Apologies for Russian drummer from musicians and organizers - what happened at The Killers concert in Tbilisi
What happened at The Killers concert
The concert of the American rock band The Killers in Batumi was interrupted because some members of the audience disliked the presence of a Russian drummer on stage. The band members and concert organizers had to apologize.
What happened
During the performance at the Black Sea Arena concert hall, the lead vocalist of The Killers, Brandon Flowers, traditionally asked if anyone in the audience could play the drums. A volunteer from the audience, chosen by Flowers, turned out to be of Russian nationality. Despite the negative reaction from a portion of the audience, the band still performed one song with him.
Afterward the frontman of The Killers addressed the audience again, stating that they are all brothers and sisters, and that a person’s nationality doesn’t matter and that there should be no borders between countries.
These words from Flowers were met with even greater dissatisfaction, and a significant portion of the audience left the hall.
The Killers: We didn’t mean to offend anyone and we apologize
The Killers released a statement regarding the incident and apologized:
“Good Georgian people, we did not want to offend anyone! We have a long tradition of inviting people to play drums, and from the audience’s initial reaction, it seemed to us that they did not mind that this time the audience came on stage with us. We understand that the implication that all listeners and fans of The Killers are “brothers and sisters” could be misinterpreted. We didn’t mean to upset anyone and we apologize. We support you and look forward to returning soon,” The Killers wrote.
Black Sea Arena: The artist’s actions on stage have nothing to do with our position, we apologize
In turn, the administration of the Black Sea Arena hall also apologized to the public for this incident and noted that “the actions of the artist on stage are not their position.”
“We understand the emotions of our guests. The performance of an artist on stage is not the position of the Black Sea Arena. We are aware of our share of responsibility, we sincerely apologize and share the artist’s reaction to the incident. Russia is an occupier.”
In August, several well-known bands and performers will hold concerts in Georgia. The organization of these events, commissioned by the Georgian government, involves the “Black Sea Arena,” which was built by the informal ruler of the country, Bidzina Ivanishvili, in the resort town of Kobuleti and later handed over to the state. The concert hall can accommodate 10,000 people.
“The main goal of the campaign is to promote the country, strengthen Georgia’s tourist, economic, and cultural potential,” the government’s press service said in a statement.
In addition to The Killers, concerts in Georgia will feature All Day I Dream on August 18, “The Social Space,” and Imagine Dragons on August 31 at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium.
What happened at The Killers concert
