A festival in Malaysia has been cancelled after British singer Matty Healy attacked the country’s anti-LGBT laws.
During the performance by his band The 1975 at the Good Vibes Festival, Healy addressed the audience in a profanity-laden speech before kissing bass player Ross MacDonald.
The band then ended their set, claiming officials ordered them off stage.
Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia and punishable by 20 years in prison.
The band were headlining the Good Vibes Festival in the capital Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
On Saturday the festival’s organisers said the remaining schedule for the festival had been cancelled following the controversy.
A statement said the decision came after an “immediate cancellation directive” from Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital, as part of its "unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule or contravene Malaysian laws.
In footage shared online, Healy could be seen telling the crowd that the band’s decision to appear in Malaysia had been a “mistake”.
“When we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it,” Healy said. "I don’t see the [expletive] point, right, I do not see the point of inviting the 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with.
“Unfortunately you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m [expletive] furious,” the frontman continued. “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 and MacDonald then kissed as the band played the song I Like America & America Likes Me.
Soon after - just 30 minutes into the set - Healy and the band walked off stage, with the singer telling the audience: “Alright, we just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, see you later.”
A source close to the 1975 confirmed the incident to the BBC.
“Matty has a long-time record of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community and the band wanted to stand up for their LGBTQ+ fans and community,” the source said on Friday night.
In an initial statement to local media on Friday, festival organisers said the band’s set was stopped due to “non-compliance with local performance guidelines”. But at that stage they said the festival would continue as scheduled for the rest of the weekend.
Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil hit out at the band’s performance on Twitter, calling it “very disrespectful”. He added that he had contacted festival organisers and asked them to provide a full report.
Healy has previously used appearances on stage to highlight anti-LGBT laws.
In 2019 he invited a male fan on stage during a gig in Dubai to hug him, before sharing a quick kiss. The incident attracted criticism in the country, where homosexuality is punishable by 10 years imprisonment.
Posting on Twitter after the show, Healy said: “Thank you Dubai you were so amazing. I don’t think we’ll be allowed back due to my ‘behaviour’ but know that I love you and I wouldn’t have done anything differently given the chance again.”
Other performers at the Good Vibes Festival include the Strokes, Dermot Kennedy and Ty Dollar $ign.
I understand his stance, but that’s not the way to protest. His actions were selfish—immediate repercussions include festival cancellation, adversely impacting vendors, attendees, and everyone else that might’ve benefited from having international musical acts in Malaysia.
But in the longer-term, he’s made it that much harder for other international artists to bring their music to a country that sorely needs it and brought more scrutiny upon the LGBTQ+ community (who struggle as it is).
If he wanted to protest the anti-LGBT laws, 1975 should’ve just not come to Malaysia. Poor form on his part.
If you don’t want to inconvenience anyone, then it’s not a protest.
Yea but who is he inconveniencing really? I guess Malaysians who have the means and interest to go to this kind of event must have relatively progressive views already, meanwhile it gives the government an easy opportunity to grandstand and score point with their base…
Like they said: Vendors, organizers, and everyone else that might’ve benefited from having international music acts in Malaysia.
And protests aren’t about scoring points. They are about flexing muscle, about reminding everyone that inaction has consequences.
Blaming him for the authorities cancelling the festival is absurd.
That is like blaming someone who calls the police on the neighbour beating his wive, when he beats her again for that.
Good, that country should suffer at least econmic and entertainment related consequences or promoting hate.
You are absolutely right that this is no way to protest, it was done too hastily and impromptu. I mean that is just unprofessional.
He should have planned it more, maybe have a whole set of songs specifically addressing in the matter, banner drops, audio visuals etc. Hell, he could have gone all in with like a themed concert, with a unifying storyline, to show the tragedy and stupidity and cruelty of the laws.
Also he did not apparently coordinate with the local lgbt+ activists, to speak to specific issues affecting that community. He could have anchored the agitation on the actions of specific officials, named and shamed them for their cruelty. Or he could have brought attention to specific cases, specific people being persecuted, make their case known to a wider audience.
All in all, you are correct, it does come off as a bit selfish and it is not the way to protest. Poor form indeed.
/S
You really had me there.
Nah fuck that backwards ass country and I’m happy he brought international attention to their medieval laws.
How tf is he supposed to protest? Should he ask the state ahead how he is allowed to point out their inhumane, fanatic rulings?
The issue is, social change should be driven by the locals, through civil organizations, grassroots movements, education, etc. If foreigners want to help, they can help local LGBT groups with support, know-how, expertise.
If, instead, you just go to a foreign country, tell people there how backwards and evil their society is, and demand they change it, at best you’ll be wasting your time, and if you’re high-profile enough, boost local reactionary sentiment.
The advance of LGBT rights in the west has been a long process. And other societies aren’t going to just magically internalize the results of it. They still need to walk the path. But, since it’s already been done once, they can hopefully do it faster.
That’s kind of a bad take I think. Protests should have impact. It’s now in the world media and bringing attention to stupid bigoted laws. If they don’t want it to happen again they should stop being bigoted asshats. Easier said than done if course, but change has to start somewhere.