The 1975 has been sued for almost £2 million by a Malaysian music festival after frontman Matty Heal protested against the country’s LGBTQ+ law by kissing a male bandmate onstage.
Healy, 35, made a speech about homosexuality, which is illegal in Malaysia, and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald during the band’s set at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur last July.
In High Court documents seen by Variety magazine, the organiser of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival filed a lawsuit against the band as well as all its individual members, over the performance, which is said to have resulted in the festival being shut down.
Organisers Future Sound Asia (FSA) are said to be seeking £1.9 million ($2.4 million), over the band’s actions.
The band had allegedly agreed to adhere to local guidelines and regulations prior to the show.
But according to documents seen by Variety, Healy made a “provocative speech” during the performance.
He also reportedly acted out a “long pretend passionate embrace” with 1975 bassist Ross MacDonald which the organisers say was done “with the intention of causing offence and breaching the regulations and the terms of the agreement”.
He is also accused of drinking alcohol, smoking onstage, behaving “in a drunken way”, and “appear[ing] to vomit on the stage and/or grunt and spit excessively”. He is also said to have made a “profanity-laden” speech.
The band’s performance was cut short and the organisers’ license was revoked the following day, with the next two days of the three-day music festival axed.
Headliners Australian singer-songwriter The Kid Laroi and American rock band The Strokes did not play.
Following the incident the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Digital 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 1975’s representation has been approached by the Standard.
