The Killers Apologize After Bringing Russian Fan Onstage to Boos, Walkouts From Crowd

The Killers have issued a public apology after making an international snafu onstage during a concert in the country of Georgia, the former Soviet state at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia that Russia invaded in 2008.

During the show, the Brandon Flowers-led rock band invited a Russian fan onstage to many boos and walkouts from the Georgian audience.

Although The Killers evidently finished their entire set, the partially angered crowd appeared to get further inflamed when Flowers responded onstage by reportedly urging them to think of each other as "brothers and sisters."

See video down near the bottom of this post.

What Happened at The Killers' Show

It was toward the end of the show Tuesday (Aug. 15) in Batumi, Georgia, that The Killers invited a Russian man in attendance onstage to play drums with them during their Sam's Town cut "For Reasons Unknown," as The Guardian reported.

READ MORE: The Killers Bring Bruce Springsteen Onstage During Concert in New York

"We don't know the etiquette of this land, but this guy's a Russian," Flowers can be heard telling the crowd in a fan-captured footage of the incident, as a mixture of cheers and boos erupts. "You okay with a Russian coming up here?"

According to Rolling Stone, a throng of concertgoers reportedly left the concert in protest. After more booing followed the song's conclusion, Flowers reportedly said, "You can't recognize if someone's your brother? He's not your brother?"

The singer continued, "We all separate on the borders of our countries? … Am I not your brother, being from America? … I don't want it to turn ugly. And I see you as my brothers and my sisters."

The Killers Issue Apology

After the show, The Killers released a statement explaining they had initially perceived the audience reception to the fan's participation as positive. The band also apologized for the "brothers and sisters" remark.

"Good people of Georgia, it was never our intention to offend anyone!" The Killers wrote on Tuesday. "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 coming onstage with us."

They added, "We recognize that a comment, meant to suggest that all of The Killers' audience and fans are 'brothers and sisters,' could be misconstrued. We did not mean to upset anyone and we apologize. We stand with you and hope to return soon."

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The Killers Onstage in the Country of Georgia - Aug. 15, 2023

The Killers' Apology