The Killers issue an apology after Brandon Flowers was booed by crowd in Georgia for bringing a Russian fan on stage and calling him ‘brother’
The Killers have apologised after Brandon Flowers told an audience in Georgia that a Russian fan was their ‘brother’.
The band were booed towards the end of their show in Batumi on Tuesday after inviting a man to play drums with them during ‘For Reasons Unknown’ towards the end of the show.
They revealed to the crowd in the former Soviet state that he was from the neighbouring country, which invaded them in 2008.
In video footage circulating online, Brandon said to a mixture of cheers and boos: ‘We don’t know the etiquette of this land but this guy’s a Russian. You OK with a Russian coming up here?’
After the song, the 42-year-old singer was booed again when he raised the subject a second time.
Apology: The Killers have apologised after Brandon Flowers told an audience in Georgia that a Russian fan was their ‘brother’
He said: ‘You can’t recognise if someone’s your brother? He’s not your brother? We all separate on the borders of our countries? … Am I not your brother, being from America?’
Brandon urged the audience to celebrate ‘that we’re here together’.
He added: ‘I don’t want it to turn ugly. And I see you as my brothers and my sisters.’
Mariam Nikuradze, a Georgian journalist, claimed fans had left after the song, and while the band finished their set, they didn’t say goodbye to the audience at the end of the show.
Following the outcry, the band issued a statement apologising and insisted they hadn’t meant to offend anyone.
They wrote on their official social media accounts: ‘Good people of Georgia, it was never our intention to offend anyone!
‘We have a longstanding tradition of inviting people to play drums and it seemed from the stage that the initial response from the crowd indicated that they were okay with tonight’s audience participation member coming onstage with us.
‘We recognise that a comment, meant to suggest that all of the Killers’ audience and fans are ‘brothers and sisters’ could be misconstrued. We did not mean to upset anyone and we apologise. We stand with you and hope to return soon.’
Russia has occupied 20% of Georgian territory since its 2008 invasion.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine last year, many Russian citizens have headed for the safety of Georgia, which gained independence from Soviet rule in 1991, but some have faced a backlash there.
Furious fans: The band were booed towards the end of their show in Batumi on Tuesday after inviting a man to play drums with them during ‘For Reasons Unknown’ towards the end of the show
In video footage circulating online, Brandon said to a mixture of cheers and boos: ‘We don’t know the etiquette of this land but this guy’s a Russian. You OK with a Russian coming up here?’
They said in the message, which was shared to their official social media accounts: ‘Good people of Georgia, it was never our intention to offend anyone!’
David Kezerashvili, who was Georgia’s Minister of Defence when Russian invaded in 2008, said: ‘It’s not hard to see why a touring American rock band could have unwittingly upset local sentiment on what is a complex issue for many outside the country to understand.
‘For a start, a huge disconnect exists between the attitudes of ordinary Georgians and their current government when it comes to Russia. While the Georgian public believes their future lies with the West, their leaders increasingly lean towards Moscow.
‘Most in the country were appalled when the government refused to impose sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine, and that anger only deepened when a threat was made to strip Georgians of their citizenship if they dared to join the fight on the frontline.
‘People are naturally disturbed at the growing influence of the Kremlin in Georgia’s government, and there is the nagging suspicion among many that Vladimir Putin is taking over the country by stealth.
‘The events which took place at the concert perfectly illustrate these concerns.’
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals).
After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in their early days, both Mark Stoermer (bass, rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums, percussion) joined the band in 2002.
The Killers have released seven studio albums, each of which reached the top spot on the UK Albums Chart.
They have performed in over 50 countries and on six continents, headlining venues such as Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium and Glastonbury Festival.
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