The Killers booed in former Soviet republic of Georgia after bringing Russian fan onstage

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04:30

The rock band The Killers publicly apologized to the folks of Georgia on Tuesday after lead singer Brandon Flowers was heckled for bringing a Russian fan onstage throughout a live performance within the former Soviet republic.

Social media footage circulating of the live performance exhibits Flowers addressing the group after bringing a fan onstage and saying, “We do not know the etiquette of this land, however this man is a Russian, are you OK with a Russian? I am all proper with it,” with the group responding with loud boos.

Brandon Flowers performs on the Pyramid stage during the Glastonbury Festival on June 25, 2023, in Glastonbury, England. — Brandon Flowers performs on the Pyramid stage throughout the Glastonbury Pageant on June 25, 2023, in Glastonbury, England.

Samir Hussein/WireImage

“One of many issues now we have come to understand about being on this band is it brings folks collectively … I see you as my brother and my sisters,” Flowers stated over a jeering crowd with one viewers member heard angrily shouting, “That is Georgia,” in response to the Killers frontman.

The band was acting on Tuesday within the Black Sea resort of Batumi as a part of its European tour.

People in the audience are seen on a large screen as they boo during a concert by American alternative-rock band The Killers after lead singer Brandon Flowers invited a Russian drummer to the stage, in Batumi, Georgia, August 15, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media video. — Individuals within the viewers are seen on a big display as they boo throughout a live performance by American alternative-rock band The Killers after lead singer Brandon Flowers invited a Russian drummer to the stage, in Batumi, Georgia, August 15, 2023, on this image obtained from social media video.

Ekaterina Pirogova through Reuters

“Good folks of Georgia, it was by no means our intention to offend anybody!” a statement on the band’s Fb web page stated after the live performance. “We’ve got a longstanding custom of inviting folks to play drums and it appeared from the stage that the preliminary response from the group indicated that they had been okay with tonight’s viewers participation member coming onstage with us.”

“We acknowledge {that a} remark, meant to counsel that every one of The Killers’ viewers and followers are ‘brothers and sisters,’ could possibly be misconstrued,” the submit learn.

Georgia is overwhelmingly pro-Ukrainian, and anti-Russian graffiti might be seen frequently on the streets of Tbilisi, the nation’s capital.

Final week marked the fifteenth anniversary of Russia’s takeover of round one-fifth of Georgia’s territory. After a quick warfare in 2008, Moscow invaded after which acknowledged the independence of South Ossetia and one other breakaway Georgian province, Abkhazia, and arrange navy bases there.

As CBS News reported in October, tensions between the 2 nations have been additional exacerbated by the truth that 1000’s of Russians have fled to Georgia in an effort to keep away from the warfare following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.