A music festival in Malaysia has been canceled after lead singer Matty Healy of British band The 1975 criticized the country’s anti-LGBTQIA+ laws and kissed the group’s bassist onstage.
The case took place at the Good Vibes Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, on Friday night (21), and the local Ministry of Communications canceled the remainder of the event – which was scheduled to last for three days.
Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia and punishable by fines and up to 20 years in prison.
In a profanity-filled rant during the band’s set on Friday, which went viral in a video on social media, Healy said: “I don’t see the point in inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with.”
“Unfortunately, you don’t get a set of uplifting songs because I’m pissed off. And that’s not fair to you, because you don’t represent your government. You are young and I am sure that many of you are gay and progressive”, said the artist addressing the audience.
Healy added that the band considered canceling the show, but decided to do so in order not to disappoint fans.
“If you want to ask me to do a show here, you can f*** off. I’ll take your money, you can ban me, but I’ve done this before and it doesn’t feel right”, punctuated the vocalist before bassist Ross MacDonald approached him and kissed him on stage.
Attitude sparked controversy
Good Vibes Festival issued a statement following the incident: “We are deeply sorry to announce that the remaining Good Vibes Festival 2023 programming planned for today and tomorrow has been canceled following the controversial conduct and comments made by British recording artist Matty Healy of The 1975.”
“This decision adheres to the immediate cancellation directive issued at 1:20 p.m. [horário local], July 22, 2023, by the Ministry of Communications and Digital. The Ministry has underlined its unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule or violate Malaysian laws,” the statement added.
“We sincerely apologize to all ticket holders, vendors, sponsors and partners,” he concluded.
Communications Minister Fahmi said Malaysia is committed to supporting the development of creative industries and freedom of expression, Reuters reported.
“However, never touch the sensibilities of the community, especially those that are against the traditions and values of the local culture,” he warned, according to the agency.
A CNN reached out to the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office, but did not hear back as of this story’s last update.
Healy’s actions sparked controversy on social media, with some fans complaining that it could result in further crackdowns on artistic expression, making it harder for artists to perform in Malaysia in the future.
Members of the country’s LGBTQIA+ community were also critical, with some calling the Briton’s actions “performative” and warning it could lead to further discrimination.
It is not the first time that The 1975 frontman has caused controversy. Healy was criticized earlier this year for appearing to give a Nazi salute onstage during a song called “Love it If We Made It” while singing lyrics that were critical of Kanye West.
In 2019, he kissed a fan during a concert in Dubai, in defiance of the region’s anti-LGBTQIA+ laws. At the time, he posted on Twitter: “Thank you Dubai, you were so amazing. I don’t think we’ll be able to get back together due to my ‘behavior’ but know that I love you and wouldn’t have done anything differently if given the chance again.
Cancellation of concerts in Taiwan and Indonesia
This Sunday (23), The 1975 reported that it canceled shows in Indonesia – which has a Muslim majority – and Taiwan.
“Unfortunately, due to the current circumstances, it is impossible to proceed with the scheduled shows,” the group said in a statement, without elaborating.
The 1975 would play in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, this Sunday. In the country, homosexuality is a taboo subject, although it is not illegal, except in the sharia-controlled province of Aceh, as reported by Reuters.
Still according to the Reuters news agency, Taiwan guarantees LGBTQIA+ rights to its citizens, including the permission of same-sex marriage, in 2019. It was not clear why the cancellation on the Asian island.
*with information from Reuters and Heather Chen, Teele Rebane and Lauren Kent of CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
