Matty Healy of The 1975 performs during Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 04, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
Barry Brecheisen/WireImage
When The 1975 take the stage at Outside Lands on Sunday night, they’ll be just hours away from a deadline to pay $2.6 million to Future Sound of Asia, the promoters of the Good Vibes festival in Malaysia.
Rolling Stone reported that the legal threat issued by FSA comes after the band’s July performance at the festival, in which lead singer Matty Healy spoke out regarding the country’s laws against homosexuality, which can be enforced with a 20-year prison sentence. Healy said to the crowd that he was unaware of the country’s laws when the show was booked, called the appearance a mistake and said he was furious and delivered curse words towards the Malaysian government.
“Unfortunately you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m f—king furious,” Healy said. “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.”
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After a long speech onstage, he then kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald on the mouth. Shortly after, he announced that the band’s set was being cut short by the organizers. The two remaining days of the festival were then canceled as a result of the controversy.
The demands for the hefty payment result from what FSA is claiming as a breach of contract since The 1975 agreed to “adhere to all local guidelines and regulations during their set in Malaysia.” The band was given seven days to comply, with a deadline of August 14 (they perform in San Francisco on Aug. 13).
The band has not yet issued a statement on the fine, but one can expect that given Healy’s outspoken stage presence, he might have a few choice words about the fine during his Sunday night Outside Lands set.