The lead singer of the rock band formed in Las Vegas caused a stir with his comments at the Black Sea Arena in Batumi during their Imploding the Mirage tour.
Following their tradition, the band invited a fan to play the drums on their song “For Reasons Unknown” when Flowers, at 42 years old, addressed the crowd.
Flowers asked, “We don’t know the etiquette of this land, but this guy is Russian. Are you okay with a Russian coming up here?”
While there were cheers from some members of the crowd, many booed and shouted “No.”
The strained relations between Russia and Georgia escalated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, causing an influx of Russian citizens into Georgia. Unfortunately, The Killers were performing shortly after the 25th anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Georgia in 2008, further complicating the situation.
In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Flowers stated, “I had to diffuse an impossible situation. It saddens us that words we were taught to represent unity could be misinterpreted as pro-Russian occupation. We regret how this unfolded.”
After their performance of “For Reasons Unknown,” Flowers addressed the crowd again, questioning, “Can’t you recognize someone as your brother? Are they not your brother? Do we really divide ourselves based on national borders? Am I not your brother, being from America?”
Reiterating their ability to bring people together, Flowers emphasized, “Tonight, let’s celebrate the fact that we are all here together, and let’s avoid any ugliness.
He continued, “I see you as my brothers and sisters,” before introducing the next song.
Flowers’ comments and The Killers’ subsequent apology triggered a wave of criticism from Georgian fans on social media.
In a statement, the band addressed their fans in Georgia, saying, “It was never our intention to offend anyone! We have a long-standing tradition of inviting people to play the drums, and based on the initial response from the crowd, we thought they were okay with the audience participation member tonight.”
They acknowledged that their comment about the audience being “brothers and sisters” could be misinterpreted and expressed regret, stating, “We did not mean to upset anyone. We stand with you and hope to return soon.”
The Killers headlined the Reading Festival in the UK, where they continued their tradition of inviting a fan to play drums on “For Reasons Unknown.”
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
