Franz Ferdinand have cancelled their Russian shows and apologised to residents who they know 'see the madness' of their country's leadership.
Twitter followers had to look twice after the term Franz Ferdinand began trending whilst Russia goes to war in Ukraine.
Scots band Franz Ferdinand called themselves after the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria whose assassination in Sarajevo is considered the most immediate cause of World War I.
The reason they were trending was because they decided to release a statement telling people they were cancelling their shows.
They wrote: "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.
They added: "We love Russia. 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.
"We know you see the madness of your country’s leadership. We know you do not want war. We do not want war."
The band remain hopeful they will be able to play Russia again: "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."
