The organizers behind Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival have filed a lawsuit against The 1975 and all its members for breach of contract after frontman Matty Healy attempted to criticize the country’s severe anti-LGBTQ laws on stage at last year’s event. The festival was shut down after Healy kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald during their set, prompting the organizers to seek the equivalent of $2.4 million in damages.
Many members of Malaysia’s queer community immediately pushed back at Healy’s attempt at solidarity, citing concerns that the incident would do more harm than good. Homosexuality is outlawed in the Southeast Asian country and carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Following Healy and MacDonald’s onstage display, the festival’s license was revoked and the remaining two days of music were unable to take place. Shortly after that, Future Sound Asia (FSA), the organizers of Good Vibes, issued a Letter of Claim demanding financial compensation for the cancellation.
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Per Variety, the lawsuit claims The 1975 and their team were well aware of the restrictions involved with taking the stage. This included a general ban on “kissing, kissing a member of the audience, or carrying out such actions among themselves” issued by the Malaysia Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL).
Other guidelines from the festival expanded far beyond awareness of the nation’s attitude toward the LGBTQ community, including restrictions on touching, swearing, removing clothing, smoking or drinking onstage, and discussing politics. Muse, for example, removed a song from their setlist to comply.
It’s worth noting that Good Vibes apparently denied The 1975’s slot on the lineup due to Healy’s documented history with drug addiction. However, the band’s team appealed, and their appearance at the event was communicated to be contingent upon adherence to “all local guidelines and regulations.”
According to the lawsuit, the band members apparently began to have a change of heart the night before their set was scheduled to take place. The documents describe Healy’s onstage speech and kiss with MacDonald as planned protests, alongside further breach of contract complaints connected to the bottle of wine he snuck onstage.
Following the incident, Healy claimed that he was “briefly imprisoned” by Malaysian authorities, and the band left the country first thing in the morning. The band members have not yet filed a defense or issued a statement addressing the lawsuit.
