Bob Geldof has defended 'good man' Ed Sheeran amid controversy over Macklemore tour decision.
Geldof has argued that artists should have the right to decide if they want to talk about politics.
At the same time, the Boomtown Rats frontman has praised Macklemore and the other support acts who withdrew from Sheeran's tour.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Geldof said: “An artist has the absolute right to choose what he wants to say and when he wants to say it. There are those who say, y’know, at a certain level of fame, having a non-political stance is political. No, that’s not right. Fame is a currency, and it depends on how you want to use it.”
He went on to say that he wouldn't expect the Rolling Stones to speak about Gaza because "it's not their thing...although I’m quite sure that Mick Jagger has an opinion on it.”
“I really admire Macklemore and the guys who walked, because it’s a hard ask. They are making a big quid for the first time in their lives, y’know, and he just said, ‘No, mate’," Geldof continued.
Geldof then directed his criticism to the Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft and the tour’s promoters. “They both should be supported by the promoters that put on their concerts and by the owners of the stadium. It’s certainly none of their fucking business what an artist gets up to.”
