Future Sound Asia (FSA) has filed a lawsuit against The 1975 according to a report by Variety.
All the members of The 1975 have been named in the lawsuit with the organisers seeking USD 2.4 million in damages after their controversial performance resulting in the cancellation of Good Vibes Festival 2023.
The band headlined the first day of the festival's 10th-anniversary edition, and their performance was cut short "due to non-compliance with local performance guidelines." According to the lawsuit filed in the U.K. High Court, the band intended to "not perform at the music festival" the night before their set. However, they pushed through, but in protest, the band performed “a completely different setlist” and intended to “act in ways that were intended to breach the Guidelines”.
In the middle of the band's headlining performance frontman Matty Healy delivered a profanity-laden speech and called out the Malaysian government for its anti-LGBT laws. "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 spoke to the crowd before sharing a kiss with bassist Ross MacDonald. The lawsuit also described the vocalist as "acting in a drunken way" and accuses him of smoking and drinking alcohol, as well as damaging a drone.
The rest of the festival ended up being cancelled entirely, leaving Good Vibes Festival attendees, artists, merchants, and more devastated.
According to FSA, the band and its management were aware of the rules and regulations they had to abide by in order to perform at the festival. The 1975 had also previously performed at the same festival in 2016, and were said to have been constantly reminded of the prohibitions which include smoking and drinking alcohol onstage, using swear words, taking off articles of clothing, and talking about political opinions and religion.
Malaysia's Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL) also states that "kissing, kissing a member of the audience or carrying out such actions among themselves" is prohibited in onstage performances.
In August 2023, FSA issued a Letter of Claim to The 1975 for USD 2 million in damages. The organisers shared in an official statement:
"FSA would like to reiterate their strong disapproval of the Band’s behaviour during their performance at GVF2023. In particular, lead singer Matthew Timothy Healy's use of abusive language, equipment damage, and indecent stage behaviour not only flagrantly breached local guidelines and Malaysian laws but also tarnished the reputation of the 10-year-old festival.
The Band's actions intentionally contravened the agreement they had with FSA for their performance at GVF2023. This breach led to the festival's cancellation, resulting in significant financial losses for FSA and negatively impacting local artists and businesses that depended on the festival's success—affecting the livelihoods of many Malaysians."
Good Vibes Festival was set for a comeback this year, but had to be cancelled to give respect to the king's coronation.
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