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American alternative-rock band, the Killers, has apologised for bringing a Russian drummer on stage during a show in Georgia and for describing fans as \u201cbrothers and sisters,\u201d which prompted boos from the audience.<\/p>\n
Georgia has a long history of tension with its northern neighbour, exacerbated by Moscow\u2019s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and a subsequent big influx of Russian emigrants escaping their country.<\/p>\n
The band, seven times nominated for the music industry\u2019s Grammy Awards, performed on Tuesday in the Black Sea resort of Batumi during a European tour.<\/p>\n
In videos of the concert, frontman Brandon Flowers is seen inviting a fan from the crowd to perform. He initially asks: \u201cThis guy\u2019s a Russian, are you ok with a Russian coming out here?\u201d before welcoming the man to the stage and playing a song with him. Later, in response to boos from the crowd, Flowers asks \u201cyou can\u2019t recognise if someone\u2019s your brother … am I not your brother?\u201d<\/p>\n
In a social media post the next day, the Killers apologised.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood people of Georgia, it was never our intention to offend anyone!\u201d the band said in a statement on its Facebook page, adding that it had a longstanding tradition of inviting people to play the drums.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognise that a comment, meant to suggest that all of the Killers\u2019 audience and fans are \u2018brothers and sisters,\u2019 could be misconstrued,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n
The reference was to a remark band leader Brandon Flowers made to the crowd, saying he did not want the situation to turn \u201cangry\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see you as my brothers and my sisters,\u201d Flowers added to the sound of boos and whistles in a video published by the Russian state RIA news agency.<\/p>\n
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