Ed Sheeran does not want to be political. Or, specifically, he does not want his concerts to be. He explained this after rapper Macklemore was expelled from Sheeran's North American tour for having said "Free Palestine"on stage. There is something fascinating in this idea that politics appears just at the moment when, or because, someone utters certain words.

British singer Ed Sheeran apologized yesterday at his first concert since expelling Macklemore over his pro-Palestinian comments and losing part of his tour members. Sheeran addressed the audience at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and admitted that he had made "mistakes."

Ed Sheeran's (Halifax, 35) North American tour, the Loop Tour, has lost a large part of its members in a very short time. The decision by the promoter Messina Touring Group to remove rapper Macklemore (Seattle, 43) from the lineup – following his statements in favor of a "free Palestine" during two performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey – has triggered a chain reaction: the three remaining opening acts (FINNEAS, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe) and Sheeran's own backing band, the traditional Irish group Beoga, have collectively resigned from continuing on the tour.