The 1975 have been served with a seven-day notice by promoter Future Sound Asia (FSA) to pay more than 12.3 million Malaysian ringgit (€2.4m) in damages over the recent Good Vibes Festival furore.
According to the Malay Mail, the UK band are accused of “intentional breach of contract” over their controversial appearance at last month’s festival, which was cut short after singer Matty Healy launched into a tirade against Malaysia’s anti-LGBT laws before kissing a male bandmate on stage.
The remaining two days of the 10th anniversary event were then cancelled following a directive from the ministry of communications and digital.
The festival’s lawyer, David Mathew of Steven Thiru & Sudhar Partnership, confirms the firm served The 1975 with a letter of claim on 7 August.
FSA is demand the group “admit their liability and also pay the sum of £2,099,154.54 (RM12,347,967.91) within seven days”.
“Healy’s representative categorically provided a pre-show written assurance that he and The 1975’s live performance ‘shall adhere to all local guidelines and regulations’ during their set in Malaysia,” reads the claim. “Despite this, the assurance was ignored, and The Band’s actions also clearly contravened the contract with FSA, which led to the cancellation of the festival and caused significant losses to FSA.”
FSA says it plans to pursue the matter in the English courts if it is not compensated by the band
FSA says it plans to pursue the matter in the English courts if it is not compensated by the band.
Held at Sepang International Circuit, near Kuala Lumpur, GVF 2023 was scheduled to run from 21-23 July and feature performances by acts including The Strokes, The Kid Laroi and Dermot Kennedy.
The Arts, Live Festival and Events Association (ALIFE), the coalition representing the Malaysian live performance industry, came out in support of FSA following the cancellation.
“Over the past decade, the Good Vibes Festival has maintained an exemplary track record of organising exceptional contemporary festivals in Malaysia,” said ALIFE president Rizal Kamal. “The festival has consistently featured a diverse selection of artists, attracting both local and international attendees, all while ensuring excellent organisation and safety standards.
“We are confident that the Malaysian live events industry will recover from this incident and continue to thrive. Our determination lies in building a stronger, more sustainable live music scene in Malaysia.”
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