Matty Healy: Malaysia festival cancelled after The 1975 singer attacks anti-LGBT law
Matty Healy: Malaysia festival cancelled after The 1975 singer attacks anti-LGBT law
Matty Healy launched a lengthy attack on Malaysia's laws, before kissing his band's bass player.
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.
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ITT: a bunch of westoids thinking they know it all
they really think the whole world revolves around their values, don't they
What values? That LGBT+ people should be able to live their lives loving whoever they want without fear of repurcussions? How fucking ground breaking. They're people same as us.
Absloute fuckwit
Would you look at that, children of the colonialists telling us about human equality, how rich.
"Westoids" didn't invent homosexuality. Nor did colonialists. Plenty of societies had no problems with it, long before current religions condemned it. Plenty of cruel leaders have tried to exterminate gays from their populations but you can't breed it out or kill it out, only oppress it temporarily. It is a fundamental part of being human and always has been.
"Westoids" did invented "going around the world and forcing their values on foreign nations" tho
Youâre the dumb kind of anti-imperialist that thinks itâs a binary system of good guys v. bad guys and also doesnât believe in nuance.
Get educated. Stand up for human rights
Speaking about nuance, you think you can just go around pushing your belief disregarding the local culture?
Typical westoid..
Edit:
Don't get me wrong, I believe human right should be a thing, but breaking rule as a visitor is not the way, no matter how stupid the rule is.
In fact, Healy's action may have jeopardized the local LGBTQ community by possibly triggering crackdown.
Wow absolutely crazy, I can't control who I'm descended from, I can just hope to be better that them and stand up for the rights of those who are persecuted.
Get fucked scum, if you can't see people as individuals with the right to live their lives how they see fit without interference or harassment from others you deserve to be put down like the sickly fucking animal you are
Also in this thread, a bunch of regressives that don't have any regard for human rights.
it's not a western value by any means. look at oceania countries, historically things were far more fluid, it was the westerners who went over and installed Catholic god squad values which forced everyone into little binary boxes. Boxes which are now being broken down as the west understand more about themselves.
Do a learn.