The 1975 Facing Lawsuits After Not Taking Malaysia Ban Seriously

The 1975 have received a legal action threat due to the postponement of a festival in Malaysia.

After frontman Matty Healy took a contentious stance against the nation's anti-LGBTQ+ policies, the festival's organizers decided to cancel the band's appearance last month. The British band has received a warning letter from Good Vibes Festival, the organization that organizes the yearly event, requesting compensation as a result of the cancellation. Matty, 34, addressed the audience at the band's headlining performance in July and even kissed bassist Ross MacDonald while ranting about the nation's laws in front of the crowd.

The following day, the event in Kuala Lumpur, the nation's capital, was canceled as a result of an order from the communications ministry of Malaysia, which declared its "unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, mock, or violate Malaysian laws." In Malaysia, homosexuality is against the law and is subject to a 20-year prison sentence.

In a statement, the event's organizers, Future Sound Asia (FSA), said that they had sent The 1975 a Letter of Claim, requesting that they admit their duty and make good on any losses. The business said that if the band didn't comply with the request, legal action would be taken in English courts.

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The pop band's behavior, particularly the frontman's "use of abusive language, equipment damage, and indecent stage behavior," was strongly condemned by FSA. Since then, the band has canceled concerts in Taiwan and Indonesia.

Future Sound Asia and Good Vibes Festival issued a statement today (August 7), stating that they "would like to underline their extreme condemnation of the Band's behavior during their performance at GVF2023. Particularly, the lead vocalist Matthew Timothy Healy's indecent stage behavior, equipment destruction, and aggressive language not only flagrantly violated local regulations and Malaysian laws, but also damaged the 10-year-old festival's reputation.

The postponement of the three-day Good Vibe Festival has left the event in financial ruin, according to organizers, who recently spoke with Billboard. This could prevent concerts from taking place in the nation for years to come. According to Billboard, the organization likely already paid artist deposits for the entire event and may soon be compelled to give refunds to fans, depending on the outcome of a Malaysian government inquiry.

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