The Killers apologized on Tuesday after inviting a Russian drummer on stage during a concert in Shekvetili, Georgia, and telling the booing crowd that he was their 鈥渂rother.鈥�
Videos posted on social media showed the crowd booing and gesturing with their thumbs down while The Killers鈥� frontman and singer Brandon Flowers said: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know the etiquette of this land but this guy鈥檚 a Russian, are you okay with a Russian coming up here?鈥�
Following the negative reaction from the crowd, Flowers added: 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 recognize if someone鈥檚 your brother, he鈥檚 not your brother? We鈥檙e all separate? We all separate on the borders of our countries? 鈥� So I鈥檓 not your brother? Am I not your brother, being from America?鈥�
The audience responded to Flowers鈥� remarks with boos, and posts on social media alleged that people left the concert early.
Tbilisi has a long and complicated history with its powerful northern neighbor 鈥� a situation which has been exacerbated by Moscow鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine in February last year and the influx of Russians to Georgia that followed.
The two countries have had no formal diplomatic relations since Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and, since winning its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia has played a balancing act between pro-European sentiment among its citizens and the geopolitical aims of its neighbor.
The Killers issued a statement following the concert, saying 鈥渋t was never our intention to offend anyone.鈥�
鈥淲e 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鈥檚 audience participation member coming onstage with us,鈥� the statement, posted to social media, said.
The band, perhaps best known for the song 鈥淢r Brightside鈥� from their 2004 debut album, clarified that Flowers鈥� comment was 鈥渕eant to suggest that all of The Killers鈥� audience and fans are 鈥榖rothers and sisters鈥欌�� and recognized that it 鈥渃ould be misconstrued.鈥�
The 2008 conflict centred around South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway provinces which are officially part of Georgia but have separate governments unrecognized by most countries and are propped up by Russia.
Georgia鈥檚 ruling party, Georgian Dream, has recently faced accusations of close ties with Moscow, most notably during efforts to pass a foreign agents bill earlier this year, which critics said mirrored controversial Russian laws. The plans were met with widespread protests.
