The Killers pissed off fans by calling Russian drummer on stage in Georgia

Fans booed loudly and left the concert in the Black Sea resort of Batumi.

American alternative rock band The Killers has apologized for having a Russian drummer on stage during a show in Georgia and for calling fans «brothers and sisters» which caused the audience to boo.

Georgia has a long history of tension with its northern neighbor, exacerbated by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the ensuing large influx of Russian émigrés fleeing their country.

The seven-time Grammy-nominated band is performed on Tuesday in the Black Sea resort of Batumi during the European tour.

“Kind residents of Georgia, we never had the goal of offending anyone!” the band stated on their Facebook page, adding that they have a long tradition of inviting people to play drums.

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«We understand that the comment was intended to suggest that all viewers and fans The Killers are 'brothers and sisters', which can be misinterpreted,» he added.

Referring to bandleader Brandon Flowers' remark to the crowd in which he said he didn't want to «piss off» the situation .

«I see you as my brothers and sisters,» Flowers added to the sounds of hooting and whistling in a video released by the Russian state news agency RIA.< /p>

Video posted on social media shows how people leave the concert and boo loudly.

Georgian public opinion is staunchly pro-Ukrainian.

The band has sold millions of albums, many songs have topped the charts since it formed in Las- Vegas in the early 2000s.