The 1975 is being sued for $2.4 million (£1.9 million) by the organizers of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival over a controversial moment during their performance in July 2023. It began when their lead singer, Matty Healy, slammed the LGBTQ+ laws of Malaysia and later started kissing his bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage.
The act was provocative for the Islamic country, and it cut short the set of the band. Matty Healy would later say that he and the band were detained for a bit after the incident.
The 1975 is sued for $2.4 million
The organizers of the festival, Future Sound Asia, are now seeking compensation, alleging the band and management were well aware of the restrictions on performance. According to Variety, these were all rules that the band had been made aware of before playing. The rules included an oath against swearing, smoking, drinking on stage, and politics or religion. Kissing on stage was forbidden by Malaysia’s Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes, or PUSPAL.
It claims that the $350,000 (£272,000) fee paid for them to perform was against the understanding that they would adhere to these stipulations. In Malaysia, no protective laws are in place for the LGBTQ+ community, meaning that anyone engaging in same-sex acts could face severe legal penalties, which include imprisonment and corporal punishment.
This is the latest in a series of legal troubles for the 1975 over balancing artistic expression with strict cultural norms.
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