#SHOWBIZ: Ed Sheeran alters stage set-up over fear of flying objects from angry fans

PHILADELPHIA: Pop superstar Ed Sheeran was forced to alter his stage layout over concerns that disgruntled fans might throw objects at him during a recent concert in Philadelphia.

The 35-year-old English singer has found himself at the centre of an intense storm after dropping American hip-hop artiste Macklemore from the US leg of his Loop Tour following Macklemore's public stance in support of Palestine.

Addressing the audience at Saturday night's show in Pennsylvania, Sheeran candidly admitted that safety fears prompted him to scrap the secondary 'B stage', which usually brings him into the heart of the crowd.

According to AsiaOne, he revealed: "At this point in the show, I usually go to a B stage and I'm going to be totally honest with you, I didn't know what this audience would be like."

"I didn't know if I would have things thrown at me. I didn't know if people would be angry at me, so today is not the usual Loop show.

"I took the B stage out because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle. And I will admit that," he said.

The operational pivot was not the only adjustment made for the night.

Sheeran was also forced to assemble a new backing ensemble after Irish folk group Beoga pulled out of the tour to stand in solidarity with Macklemore.

Acknowledging the logistical scramble, Sheeran explained: "There are certain songs that just don't work on the loop pedal. So, when my friends dropped off this show, I was thinking: 'How am I going to keep the show the same? And how am I going to get musicians to stand on stage with me in a week where no one wants to stand on stage with me?'"

He credited violinist Alicia Enstrom, whom he had toured with previously, for stepping in at short notice alongside several of her colleagues, despite the potential public backlash.

The performance followed an emotional address earlier in the evening, during which Sheeran broke down in tears while responding to the mounting criticism surrounding his tour management decisions.

Acknowledging his errors, he stated: "I'm used to my music being criticised. This week the criticism was about something much more important. I am making mistakes and I am so sorry."

Gesturing with a rollercoaster motion, the British hitmaker reflected that it had been a intense "week of learning."