The organizer of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival is suing the 1975 over Matty Healy’s on-stage kiss last summer in protest of the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws.
Last July, The 1975 vocalist Matty Healy got into trouble with the Malaysian government after kissing bassist Ross MacDonald on stage during their act at Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival in protest of the country’s anti-LGBTQ policies. The festival’s organizers have launched a lawsuit against the band and all of its members after the band’s behavior forced the festival to close.
In legal documents obtained by Variety and filed by festival organizers Future Sound Asia in the UK High legal, the 1975 and their management team are accused of being aware of the “numerous prohibitions” that they were obliged to follow in order to perform at the event. These limitations included swearing, smoking and drinking on stage, removing their clothes, and discussing politics or religion.
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The band had previously performed at the festival in 2016 and had been informed of the prohibitions, which had been reiterated “multiple times” prior to their performance last summer. The group received $350,000 to perform at the festival and promised to follow the regulations in order to participate.
The Malaysian Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists (PUSPAL) has published additional criteria, including a ban on “kissing, kissing a member of the audience, or carrying out such actions among themselves.” According to the lawsuit, PUSPAL first rejected the 1975’s application to perform last summer due to an article published in 2018 regarding Matty Healy’s drug use and recovery. The band appealed, and the application was eventually accepted, with Healy vowing to “adhere to all local guidelines and regulations.”
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However, the lawsuit says that the band determined the night before the event that they “should not perform at the music festival,” and pondered pulling out before opting to go with the performance. In protest, they decided to play “a completely different setlist” and act in a manner that was “intended to breach the guidelines.” This allegedly includes Healy giving a “provocative speech” and embracing bassist Ross MacDonald, “with the intention of causing offense and breaching the regulations and terms of the agreement.”
Furthermore, the lawsuit claims the band intended to slip a bottle of wine onstage near the drum kit so Healy “could have easy access.” He is accused of drinking, acting “in a drunken way,” smoking cigarettes, and appearing to “vomit on stage and/or grunt and spit excessively” at the audience. Healy is also accused of delivering a “profanity-laden speech” and intentionally damaging a video drone hired by event organizers.
“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,” Healy stated during the set, which was cut short. “I apologize if this offends you because you are religious, but your government is a bunch of f—ing r——s.” I don’t care any more. If you push, I will push back. “I’m not in the f—ing mood,” he confessed before kissing his bandmate, MacDonald.
The kiss between the two guys caused PUSPAL officers to force the band to cease performing. Healy was alleged to have been “very aggressive” toward officers, “swearing at them and others,” and had to be restrained by his managers. The next day, the organizers’ license was revoked, and the remaining two days of the festival were canceled.
According to the filing, shortly after leaving the festival, the band and their management went to their hotels to collect their luggage so they could leave the country early the next morning, despite knowing their performance had broken Malaysian law. Healy also claims he was “briefly imprisoned” by Malaysian officials.
Last August, Future Sound Asia sent the band a letter alleging breach of contract and demanding $2 million in damages.
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