In an interview with Boston Public Radio, Casey said, "I know that, as a musician for 30 years, anytime we've gone on tour we've selected the bands that have opened for us - that's brotherhood, sisterhood, that's family. You live or die with the people you bring on the road. They're your people."
He added: "And the fact that Ed Sheeran took the knee, no matter what the cause is, and not stood with his fellow tour partner, just doesn't, you know, sit right with me. And that's not how Dropkick Murphys would operate." Casey comments garnered applause during the taping.
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