Malaysia bans The 1975 and calls Matt Healy ‘extremely rude’ after shutting down gig over same-sex kiss

Healy ‘has a long-time record of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community’, says source close to band

The Malaysian government has banned The 1975 from ever performing in the country again after frontman Matt Healy kissed a male bandmate onstage and called out the country’s anti-LGBT+ laws.

The 1975 were among the international headline acts at a three-day music festival in the capital Kuala Lumpur but saw their performance cut short after only around 30 minutes on Friday, and the festival was later suspended.

“I have called the organisers of Good Vibes Festival 2023, which is Future Sound Asia, following the very rude actions and statements displayed by UK artist ‘The 1975’ in Sepang last night,” communications minister Fahmi Fadzil tweeted.

“There will be no compromise against any party that challenges, disparages and violates Malaysian laws,” Mr Fadzil added.

A Malaysian government committee that oversees performances by foreigners said that The 1975 would never again be permitted to perform in the Muslim-majority country, where homosexuality is a crime.

LGBT+ people face severe discrimination in the South East Asian country, with those arrested on the basis of their sexuality facing potential imprisonment and corporal punishment.

“Never touch on the sensitivities of the community, especially those that are against the traditions and values ​​of the local culture,” Mr Fadzil said.

In videos circulating on social media from Friday night, Healy was seen kissing bassist Ross MacDonald and criticising the Malaysian government’s stance against homosexuality to the festival audience.

“I don’t see the f****** point... of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with,” the band’s frontman said.

“I am sorry if that offends you and you’re religious and it’s part of your f***ing government, but your government are a bunch of f***ing r*****s and I don’t care anymore. If you push, I am going to push back. I am not in the f***ing mood, I’m not in the f***ing mood,” he added.

Healy’s mother, the actress Denise Welch, appeared to praise the singer’s stance in a tweet that read: “He’s my son,” followed by a rainbow flag emoji.

Good Vibes, the organisers of the festival, said in a statement that the band’s set was stopped due to “non-compliance with local performance guidelines”.

A source close to the band told The Independent: “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 incident comes at an important political juncture for Malaysia, with crucial regional elections pitting prime minister Anwar Ibrahim’s progressive coalition against the mostly conservative ethnic-Malay Muslim alliance.