The 1975 Sued By Festival After Matty Healy Kiss
British band The 1975 is facing a £1.9 million lawsuit from the organisers of Malaysia's Good Vibes Festival, which was shut down after frontman Matty Healy criticised the country's anti-LGBTQ laws and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald on stage. The organisers, Future Sound Asia, claim the band breached performance rules and are seeking compensation in the UK’s High Court.
Organisers claim breach of rules by the band was intentional
The controversy began during The 1975’s headline performance in Kuala Lumpur last July. Healy delivered a profanity-laden speech and engaged in a "long pretend passionate embrace" with MacDonald, which led to the festival being cancelled the next day. Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia, and are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Future Sound Asia alleges that The 1975 and their management were aware of the festival's strict guidelines, which prohibited discussing politics or religion, swearing, smoking, and drinking alcohol on stage. The band had performed at the festival in 2016 and were reminded of the rules multiple times before their 2023 performance. The lawsuit states the band intentionally planned to breach these guidelines, citing Healy's actions and the smuggling of a wine bottle onto the stage.
The organisers' licence was revoked following the band's performance, leading to the cancellation of the festival's remaining two days, which included performances from artists like The Strokes. The lawsuit also details how Healy acted aggressively towards officials when they ordered the band to stop performing, and the band quickly left Malaysia the following morning.
Healy defends band’s actions
Healy defended his actions, stating that The 1975 were invited to perform by a government aware of their political views. He argued that changing their stage show to appease Malaysian authorities would have been a passive endorsement of bigotry. However, his actions received mixed reactions, with some Malaysian LGBTQ community members stating that the stunt could make their lives more difficult.
This incident is not the first legal challenge faced by The 1975 over the Kuala Lumpur show. Several musicians and vendors also filed a class action lawsuit, claiming losses due to the festival's abrupt cancellation. Following the incident, The 1975 cancelled their shows in Taiwan and Indonesia.
The Malaysian government has a history of strict laws against LGBTQ rights. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has been jailed twice under the country’s anti-sodomy laws, has stated that LGBTQ people should not be harassed but has ruled out enhancing rights protections for the community.
