The 1975’s Lawyer Says They’re Not Responsible for Festival Cancellation Over Same-Sex Kiss

The 1975 have been dealing with the fallout over a same-sex kiss between two of the members at a festival concert in Malaysia in 2023, and now the case has gone to the country’s High Court.

NME reports that the band’s representative Edmund Cullen went before the court and called the case an “illegitimate, artificial and incoherent” attempt to “pin liability on individuals.” Cullen also asked for the claims against individual band members be struck down saying that it was “quite bizarre” to hold them liable over the organizers who had a contract with the band’s company.

The kissing incident took place at the 2023 edition of the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when The 1975 frontman Matty Healy and bassist Ross MacDonald locked lips while on stage. Notably, Homosexuality is a crime in Malaysia and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, something Heealy took aim at in a speech during the set.

“I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with,” he said. “I am sorry if that offends you and you’re religious and it’s part of your fucking government, but your government are a bunch of fucking r*s and I don’t care anymore. If you push, I am going to push back.”

The 1975 On-Stage Same-Sex Kiss Controversy Case Goes to the High Court in Malaysia

Following the government’s outrage over the kiss, the rest of the Good Vibes Festival was canceled and The 1975 was banned from performing in the country.

In response to Cullen’s requests that the case against The 1975 be tossed out, Andrew Burns – who is representing the festival organizers, Future Sound Asia (FSA) – claimed that the members “deliberately behaved in a way to challenge and provoke the Malaysian authorities,” which resulted in “substantial losses” for the festival.

Burns also stated that back in 2016, when they first played in Malaysia, The 1975 agreed not to swear, smoke, drink, take off their clothes, or discuss religion and politics on stage, but broke these rules when they played in 2023.

Additionally, Burns alleged that Te 1975 “smuggled” a bottle of wine on stage and delivered a “second-rate set of songs” in an attempt to “punish and upset the Malaysian audience and authorities.”

“The band should be held liable,” he added in a written submission, “as the loss was caused by their intentional misbehaviour breaching the express assurances that were given which gave rise to their personal duties of care and their responsibility for their own personal behaviour.”

The 1975 members have previously apologized for causing trouble with their set and Good Vibes, which is returning this year after being canceled in 2023 and skipping 2024.