The 1975 face demand to pay £2 million after same-sex kiss at Malaysia festival
British rock band The 1975 are facing a legal demand to pay £2 million for breach of contract after a kiss between two male bandmates on stage at a festival in Malaysia last month.
Homosexuality is illegal in the country, with gay sex carrying prison sentences of up to 20 years and LGBTQ+ people frequently facing violence and discrimination.
The 1975 frontman Matt Healy kissed bassist Ross McDonald during a set for The Good Vibes festival in Kua Lumpur on 21 July, before railing against Malaysia’s country’s discriminatory laws. The resulting backlash saw the entire festival shut down.
The band has been banned from performing in Malaysia, with Future Sound Asia (FSA) demanding £2 million in damages over a “breach of contract.”
A lawyer for FSA, David Dinesh Matthew, confirmed a claim was filed against The 1975, adding that the festival’s cancellation would damage local businesses and artists.
“I can confirm that my firm issued a seven-day letter of claim to the UK band The 1975 demanding for RM12.3 million [£2.1 million] in damages on behalf of Future Sound Asia (FSA),” Mathew said in a statement on Friday.
Representatives of the organisers say that Healy, 34, had signed an agreement that he would “adhere to local guidelines” in the performance. But on stage, the singer expressed his anger at the country’s conservative government’s treatment of LGBTQ+ people.
“Unfortunately you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m f**king furious. And that’s not fair on you, because you’re not representative of your government. Because you’re young people, and I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool,” Healy told the audience, before kissing his bandmate and walking off stage after 30 minutes.
The band has until 14 August to respond to the allegations.
Healy’s criticism of the country’s laws has drawn a mixed reaction. While some LGBTQ+ people commended the singer for drawing attention to the persecution they faced, others said they feared it could exacerbate prejudice against the community and fire up fresh tensions.
Recently, the government warned that owners of rainbow-coloured Swatch watches could face three years in jail for showing their support of LGBTQ+ rights.
The band cancelled further shows in Indonesia and Taiwan after the incident. The 1975 were due to play at We The Fest in Jakarta and Live Nation Taiwan. Indonesia also has a record of human rights abuses towards its LGBTQ+ citizens, but Taiwan is regarded as one of the most socially progressive countries in Asia, legalising gay marriage in 2018.
Healy, who is straight, previously protested an anti-gay law in the United Arab Emirates in 2019 by kissing a male fan.
