Malaysia’s Good Vibes files lawsuit against The 1975

The organiser of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival has filed a lawsuit against The 1975 and all its members individually.

It comes after the band’s frontman Matty Healy hit out at the country’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage during their headline set at Good Vibes 2023.

Subsequently, their set was cut short and promoter Future Sound Asia (FSA) was ordered by the government to call off the rest of the three-day festival at Sepang International Circuit.

FSA is now seeking £1.9 million ($2.4m) in compensation in the UK’s High Court over a violation of performance rules.

Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia and punishable by 20 years in prison, while the festival does not allow talking about politics and religion, swearing, smoking or drinking on stage.

In a court filing, FSA said The 1975 and its management team were aware of its rules for performers, adding that the band had performed at the same festival in 2016.

The lawsuit alleges that the band decided to “act in a way that was intended to breach guidelines”

The lawsuit alleges that the band decided to “act in a way that was intended to breach guidelines”. It cited Healy’s “provocative speech” and “long pretend passionate embrace” with bassist Ross MacDonald, which organisers said had “the intention of causing offence and breaching the regulations”.

It also alleged that the band smuggled a bottle of wine on stage to give Healy “easy access” to it.

FSA also cited guidelines by the Malaysia Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes, which ban “kissing, kissing a member of the audience or carrying out such actions among themselves”.

During The 1975’s performance in Dallas on 9 October, Healy said the kiss was “not a stunt simply meant to provoke the government.” The frontman had kissed the same bandmate during many of the 1975’s American concerts.

“We chose to not change our set that night to play pro-freedom of speech, pro-gay songs,” Healy said. “To eliminate any routine part of the show in an effort to appease the Malaysian authorities’ bigoted views of LGBTQ people would be a passive endorsement of those politics. As liberals are so fond of saying, ‘Silence equals violence. Use your platform.’ So we did that. And that’s where things got complicated.”

Last August, the promoter threatened the band with legal action and demanded they acknowledge their liability and compensate the organisers for damages incurred.

In May, FSA announced the return of Good Vibes albeit in a different location than last year and with one less day.

Two months later, the 2024 edition was cancelled out of respect for the coronation of the king.

IQ has reached out to The 1975’s representatives for comment.

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