Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival is suing The 1975 for $2.4 million. The lawsuit comes a year after lead singer Matt Healy kissed bassist Ross MacDonald onstage to protest the country’s gay rights laws. As a result, the Malaysian government cut the festival short and then canceled it altogether, leading to “repercussions on local Malaysian artists and small businesses.”
Festival Organizers Future Sound Asia filed the lawsuit last year in the UK’s High Court, claiming that the band publicly breached the country’s laws. Future Sound Asia stated that despite constant reminders, the band deliberately went against guidelines and their written agreement with the festival. The guidelines prohibited smoking or drinking, swearing, and discussing politics or religion while on stage; kissing was explicitly banned.
During the set, Healy insulted the government’s policy that homosexuality is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. After a long pretend passionate encounter with MacDonald, Healy yelled profanity toward the festival to the crowd. Last October, Healy responded to the incident at a show, alluding to being briefly imprisoned in Malaysia. Healy and the band are known to be politically proactive, so more updates and statements on this case are to follow.
