A High Court in Malaysia was urged not to hold The 1975 members personally liable for an onstage kiss that led to the sudden cancellation of the 2023 Good Vibes Festival.
During its Kuala Lumpur leg, the four-piece was forced to stop halfway through their set when frontman Matty Healy and bassist Ross MacDonald kissed on stage, which many interpreted as a protest against the country's strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
The Southeast Asian nation outlaws homosexuality, with up to 20 years in prison as a penalty.
The outspoken Healy also used the stage to take a swipe at the Malaysian government's position on LGBTQ+ issues.
On stage, Healy declared, "I don't see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with."
The "Chocolate" singer added, "I apologize if this offends you and you're religious and it's part of your damn government, but your government is a bunch of idiots, and I don't care anymore. If you push, I will push back."
Right after that controversial moment, the festival was immediately canceled for the rest of the festival, and The 1975 ended up receiving a formal ban from performing in Malaysia.
The band was named in a class action lawsuit filed by local artists and merchants over lost income after the festival was abruptly canceled.
The incident also provoked relatively polarized responses from fans, though contributors to various discussions noted that Healy's actions could make life harder for those in Malaysia's LGBTQ+ community.
The 1975 has been banned from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after Matty Healy gave a speech calling out the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald onstage:
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 21, 2023
“Alright we just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, see you later” pic.twitter.com/szflAj2iFT
Lawyers Clash Over Band's Intentions
Per NME, the festival's organizers Future Sound Asia (FSA) has reportedly sued The 1975 Productions LLP for $2.4 million, claiming they breached their contract. The suit also claimed that each member of the band owed a "duty of care," charging that they "deliberately provoked" authorities in Malaysia.
At a recent High Court hearing, the band's lawyer, Edmund Cullen, labeled the action an "illegitimate, artificial and incoherent" effort to pin the blame on the British rockstars.
On the other hand, the UK Independent reported that the FSA's lawyer, Andrew Burns, argued that the group had performed intentionally provocatively. He noted that The 1975, which performed in Malaysia in 2016, had made a deal not to swear, drink, smoke, strip naked, or discuss religion and politics.
According to Burns, the band even brought a bottle of wine onto the stage and played a "second-rate set of songs" to "punish and upset the Malaysian audience and authorities."
Burns said those actions breached explicit contractual guarantees, and therefore, the band, and thus the festival's cancellation, would be liable for the money lost.
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