The 1975 Faces Million-Dollar Fine for ‘Man-to-Man’ Kiss At Festival In Malaysia
In addition to the monetary compensation, the band members are also prohibited from returning to the Asian country
There’s been news about what happened with The 1975 at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur recently. The British band was the main act of the event, and during their show, their lead singer Matty Healy decided to talk about the tough situation that queer people face because of the laws against LGBT rights in Malaysia. To make things even more interesting, after he spoke, both he and the bass player, Ross MacDonald, shared a long kiss, which was a challenge to the government.
Not very ‘Good Vibes’ at the Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia
This action caused a big fuss, and as a result, not only did they stop playing their remaining songs, but all the other concerts they were supposed to perform at were also canceled. Additionally, the members of The 1975 are not allowed to come back to the Asian country.
«I made a mistake. We were closing shows and I didn’t pay enough attention. I don’t see the point… of inviting The 1975 to a country and then being told who we can have sex with.» With this, he decided to shorten the duration of their show and omit some of the «feel-good» songs because he was «angry.» He apologized «if it offends anyone and is religious… but your government is a bunch of wankers. I don’t care anymore, if you push me, I’m pushing you back. I’m not in the mood,» he declared between songs on July 21.
The festival organizers and the Ministry of Communications and Digital both announced the immediate stop of the festival altogether. They did this as a way to show that they won’t support anyone who questions, mocks, or goes against Malaysia’s laws.
Now, the organizers from Future Sound Asia (FSA) have sent a letter through their legal team, asking for money from Healy’s band to make up for their losses. They want $2.7 million dollars in losses, which is 12.3 million Malaysian ringgits. They say the band broke their agreement, according to the company’s lawyer David Dinesh Mathew.
In the statement, Mathew wrote that the band had agreed in writing before the show to follow all the local rules. But because Healy used hurtful words, damaged things, and acted inappropriately on stage, FSA lost money.
«Sadly, what they promised wasn’t kept,» Mathew said to The Associated Press on Friday. «What they did affected local artists and small businesses, which relied on the festival for chances to create and make money,» he added.
So, the organizers want The 1975 to admit what they did and pay 12.3 million ringgits to make up for the problems. Also, on their website, FSA says they’re already working on giving money back to those who bought tickets.
If the band doesn’t reply by Monday —a week after getting the letter— to FSA’s request, the company will go to the courts in England.
Besides Kuala Lumpur, The 1975 also canceled their shows in Taiwan, Jakarta, and Indonesia after what happened in Malaysia. Also, it’s important to remember that this isn’t the first time Matty Healy has spoken in support of human rights. In 2019, he kissed a fan on stage to protest laws against the LGBTQ+ community in the United Arab Emirates.