2023-08-08 14:31:48
The Good Vibes festival is seeking damages from The 1975 following Matty Healy’s comments prompted the government to cancel the event.
Organizers of the Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are set to take legal action once morest band The 1975. During the band’s concert last month, frontman Matty Healy spoke out once morest the band’s anti-LGBTQ laws. Malaysia, which led to not only the band cutting their concert short, but also the government canceling the remainder of the three-day event.
In a press release, Future Sound Asia said it had sent a letter of complaint to The 1975. requiring the group to acknowledge its liability and compensate FSA for the damage suffered “. If the group does not respond to these requests, FSA says it is ready to take legal action in England.
David Matthew, lawyer for Future Sound Asia, tells Rolling Stone : « Future Sound Asia’s claim once morest The 1975 is essentially a claim for intentional breach of contract. Mr. Healy’s representative gave a categorical written assurance, prior to the concert, that Mr. Healy and The 1975 would comply with all local guidelines and regulations during their concert in Malaysia. Despite this, the assurance was ignored and the band’s actions clearly contravened the agreement with Future Sound Asia. This led to the cancellation of the festival which in turn caused significant losses to Future Sound Asia. »
A few songs into the concert, Healy addressed the crowd, even apologizing for accepting the concert in Malaysia, which has strict laws once morest same-sex relationships. The singer then challenged the Malaysian government and then kissed Ross McDonald, the bassist of 1975. A little later, the concert was abruptly interrupted.
The next day, organizers said the ” controversial conduct and remarks by Mr. Healy had prompted the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Digital to issue a “ immediate cancellation directive “, forcing the festival to close its doors. The 1975s have announced that they are canceling the remainder of their Asian tour.
In its statement, the FSA reiterated its “ strong disapproval of the band’s behavior during their performance “. The organizers pointed the finger Healy’s use of abusive language, damage to equipment, and indecent behavior on stage (Healy also allegedly drank alcohol on stage and broke an FSA-operated drone). The organizers said that these acts ” not only flagrantly violated local guidelines and Malaysian laws, but also tarnished the reputation of this decade-old festival ».
The threat of legal action from the FSA follows news that a group of Malaysian musicians and salespeople was preparing a class action lawsuit. The aim is to obtain compensation for losses suffered as a result of the cancellation, as local artists received less favorable payment terms than international artists (who were paid before their performance).
Jon Blistein
Translated by the editor
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