Franz Ferdinand is the latest band to pull concert dates in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a Twitter thread posted Tuesday morning, the “Take Me Out” rockers write, “We are cancelling our Russian shows that are scheduled for this summer. The only reason for this is the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian state.”
“We love Russia,” the thread reads. “This great country has inspired our band through its art and literature and since we first played there seventeen years ago, we have built a rich and deep relationship with our Russian fans.”
“Since Thursday morning, we have spoken to many of our friends in Russia via social media and have encountered unanimous opposition to this violence and solidarity with our Ukrainian friends,” the band continues. “We know you see the madness of your country’s leadership. We know you do not want war. We do not want war.”
Franz concludes, “Despite the tragedy of this situation, we still burn a flame of optimism in our hearts and look forward to the day when we can return in a time of peace to share the joy of music together again.”
In that spirit of finding that light in the darkness, all of Twitter is making pretty much the same joke about Franz Ferdinand being named after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, whose assassination led to the beginning of World War I.
Other artists who’ve canceled shows in Russia in support of Ukraine include Green Day, Imagine Dragons, AJR and Yungblud.
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