Guitar Center may have picked an unexpectedly good time to launch a competition for artists who want to open for Ed Sheeran.
The store’s new Open for Legends campaign launched August 19, offering undiscovered musicians the chance to perform before Sheeran on the December 11 date of his Loop Tour in Mexico City. At the time, it was a pretty straightforward proposition: submit an original song and you could win what Guitar Center calls “a life-changing opportunity.”
Now, following the fallout over Macklemore’s departure from Sheeran’s tour, the prize has acquired a little extra comic timing. Sheeran has lost not only Macklemore but all of his remaining support acts, meaning Guitar Center’s competition is suddenly offering a spot in a lineup that has become considerably less crowded.
Submissions for the competition remain open through October 7, so there’s still plenty of time for an aspiring opener to throw their hat — or guitar pick — into the ring.
Of course, Guitar Center had no way of knowing what would happen when the competition launched. Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s current US shows earlier this week after making a pro-Palestine speech calling for peace in Gaza during a September 4 show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The American hip-hop artist, best known for his 2012 hit “Thrift Shop,” was subsequently dropped from the tour after the Israeli-American Council lobbied for his removal. Sheeran said on September 15 that he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine,” while clarifying that “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision.” The development also prompted Roger Waters to call Sheeran “a little prick” for not standing behind Macklemore.
Sheeran’s Irish folk backing band, Boega, and his remaining support acts have since followed Macklemore out of the tour.
In an Instagram statement posted yesterday (September 16), Boega said it was stepping away following “the silencing of Macklemore.”
“We are a traditional Irish band who never saw ourselves playing in stadiums of that size, and that opportunity is not lost on us,” the statement says. “We have been friends with Ed for over 10 years now and will continue to be. We believe in dialogue as a means of progressing the plight of the Palestinian people.
“As musicians, playing to those crowds every night is the stuff of dreams, but to play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us,” they continue. “We were there for Macklemore’s performance and speech. We fully supported the message… Go back and read the transcript if you’re in doubt.”
Boega has a long history with Sheeran, having performed during his 2017 Glastonbury headline set before returning to his side for the Loop Tour.
The other support acts who have now left include Billie Eilish’s brother and collaborator FINNEAS, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe. In his own statement, Fender signature artist FINNEAS said that “artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.”
Sheeran is scheduled to play his next show in Philadelphia on September 19. As for the December 11 date in Mexico City, Guitar Center is still looking for the artist who will get the chance to open for him.
And if the current trajectory is anything to go by, that artist may want to start learning a few extra songs.
In brighter news for the store, Guitar Center is also seeking guitarists to test the first prototypes from its in-house guitar brand. Players who take part will have to sign an NDA and leave their phones at the door, as the store wants to keep its “revolutionary” new designs top secret.
