The organizer of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival has filed a lawsuit against the 1975 and each individual member of the British pop-rock band, following an on-stage protest by lead singer Matty Healy against the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Future Sound Asia, the company behind the music festival, is demanding $2.4 million for the band’s breach of the festival’s code of conduct, which led to the event’s abrupt cancellation last July.
Legal filings in the UK High Court reveal that Future Sound Asia claims the 1975 and their management team were fully informed of the strict performance rules, which included prohibitions on smoking, swearing, drinking, undressing, or discussing politics or religion on stage.
Additionally, the Malaysia Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists (Puspal) prohibits actions such as “kissing, kissing a member of the audience, or carrying out such actions among themselves” on stage.
The complaint highlights that the band had previously complied with these same restrictions at the 2016 festival and had been reminded several times before their latest performance.
According to the lawsuit, Puspal initially denied the band’s application to perform last summer, referencing a 2018 article about Healy’s battle with drug addiction and his recovery.
The band successfully appealed this decision by assuring adherence to “all local guidelines and regulations,” after which Puspal approved their application.
However, on the night before their scheduled performance, the Manchester-based band allegedly chose to protest the restrictions instead of complying.
The lawsuit asserts that the band intended to violate the guidelines by playing an altered setlist and engaging in provocative actions, including Healy delivering a contentious speech and simulating a passionate embrace with bassist Ross MacDonald.
Additionally, it is claimed that Healy had a bottle of wine on stage to ensure it was within reach.
The suit claims that the band decided to play “a completely different setlist” and “act in ways that were intended to breach the guidelines,” including Healy making a “provocative speech” and taking part in a “long, pretend passionate embrace” with bassist Ross MacDonald “with the intention of causing offense and breaching the regulations and the terms of the agreement.”
The lawsuit claims the band strategically placed a bottle of wine on stage, ensuring Matty Healy could easily access it.
It accuses the 35-year-old musician of consuming alcohol during the performance, behaving in a drunken manner, smoking cigarettes, appearing to vomit on stage, and/or grunting and spitting excessively, including toward the audience, and using profanity-laden speech.
Additionally, he is alleged to have deliberately damaged a drone camera owned by the event organizers.
After an onstage kiss, Puspal officials instructed the band to halt their performance. Healy allegedly became highly confrontational, cursing at the officials and others, and needed to be restrained by his managers.
The day following the concert, the government withdrew the festival’s license, leading to the cancellation of the last two days, which were intended to showcase both local and international artists like the Strokes.
According to the suit, the 1975 quickly retreated to their hotel, gathered their belongings, and left Malaysia, aware that their actions had violated local laws. Healy later stated that he was “briefly imprisoned” following the incident.
“Me kissing Ross was not a stunt simply meant to provoke the government,” Healy later said.
“It was an ongoing part of the 1975 stage show, which had been performed many times before.” He also added: “The idea that it’s incumbent upon artists to cater to the local cultural sensitivities of wherever they’ve been invited to perform sets a very dangerous precedent.”
Future Sound Asia later sent a letter to the band alleging contract violation and demanded $2 million. The band had received $350,000 for their performance.
