The Killers apologize for bringing a Russian fan on stage in Georgia

The Killers aren’t known for courting controversy, but they inadvertently stepped into a geopolitical mess at a concert in Georgia on Tuesday night. Following their “longstanding tradition” of inviting audience members on stage to play drums on a song, the band brought a Russian fan up for a reaction that one could generously describe as mixed. A former Soviet state invaded by the Russian army in 2008, Georgia has a longstanding tradition of disliking Russia, and they let the band hear it.

“We don’t know the etiquette of this land, but this guy’s a Russian,” singer Brandon Flowers told the crowd. “You okay with a Russian coming up here?”

As expected, the longer the group flounders over the reaction, the more the smattering of cheers turns to boos. Likely not grasping the gravity of the situation, Flowers asks if the crowd “can’t recognize if someone’s your brother?” Using himself as an example, he wondered if he’s not the crowd’s “brother” because he’s from America, which, as he’s learning, are two very different things.

The Killers aren’t out here trying to offend—they’re not Matt Healy—and swiftly posted a Notes app apology for the gaffe:

Good people of Georgia, it was never our intention to offend anyone! 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 on stage with us. 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.”

These blunders aren’t uncommon as American celebrities attempt to wade through geopolitical disputes they have no business in. For example, John Cena found himself in trouble two years ago while trying to show off his Mandarin in a promo video for F9: The Fast Saga. Cena referred to Taiwan as a country, then backtracked and said it wasn’t to appease the Chinese government for fear of hurting the film’s release.

American artists should be more careful about presenting themselves to international audiences. For instance, why the hell did Flowers begin their “longstanding tradition” by asking if the crowd was “okay” with a Russian on stage? Does he ask a New York City crowd if they’re cool with someone from New Jersey coming up? (The response would be the same but for totally different reasons.) If he didn’t know the situation, he shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place. Ironically, Flowers appears to be swimming through lullabies and choking on alibies. Open your eager eyes, Brandon Flowers! You’re Mr. Brightside!