The 1975 hit back at Good Vibes Festival lawsuit
The 1975 have responded to a lawsuit filed against the band by the promoter of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival.
The £1.9 million (€2.25m) suit was filed in the UK’s High Court by Future Sound Asia (FSA) over costs relating to the government-ordered cancellation of last year’s event.
Organisers are suing the British band over a violation of performance rules, having pulled the plug on their headline set after The 1975’s frontman Matty Healy criticised the country’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage.
In a court filing, FSA said The 1975 and its management team were aware of its rules for performers, having previously performed at the same festival in 2016, but 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 it alleged had “the intention of causing offence and breaching the regulations”.
The band deny the same-sex kiss was a premeditated act and say they “did not know” it would cause the gig to be cancelled
However, according to Law360, the band deny the same-sex kiss was a premeditated act and say they “did not know” it would cause the gig to be cancelled. In addition, they argue the rules they are accused of breaching were, on the “face of it”, guidelines that “do not impose any obligation” on international acts and were unenforceable.
Moreover, they insist that given Healy’s history of being outspoken on LGBTQ+ matters, promoters should not have booked the band had they known their actions could lead to its licence being revoked. Hence, The 1975 reject the claim that “the revocation of the licence for Good Vibes 2023 was a foreseeable consequence of any conduct of the band members”.
The group’s defence was filed last month but has just been made public.
FSA announced the return of Good Vibes in May. However, the 2024 edition was cancelled two months later out of respect for the coronation of the king.
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Green Day confirm first ever Malaysia show
Green Day have lined up their first ever concert in Malaysia.
The CAA-represented American rock band will bring their Saviors Tour to the National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on 18 February 2025.
It follows the announcement of the group’s first-ever show in the Middle East, which is set to take place in Dubai at the 30,000-cap Expo City Dubai on 27 January.
The group, who are currently in the midst of a North American run, have also announced two concerts in South Africa – at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg (19 January) and DHL Stadium in Cape Town (23 January).
Malaysia also will host the likes of Bruno Mars, Imagine Dragons and Dua Lipa before the end of 2024
They will visit Carnaval Ancol in Jakarta, Indonesia on 15 February, finishing up the tour in Japan with stops at Osaka-Jo Hall (21 February), Port Messe Nagoya (23 February) and K Arena Yokohama (25-26 February).
Malaysia will also host the likes of Bruno Mars (17 September) at Kuala Lumpur National Stadium, Imagine Dragons at the National Hockey Stadium (21 November) and Dua Lipa at Axiata Arena (23-24 November).
Earlier this summer, the country’s Good Vibes Festival was cancelled out of respect for the coronation of the king. The festival has been due to return on 20 and 21 July, despite last year’s edition being cancelled after The 1975’s Matty Healy hit out at the country’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage.
Organiser Future Sound Asia recently filed a lawsuit against the group and all its members individually, seeking £1.9 million ($2.4m) in compensation in the UK’s High Court over a violation of performance rules.
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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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Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival cancelled
Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival 2024 has been cancelled out of respect for the coronation of the king, organisers have announced.
Last year’s edition was also partly cancelled after The 1975’s Matty Healy hit out at the country’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage.
Despite the fallout, the festival was due to return on 20 and 21 July, albeit in a different location than last year and one day shorter.
However, promoter Future Sound Asia today (1 July) announced it received a letter from authorities stating that “large-scale performances involving international artists are not to be held on 20 July and are to be rescheduled to a later date, out of respect for the Coronation Ceremony of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia”.
It continues: “Due to the nature of Good Vibes Festival (GVF) which involves multiple touring acts over multiple days, rescheduling the festival is not possible.”
“Due to the nature of Good Vibes Festival (GVF) which involves multiple touring acts over multiple days, rescheduling the festival is not possible”
As a result, Future Sound Asia has cancelled the festival, originally scheduled for 20 and 21 July at Resorts World Awana in Genting Highlands.
It added that all ticket purchasers for GVF will automatically receive full refunds to the payment method used for their purchase.
The 2024 edition would have featured J Balvin, Peggy Gou, Joji, BIBI and more, as well as returning Malaysian acts who had their performances cancelled from the 2023 event.
Last year’s 10th-anniversary edition was axed after The 1975’s Healy kissed a male bandmate on stage.
The set was cut short, and promoters Future Sound Asia (FSA) were ordered by the government to call off the rest of the three-day festival at Sepang International Circuit.
FSA described Good Vibes Festival’s cancellation as a “catastrophic financial blow” and demanded £2 million in compensation from The 1975. Legal proceedings are ongoing.
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Malaysia’s Good Vibes returns after The 1975 furore
Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival (GVF) is set to return in July after the controversy surrounding The 1975’s set during last year’s edition.
The British band were headlining the first day of the festival’s 10th-anniversary edition when frontman Matty Healy hit out at the country’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage.
The set was cut short, and promoters Future Sound Asia (FSA) were ordered by the government to call off the rest of the three-day festival at Sepang International Circuit.
FSA described Good Vibes Festival’s cancellation as a “catastrophic financial blow” and demanded £2 million in compensation from The 1975. Legal proceedings are ongoing.
Today (8 May), Good Vibes has announced its comeback, albeit in a different location than last year and with one less day.
“Immediately after what happened last year, we thought the world was ending”
Set to take place on 20 and 21 July at the Resorts World Awana in Genting Highlands, the 2024 edition features J Balvin, Peggy Gou, Joji, BIBI and more, as well as returning Malaysian acts who had their performances cut from the 2023 event.
“Immediately after what happened last year, we thought the world was ending,” Future Sound Asia’s Wan Alman told NME in a new interview. “We were left thinking about what was going to happen, were we still going to be working in this industry and things like that. But as time went on and we dealt with the situation, our heads became clearer.
“Towards the end of last year, we realised that the government was not going to ban us and we’ve got a good thing going here – we’ve been doing this for 10 years.”
According to Alman, the government has supported the return of Good Vibes: “They want to work with us hand-in-hand to make sure that that sort of thing doesn’t happen again and that the live music industry and the festival industry isn’t adversely affected by what happened.”
FSA and the government have also been working with PUSPAL (Central Committee for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes) to refine and improve its guidelines and standardise responses to incidents.
“The kill switch is always a nuclear option, it’s the very last resort”
Alman says that the incident has not put booking agents off the festival, but that domestic promoters are “more careful in which acts they want to book and probably more diligent in clearly informing the artists that these are the things you can and cannot do when performing in Malaysia”.
In the months following the controversy, promoters were ordered to install a “kill switch” to end performances by international artists that breach government regulations. Alman says the kill switch has not been standardised and says each promoter and organiser has their own version of it.
“For us, the kill switch is a system where we can immediately cut off audio, video and lights on the stage,” says Alman. “Of course, this is always a nuclear option, it’s the very last resort. We have other protocols in place about who can call for stage closure and when we can call for it.
“We’re not going to call for it if an artist starts smoking a cigarette onstage; we’re just going to stop them and tell them they can’t do that. There will be various scenarios and degrees of severity, and what happened last year would be the most severe, where we cut everything off.”
Ticketholders for last year’s event could either defer their tickets or donate the money to the festival. As the festival is shorter this year, those who opted to defer 2023 tickets will be entitled to two full festival passes for 2024 plus a RM100 F&B voucher. See the full lineup here.
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Malaysian org threatens legal action over protests
Malaysia’s live music trade body ALIFE (Arts, Live Festival and Events Association) has threatened to take legal action against those who call for the cancellation of concerts in the country.
The government strengthened guidelines but rejected a blanket ban on gigs following The 1975’s infamous headline set at Sepang’s Good Vibes Festival last July, which led to the cancellation of the event.
However, ALIFE’s president Rizal Kamal says there remains opposition regarding performances by certain international acts.
“With recent successes like Taylor Swift’s groundbreaking tour in neighbouring Singapore showcasing the economic potential of live events, ALIFE is committed to overcoming barriers hindering Malaysia’s global entertainment competitiveness,” he says.
“Despite recent triumphs, ALIFE faces opposition from political and religious groups calling for the cancellation of concerts”
“Despite recent triumphs, ALIFE faces opposition from political and religious groups calling for the cancellation of concerts featuring artists associated with ‘sinful’ activities or supporting certain communities. Calls for such cancellation of acclaimed acts like BlackPink, Billie Eilish, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran highlight this issue.”
Moreover, Kamal says that ALIFE is prepared to pursue legal action to protect the business against “baseless claims and discriminatory acts”.
“This stance champions cultural diversity and individuals’ right to access entertainment freely in Malaysia’s dynamic live performance landscape, plus the right to protect Malaysia’s reputation in the international landscape,” he says.
“As Malaysia aspires to become a global live events hub, ALIFE’s unwavering resolve against external pressures underscores the significance of this issue both domestically and internationally.”
“We have the opportunity to bring much needed external income into the country through music tourism”
Promoters in Malaysia were ordered to install a “kill switch” to end performances by international artists that breach government regulations to avoid a repeat of the Good Vibes fiasco, which saw The 1975 singer Matty Healy criticise Malaysia’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kiss a male bandmate on stage – leading to the cancellation of the festival’s remaining two days.
However, that was the only incident reported out of 296 acts granted a permit by the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) in 2023. And Kamal points out the economic benefits of bringing global stars to the region.
“Live events are pivotal in boosting Malaysia’s international reputation and driving economic growth. However, bureaucratic inefficiencies and political pressures threaten to hinder our industry’s potential,” he says.
“We have the opportunity to bring much needed external income into the country through music tourism. Our infrastructure, cost structure and value of ringgit makes Malaysia an attractive destination for concerts and shows. We cannot allow certain groups to derail Malaysia’s effort to be more competitive in the region, especially if it’s just to boost their own individual or political standing.”
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Malaysia decides against blanket ban on concerts
The Malaysian government is strengthening guidelines for promoters but has decided against issuing a blanket ban on concerts following The 1975 controversy earlier this year.
Overseas acts must apply for a permit through the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) before they are granted permission to perform in the Southeast Asian country.
The New Straits Times reports that Puspal approved 296 international acts this year with just one incident reported – July’s Good Vibes Festival fiasco in Sepang.
The 1975’s headline set was infamously cut short at the event after singer Matty Healy criticised Malaysia’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage, leading to the cancellation of the festival’s remaining two days. Promoters in Malaysia were subsequently ordered to install a “kill switch” to end performances by international artists that breach government regulations.
“The 1975 flouted several guidelines and we are in the midst of strengthening the guidelines to avoid reoccurrence”
“The 1975 flouted several guidelines and we are in the midst of strengthening the guidelines to avoid reoccurrence,” said deputy communications and digital minister Teo Nie Ching. “Just because of one incident, how can we cancel the others? Out of 296 artists only one happened. How is this fair?”
However, speaking at the debate, opposition leader Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man called on the government to take preemptive measures by blocking artists who uphold values against the country’s policies.
“The government must make sure [concerts] have high moral values,” he added. “Do not simply leave it to the people to make choices, the government must have policies and regulations.”
Coldplay performed their first ever concert in Malaysia last month, attracting more than 75,000 fans to the National Stadium Bukit Jalil.
“It is disheartening to witness concerts being politicised… concerts have the power to unite diverse communities”
Meanwhile, Malaysian live music trade body ALIFE has urged MPs to stop “politicising” concerts.
“I would like to stress the transformative impact of live music events on our society,” says the organisation’s president Rizal Kamal. “However, it is equally crucial that organisers ensure proper permits.
“Beyond this, it is disheartening to witness concerts being politicised. The government and opposition must refrain from using these events as political tactics and redirect focus to pressing national issues.
“Concerts have the power to unite diverse communities, let us prioritise issues that enhance the well-being of all Malaysians, fostering a harmonious and prosperous nation.”
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‘Kill switch’ order for promoters after 1975 row
Promoters in Malaysia are being ordered to install a “kill switch” to end performances by international artists that breach government regulations.
The move comes the wake of July’s Good Vibes Festival fiasco in Sepang, where The 1975’s opening night headline set was infamously cut short by officials after singer Matty Healy criticised Malaysia’s strict anti-LGBT laws in a “profanity laden speech” and kissed a male bandmate on stage.
The remaining two days of the Future Sound Asia (FSA)-promoted event were subsequently cancelled and the band banned from performing in Malaysia, with The Star now reporting the furore has prompted the authorities to issue a new directive.
“The government has requested that concert organisers introduce a kill switch that will cut off electricity during any performance if there is any unwanted incident,” says deputy communications and digital Minister Teo Nie Ching. “This is a new guideline after the [1975] incident. We hope that with stricter guidelines, foreign artists can adhere to the local culture.”
Overseas acts must apply for a permit through the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) before they are granted permission to perform, while the police are also involved. Teo adds that representatives from the authorities would attend music events to monitor them.
“During a performance, we ensure that the [relevant parties] such as the immigration department, Puspal, police and local authorities are at the venue,” she says.
The decision on whether to blacklist any artist falls under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry and Immigration Department
However, Teo stresses the decision on whether to blacklist any artist ultimately falls under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry and Immigration Department.
FSA described Good Vibes Festival’s cancellation as a “catastrophic financial blow” and demanded £2 million in compensation from The 1975 – a settlement which IQ understands is still in progress. The promoter claims it was reassured by The 1975’s management team that Healy and the band “would adhere to local performance guidelines” prior to the group’s set.
“Regrettably, Healy did not honour these assurances, despite our trust in their commitment,” aid Law. “His actions took us by surprise, and we halted the show as promptly as feasible following the incident.”
Healy addressed the controversy in a 10-minute, pre-written speech at the band’s concert in Dallas, Texas last month, alleging that “the Malaysian authorities… briefly imprisoned us” and criticised the backlash against the group.
“It was the liberal outrage against our band for remaining consistent with our pro-LGBTQ stage show which was the most puzzling thing,” said the 34-year-old, who previously defied Dubai’s anti-LGBTQ rules by kissing a male audience member during a concert in 2019.
Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post reports that Korean-American singer Eric Nam has cancelled his coming concert in Malaysia after receiving “threats” for liking a social media post linked to the Israel-Gaza war. Nam had been scheduled to perform in Kuala Lumpur in February 24.
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Matty Healy defends Malaysia kiss in speech
The 1975’s Matty Healy has defended kissing his bandmate onstage in Malaysia during a 10-minute speech delivered at their concert in Dallas, Texas.
The British band’s opening night headline set at Good Vibes Festival was cut short by officials on 21 July after Healy criticised Malaysia’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage.
The Malaysian government subsequently cancelled the rest of the event and the organisers of Good Vibes Festival demanded £2 million in compensation from The 1975, a settlement which IQ understands is still in progress.
During The 1975’s performance in Dallas on Monday (9 October), Healy delivered a 10-minute pre-written speech about the incident, alleging that “the Malaysian authorities… briefly imprisoned us” and criticised the backlash against the band.
“It was the liberal outrage against our band for remaining consistent with our pro-LGBTQ stage show which was the most puzzling thing,” Healy said, according to Pitchfork. “Lots of people, who appear to be liberal people, contended that the performance was an insensitive display of hostility against the cultural customs of the Malaysian government and that the kiss was a performative gesture of allyship.”
“In fact, it was the Malaysian authorities who briefly imprisoned us”
In response to those calling the kiss “performative,” Healy said, “The idea of calling out a performer for being performative is mind-numbingly redundant as an exercise. Performing is a performer’s job.”
Healy also addressed criticism from Julian Casablancas, who was scheduled to perform at the Good Vibes Festival with The Strokes and said the frontman did not respect the country’s customs.
“For performers like Julian Casablancas, who took to Twitter to criticize us, this bizarre mangling of colonial identity politics merely served as an expedient way to express their own disappointment with the festival’s cancellation,” Healy said.
He also clarified that the kiss was “not a stunt simply meant to provoke the government.” The frontman had kissed the same bandmate, bassist Ross MacDonald, 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.”
“As liberals are so fond of saying, ‘Silence equals violence. Use your platform.’ So we did that”
Healy continued: “Naturally, the Malaysian authorities were irate because homosexuality is criminalized and punishable by death in their authoritarian theocracy. That is the violent reality obscured by the more friendly term of ‘cultural customs’.”
Healy previously defied Dubai’s anti-LGBTQ rules by kissing a male audience member during a concert in 2019. He wrote on Twitter at the time: “I don’t think we’ll be allowed back [in the UAE] due to my ‘behaviour’ but know that I love you and I wouldn’t have done anything differently given the chance again.”
Healy said on Monday: “If you truly believe that artists have a responsibility to uphold their liberal virtues by using their massive platforms, then those artists should be judged by the danger and inconvenience that they face for doing so, not by the rewards they receive for parroting consensus. There’s nothing particularly stunning or brave about changing your fucking profile picture whilst your sat in your house in Los Angeles.”
Toward the end of his speech, Healy compared “Malaysia’s militarised enforcement of laws” to other politicised issues in the US. “Even here in America, there are loads of states which uphold illiberal laws that restrict people’s bodily autonomy and gender expression,” Healy said. “But I suspect, I’ve got an inkling, that those who took to Twitter to voice their outrage over the 1975’s unwillingness to cater to Malaysian customs would find it abhorrent if the 1975 were to acquiesce to, let’s say, Mississippi’s perspective on abortion or trans rights.”
He concluded: “It should be expected that if you invite dozens of Western performers into your country, they’ll bring their Western values with them. If the very same things which made you aware of them could land them in jail in your country, you’re not actually inviting them to perform. You’re indirectly commanding them to reflect your country’s policies by omission.”
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Malaysian trade body hits out over 25% tax rate
The coalition representing Malaysia’s live industry is calling for an urgent review of a 25% entertainment tax, which it claims could have “catastrophic economic consequences” for the business.
The Kuala Lumpur City Hall recently imposed the rate on all live events held in the city centre, causing “significant disruptions to both ongoing and forthcoming events” throughout the country.
Rizal Kamal, president of the Arts, Live Festival and Events Association (ALIFE), warns the move would lead to an escalation in ticket prices and place Malaysia at a disadvantage against its peers.
“A modern and consistent approach to taxation is essential to enable the industry to compete with its regional counterparts,” says Kamal, as per the New Straits Times.
“Singapore and Thailand impose zero entertainment tax but collect Goods and Services Tax and Value-Added Tax on tickets. Any rate higher than these countries’ tax structures would diminish KL’s competitiveness, resulting in the loss of international concerts.”
“We urge the government to conduct a comprehensive reassessment of the entertainment tax structure in KL”
Live events were previously exempt from the entertainment tax, which was introduced in 2001 and updated five years later. Kamal says the rate is “no longer aligned with the current socio-economic landscape” and represents an additional burden for promoters still recovering from the pandemic.
“We urge the government to conduct a comprehensive reassessment of the entertainment tax structure in KL,” he says. “Failure to do so could lead to event cancellations, substantial income loss for artistes, producers, venues, and workers, and damage our reputation as a business-friendly country.”
Kamal, who says ALIFE has been engaging with the authorities in a bid to address the issue, previously noted that the 25% tax ranks among the highest in the region.
“When combined with additional financial obligations such as a 15% withholding tax, a RM500 [€101] levy, and an additional bond mandated by the immigration department on artists, crew members and musicians, the cumulative fiscal burden becomes exceptionally demanding,” he said. “This is further exacerbated by elevated rental expenses for prominent venues.”
Earlier this year, ALIFE spoke out in support of Good Vibes Festival promoter Future Sound Asia amid the global outcry over The 1975’s aborted headline set.
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