The Killers are expressing their regret to their followers after receiving boos at a recent performance in Georgia for inviting a Russian fan onstage and referring to him as their “brother.”
The rock group, fronted by singer Brandon Flowers, continued a long-standing practise by inviting a fan up on stage during their performance in Shekvetili on Tuesday to play the drums. The Georgian crowd, however, wasn’t pleased with this fan’s claim that he was from Russia.
Brandon and his friends immediately received a barrage of negative feedback, which prompted him to imply that the man was the nation’s brother, which infuriated them even more. He inquired if he wasn’t their brother after additional booing because he was from America, but this only drew more jeers.
Videos of the band’s lead singer, Brandon Flowers, requesting the crowd for permission to invite a Russian drummer fan on stage are making the rounds on social media. In the videos, it seems the performer takes the crowd’s initial hum as approval, but soon after, they begin to boo and whistle.
Additionally, several recordings demonstrate a crowd yelling “F*** Russia.”
Flowers has also been heard in some videos referring to his fans as his “brothers and sisters,” which the audience did not find to be very flattering.
After the violent performance, the band apologised, stating, “Good people of Georgia, it was never our intention to offend anyone!” The crowd became rather enraged, and several individuals are said to have fled in protest.
In response to the “brother” remark, they continue, “We acknowledge that a comment, meant to convey that all of The Killers’ audience and fans are ‘brothers and sisters,’ could be misunderstood. We sincerely apologise if we offended anyone.”
Georgia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but has been met with conflict over the years from Russia, including an invasion of the country in 2008.
