The organisers behind Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival are threatening to pursue legal action against The 1975 after the event was cancelled following frontman Matty Healy’s onstage rant against the country’s anti-LGBT+ laws.
The British rock band headlined the festival’s opening night on 22 July in Kuala Lumpur.
“I don’t see the f***ing point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with. Unfortunately, you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m f***ing furious,” Healy, 34, told the crowd.
“And that’s not fair on you, because you’re not representative of your government. Because you’re young people, and I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool.”
Their performance was cut short when Healy kissed bassist Ross MacDonald – an act which is banned in Malaysia.
After disappearing off-stage briefly, Healy returned to tell the audience: “We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, goodbye.”
The festival was then called off entirely by Malaysia’s government due to its “unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule or contravene Malaysian laws”.
Matty Healy— (Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images)
In a statement seen by BBC News, organisers Future Sound Asia (FSA) said it had issued the band with a Letter of Claim demanding they acknowledge liability and compensate them for damages incurred.
FSA said that if The 1975 fail to do so, then they will pursue legal action in UK courts.
According to The Guardian, FSA claim that Healy’s actions “tarnished” the festival’s reputation and that they “intentionally contravened the agreement [the band] had with FSA”, causing “significant financial losses” for the company and local artists and businesses.
Representatives for The 1975 declined to comment on the FSA’s statement.
The band is also facing a class action lawsuit from a group of Malaysian musicians and festival vendors who lost out on income after the festival was cancelled.
Mathew Thomas Philip of Malaysian law firm Thomas Philip, which is preparing the class action lawsuit, told The Guardian: “My view is that The 1975 must be held responsible and accountable for the losses suffered by the artists and vendors.”
Healy’s actions prompted concern from some members of Malaysia’s LGBT+ community and allies over fears they would generate a backlash.
Matty Healy— (PA)
Thilaga Sulathireh, a founder of the LGBT+ group Justice for Sisters, warned of the timing of Healy’s actions ahead of the highly contested state elections next month.
They told The Washington Post: “One can appreciate the meaning of Healy’s protest, but I think the timing of it may not necessarily benefit folks.
“Political parties are currently campaigning, and we know LGBT issues are often scapegoated.”
An expert on Malaysia at the University of Tasmania, James Chin, added: “Among the Muslim communities of Southeast Asia, they see LGBT rights as part of this Western agenda to impose cultural values on other countries, especially Muslim countries.
“One of the problems with trying to promote these sorts of things around the world is that without the local context, you tend to get it wrong.”
LGBT+ people face severe discrimination in Malaysia, where homosexuality is forbidden, and sodomy can be punished with imprisonment and corporal punishment.
Responding to news that the music festival had been cancelled in response to the kiss, Healy poked fun at the controversy on Instagram.
He shared the cancellation statement, accompanied by the words: “Ok well why don’t you try and not make out with Ross for 20 years. Not as easy as it looks.”
On 23 July, The 1975 announced they had now withdrawn from playing scheduled shows in Taiwan and Indonesia, stating that it would be “impossible to proceed” with the tour dates.
