Dropkick Murphys Frontman Slams Ed Sheeran Over Macklemore Treatment!
Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey criticized Ed Sheeran for Macklemore’s removal from the Loop Tour following pro-Palestinian comments. Casey stressed the importance of artists supporting their peers and standing by their beliefs, even under pressure from promoters and stadium owners. The incident led to other artists dropping out, with Macklemore donating his tour earnings to Palestinian humanitarian aid.
Ken Casey, the outspoken frontman of Dropkick Murphys, recently addressed the controversy surrounding Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour and the departure of rapper Macklemore. During an interview with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, September 16, Casey voiced strong criticism of Sheeran's decision, following Macklemore's removal from the tour due to his onstage comments supporting Palestinians and condemning Israel's war in Gaza.
Casey, a veteran musician with 30 years of experience, emphasized the deep bond between touring artists. "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,” Casey stated. He further added, “You live or die with the people you bring on the road. They’re your people.” He expressed his disappointment in Sheeran's actions, remarking, “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.”
Macklemore was reportedly dropped from the Loop Tour by its U.S. promoter, Messina Touring Group, after performing only two shows. His removal, announced on September 14, came amid increasing pressure for his departure. Reports also suggest that Sheeran and his management team faced significant pressure from some stadium owners, including Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium, to remove Macklemore.
Casey also highlighted the importance of artistic freedom and integrity, drawing on Dropkick Murphys' own experiences. He recounted an incident at the 2025 Rocklahoma Festival in Oklahoma, where the band made statements against the Trump administration. Despite alienating approximately 50 percent of the audience and potentially jeopardizing future invitations from the site owner, Casey asserted that artists must speak their minds onstage. "All the artists I loved as a kid, no matter what, it was that they stand by what they sing about," he said. "Once you let that go, then you don’t have any worth in your music if you ask me.”
The repercussions of Macklemore's removal extended beyond his own departure. The remaining scheduled opening acts on Sheeran’s Loop Tour, including Aaron Rowe, Finneas, and Lukas Graham, subsequently announced their withdrawal from the trek. In response to the situation, Macklemore declared his intention to donate his entire $1 million earnings from the Loop Tour to humanitarian organizations dedicated to providing aid to Palestinians. He also publicly challenged Robert Kraft to match his donation, to which Kraft responded by indicating that Sheeran had previously asked him to commit $2 million to humanitarian efforts.