The organizer of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival has filed a lawsuit against the band The 1975 and its members individually, following frontman Matty Healy’s protest against the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws during the event in July.
The festival is seeking £1.9 million ($2.4 million) in damages after the band’s actions led to the festival’s shutdown.
What Does The Lawsuit Say?
According to court documents filed by festival organizers Future Sound Asia in the U.K. High Court, The 1975 and their management were aware of the numerous restrictions they needed to follow to perform, as they had been reminded multiple times and had previously performed at the festival in 2016.
The rules included prohibitions on swearing, smoking, drinking on stage, removing clothing, and discussing politics or religion. Additional guidelines from the Malaysia Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL) prohibited actions like kissing or other intimate displays.
The band, who were paid $350,000 to perform, had agreed to adhere to these rules. The lawsuit reveals that PUSPAL initially denied the band’s application to perform due to a 2018 article about Healy’s drug addiction and recovery, but the decision was reversed after the band assured compliance with local guidelines and regulations.
Matty Healy’s Long Pretend Passionate Embrace
However, the lawsuit states that the night before their scheduled performance, The 1975 debated not performing at all and ultimately decided to perform a different setlist and deliberately breach the guidelines.
This included Healy making a “provocative speech” and engaging in a “long pretend passionate embrace” with bassist Ross MacDonald, intending to offend and violate the terms of their agreement. The band also planned to bring a bottle of wine on stage for Healy’s use.
The lawsuit accuses Healy of drinking alcohol, behaving in a drunken manner, smoking, appearing to vomit on stage, grunting and spitting towards the audience, delivering a profanity-laden speech, and damaging a video drone hired by the festival organizers.
After a kiss between Healy and MacDonald, PUSPAL officers halted the band’s performance. The lawsuit alleges Healy became aggressive, swearing at officials and others, and had to be restrained by his managers.
The following day, the festival’s license was revoked, leading to the cancellation of the remaining two days, which were to feature performances by local and international artists, including The Strokes.
The lawsuit claims the band and their management rushed to their hotels to collect their belongings and leave the country as quickly as possible, aware that their actions had breached Malaysian law.
Healy later claimed he was “briefly imprisoned” by Malaysian authorities following his protest. Future Sound Asia had previously issued a letter to The 1975 claiming breach of contract and demanding $2 million. The band has not yet responded to the lawsuit, and a representative declined to comment.
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