British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, currently on tour in India, stumbled into an unplanned situation while on stage in Bangalore’s Church Street. Quite unexpectedly the Bengaluru Police intervened in the middle of his show, who did not know of his international stardom. Even an officer, at one point during the performance even unplugged his microphone, telling the performer to stop singing.
The aftermath of the incident filmed on the camera was remarkably picked by social media and induced a great response of people. A lot of netizens expressed anger at the police for their behavior, in particular as Sheeran had already obtained all that is necessary to perform in that place.
Social Media Backlash: “Uncleocracy at Play”
In the wake of the incident, social media sites were besieged with posts denouncing the Bengaluru Police. Users noted that the singer had been previously authorised to sing and that the interruption was therefore unjustified. Others even assigned the behaviour to something they jokingly called “uncleocracy”—a state of affairs in which older-generation rulers quench the youth’s enthusiasm, by prohibiting them from having fun.
One user expressed frustration, saying,
“The reason that cop shut down Ed Sheeran wasn’t to prevent pandemonium on Church Street or maintain order on a busy Sunday. It’s the same reason we cannot walk on the beach, sit in Cubbon Park, go to any public place, or hold hands anywhere. We live in an uncleocracy.” Another user added a humorous take, suggesting,
“It’s because he didn’t sing in Kannada! “
The frustration was echoed by many who shared similar experiences of being stopped from engaging in harmless public activities. One user recounted,
“Unclely funpurses in India have the sickening enjoyments when uncles who do not allow people to play have their way. We need to save this country from these uncles! “
Another commented,”
I remember living in a gated community as a teenager. We had a beautiful green lawn, but a bunch of old uncles and aunties wouldn’t let us use the space for activities. They just wanted to sit and chat in peace. It’s the same mentality everywhere! “
Ed Sheeran Responds: “We Had Permission”
Amid the online backlash, Ed Sheeran took to his Instagram Stories to clarify the situation. He reassured fans that his performance was not a random, unplanned event.
“We had permission to busk, btw, hence us playing in that exact spot. It was planned out before; it wasn’t just us randomly turning up. All good though. See ya at the show tonight x,”* Sheeran posted.
His reply eased some of his fans’ anger but a lot of them still felt disappointed by the police’s behaviour and called it a shame on the city.
Sheeran’s India Tour Continues
Although, there is a slight hitch, sheeran is still committed to his India leg assignment. He’s already been performing in Hyderabad and Chennai, enthralling audiences with his melodious music. Next, he is slated to perform in Delhi-NCR and Shillong where the audience is looking forward to his live shows.
The Bengaluru incident may have momentarily interrupted his street performance, but it has certainly sparked a larger conversation about public space regulations and the cultural attitudes towards spontaneous entertainment in India. It is not yet known whether this conversation results in any changes, but one thing is clear, Ed Sheeran’s music continues to have a hold on his Indian fans, come what may.
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