The Killers play an explosive headline set in Hyde Park
The Killers and lead singer Brandon Flowers are under fire after one of their longstanding traditions offends fans.
During their Tuesday night performance in the former Soviet state of Georgia, which Russia has partly occupied since an invasion in 2008, the band was booed while people walked out after Brandon invited a Russian on stage to drum with the band.
During the vocal backlash, Brandon urged the crowd to think of each other as “brothers and sisters.”
Seen and heard in video footage circulating online, Brandon can be heard saying, “We don’t know the etiquette of this land but this guy’s a Russian. You OK with a Russian coming up here?”
“You can’t recognize 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 the fact “we’re here together”, adding: “I don’t want it to turn ugly. And I see you as my brothers and my sisters,” he continued amid boos.
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The whole scene went down while the band was playing For Reasons Unknown with the Russian drummer.
Even though fans walked out after the incident, the band did finish the show.
But they chose not to say goodbye to the audience after it was over.
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Realizing their mistake, The Killers took to social media to apologize following the uproar.
“Good people of Georgia, it was never our intention to offend anyone!” the band began.
“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,” the continued before addressing Flowers’ “brothers and sisters” comment directly.
Flowers’ comments were “meant to suggest that all of The Killers’ audience and fans are ‘brothers and sisters,’” but that they understand that his meaning “could be misconstrued”.
“We stand with you and hope to return soon,” they concluded.
The Killers remain on their overseas tour through September 1, 2023.
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