The 1975 Sued After Matty Healy’s Kiss Shuts Down Malaysian Music Festival

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The 1975 is facing a lawsuit after frontman Matty Healy kissed a bandmate on stage during a protest, which led to the shutdown of a music festival in Malaysia last year.

During their headline performance at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Healy used profane language to criticize Malaysia’s strict anti-homosexuality laws before kissing bassist Ross MacDonald. In Malaysia, homosexuality is considered a criminal offense and can result in penalties of up to 20 years in prison along with caning.

The festival organizer, Future Sound Asia (FSA), is seeking 1.9 million pounds ($2.5 million) in damages for breach of contract and associated losses. The lawsuit was filed in the High Court in London on July 23 against The 1975 Productions LLP and all four band members, as confirmed by lawyer David Dinesh Mathew on Thursday.

Following the incident, the Malaysian government condemned Healy’s actions, banned the band from returning to the country, and canceled the remaining days of the three-day festival. The incident also drew criticism from some members of the LGBTQ+ community, who argued that Healy’s actions had undermined ongoing activist efforts and put the community at greater risk.

According to FSA, the band had previously performed at the festival in 2016 and were clearly informed of the performance guidelines, which included no swearing, smoking, drinking alcohol, discussing politics or religion, or engaging in indecent behavior such as kissing.

Initially, Malaysian authorities were hesitant to allow the band to perform due to concerns about Healy’s past struggles with drug addiction and his subsequent recovery. However, they permitted the performance after the band assured that Healy would comply with all rules and regulations.

The 1975 was paid $350,000 for their one-hour performance, most of which had already been disbursed, but FSA claims their antics constituted a “clear and deliberate breach” of their contract.

Representatives for The 1975 have yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.

The lawsuit comes after previous attempts to secure compensation from the band last year proved unsuccessful. Mathew noted that the band is expected to file their defense in September.

Following the controversy in Kuala Lumpur, the band also canceled shows in Taiwan and Indonesia.