The 1975 set fell through when Matty Healy flouted Malaysia’s LGBTQ+ laws
Don’t expect the 1975 to stop in Malaysia anytime soon.
The band’s recent performance at a Malaysian music festival was cut short after singer Matty Healy denounced the Malaysian government’s LGBTQ+ policies.
“I made a mistake. “When we booked shows, I didn’t pay attention to that,” says Healy told the crowd Friday at the Good Vibes Festival in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. “I see no point in inviting the 1975s into a country and then telling us who we can have sex with.
“I’m sorry if that offends you, and you’re religious.” he said, adding that he believes the Malaysian government is wrong. “I do not care. If you push, I’ll push back. I am not in the mood.”
According to Malaysia, there is a “federal law criminalizing same-sex relationships.” Human Rights Watch. The country’s state laws often use religion as a basis for targeting LGBTQ+ people.
The “She’s American” singer went on to tell the audience that the group wouldn’t perform “uplifting” songs due to his frustration.
Healy added that the England band had decided it didn’t seem “fair” to penalize the visitors as they were not representative of their government’s agenda.
“You are young people and I’m sure many of you are gay and progressive,” he proclaimed. “I filmed this show yesterday and [the band] had a conversation. We said, “You know what? We cannot abandon the children because they are not the government.’ … If you want to invite me over here to do a show, you can slack off. I’ll take your money, you can stop me, but I’ve done this before and it doesn’t feel good.”
Immediately after the singer finished his address to the audience, bassist Ross MacDonald approached Healy and kissed him on the lips as the audience cheered.
After playing just seven songs in their headlining set, the “Somebody Else” musicians left the stage, claiming their show had been called off early.
“Okay, we have to go,” Healy said. “We have just been banned from Kuala Lumpur. See you later.”
The Good Vibes Festival later released a opinion The performance had to be abandoned “due to non-compliance with local performance guidelines.”
“The Good Vibes Festival has always aimed to provide enjoyable musical experiences and we sincerely thank you for your continued support,” the statement continued.
The organizers clarified that those who bought day tickets for the festival on Friday can redeem their tickets for one of the two remaining days of the event.
This isn’t the first time Healy has been vocal on stage about a country’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights. In 2019 he has kissed a male fan during a performance in Dubai, the criminalized same-sex couples and sexual acts.
“Thanks Dubai you were so amazing,” Healy tweeted in 2019 after the incident. “I don’t think I’m allowed to come back because of my ‘behaviour’, but I know I love you and I wouldn’t have done anything differently if I had the chance again.”
