Matty Healy has admitted he feared being sent to prison after he kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage in Malaysia and criticised the nation’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Healy’s band The 1975 were banned from the Southeast Asian country, where homosexuality is illegal, after the 34-year-old protested the laws at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur on July 21.
In light of the controversy, the British singer has revealed he and his bandmate were convinced they were going to have to “shave” their heads in preparation for a stint in prison.
Speaking during the band’s show in Hawaii on Sunday, Healy said how “doing the right thing often requires quite a lot of sacrifice” before referencing the incident.
He shared: “All I’ll say is that I don’t give a f**k about any white saviour complex b******s. What I’ll say is that doing the right thing often requires quite a lot of sacrifice and very little reward.
“And being seen to do the right thing requires very little sacrifice, and that’s when you get all the rewards.
“And me and Ross [MacDonald] nearly shaved our heads because we thought we were going to prison for being f**s.”
His comments come as the Malaysian festival has demanded damages from The 1975 over allegations that Healy’s “abusive language, equipment damage and indecent stage behaviour” caused the event to be cancelled.
At the festival, Healy made a speech about homosexuality, and kissed the band’s bassist on stage.
The three-day event was subsequently axed and headliners Australian singer-songwriter The Kid Laroi and American rock band The Strokes did not play.
Future Sound Asia (FSA) issued a statement on Monday saying that it has issued the band with a letter of claim calling for The 1975 to “acknowledge their liability and compensate FSA for damages incurred”.
The organisers of the Good Vibes Festival said if the final warning is not addressed than legal proceedings in English courts will begin.
It adds: “FSA would like to reiterate their strong disapproval of the band’s behaviour during their performance at GVF2023.
“In particular, lead singer Matthew Timothy Healy’s use of abusive language, equipment damage, and indecent stage behaviour not only flagrantly breached local guidelines and Malaysian laws but also tarnished the reputation of the 10-year-old festival.”
It also claimed the cancellation meant “significant financial losses for FSA and negatively (impacted) local artists and businesses that depended on the festival’s success – affecting the livelihoods of many Malaysians”.
The band also contravened the agreement with FSA, the organisers claim.
“FSA deeply values the trust that fans and regulatory authorities have placed in them over the years,” organisers added.
“The organisation remains unwavering in its commitment to fostering vibrant live music experiences in Malaysia, ensuring full compliance with local laws and regulations.”
Last month, The Good Vibes Festival said the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Digital gave them an “immediate cancellation directive” following “controversial conduct and remarks” made by Healy.
The Ministry said The 1975 had been blacklisted under a body that oversees foreign artists playing in Malaysia.
The 1975 then cancelled two tour dates, at the We The Fest in Jakarta, Indonesia, and at the Taipei Music Centre in Taiwan, in Asia following the event.
The Standard contacted The 1975’s reps for comment at the time.
