PETALING JAYA: The organiser of the Good Vibes Festival has filed a lawsuit against British band The 1975 and all of its members individually in a UK court following a controversial on-stage incident involving lead vocalist Matty Healy last year.
According to the court documents sighted by American entertainment magazine Variety, Future Sounds Asia (FSA) is seeking RM11.25 million after the festival was shut down due to Healy’s actions.
The organiser claimed that The 1975 and its management were aware of the numerous restrictions imposed on their performance in Malaysia, including prohibitions on swearing, smoking, drinking, and political or religious commentary.
The filing likewise noted that the band had performed at the festival in 2016 and was informed of these restrictions at that time.
The July 21-23 festival was cut short after Healy criticised Malaysia’s position on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community before kissing his male bandmate on the first day of the event.
Last year, the band was served a seven-day notice for over RM12.2 million in damages for allegedly breaching its contract after the government cancelled the event.
The filing said the band allegedly violated guidelines set by the central agency for applications for filming and performances by foreign artistes (Puspal), including bans on "kissing, kissing a member of the audience or carrying out such actions among themselves".
It said Puspal initially rejected the band’s performance application due to a past article about Healy’s drug addiction but approved it after the band promised to adhere to "all local guidelines and regulations"..
The lawsuit also claimed that the band played "a completely different setlist" and acted in ways intended to breach the guidelines, including by smuggling alcohol on-stage.
It said Healy allegedly behaved aggressively towards Puspal officers when they ordered the band to stop its performance.
The filing added that the band and its management quickly left Malaysia after the incident, aware that they had breached local laws.
The festival’s licence was revoked, leading to the cancellation of the remaining two days, which were set to feature other acts like The Strokes.
Variety also reported that the band had yet to file a defence, while a representative for The 1975 declined to comment.
