The Band Banned from Malaysia Because of a Kiss
Juliette D. (30.01.24)
On July 21st 2023, the band The 1975 was ordered to leave the stage halfway through their set of the ‘Good Vibes’ music festival in Malaysia.
During the song I Like America & America Likes Me, 6 songs into the setlist, the lead singer Matthew Healy kissed the bassist Ross MacDonald, ostensibly in protest of the country’s anti-LGBTQIA+ laws. This is a common occurrence in their shows, however, it was especially significant this time due to the country’s stance on queer rights. Following this song, they started I Couldn’t Be More In Love, which they never had the opportunity to finish because the band walked off stage. They had been kicked out of Kuala Lumpur. Referring to his fans, Healy says, “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.” (Kreps, Rolling Stone).
(CNN)
Following this incident, the band cancelled their shows in Taiwan and Indonesia, both countries with similar views. The 1975 is known for rarely cancelling shows, so this came as quite a shock to many fans. Healy later questioned why the government asked for them to play there knowing they have heavy queer influences and they often kiss male band members on stage, he found it contradictory. The 1975 isn’t an explicitly queer band, however, they have many references to homosexuality in their lyrics. For example, Healy sings “And I fell in love with a boy, it was kinda lame - I was Rimbaud and he was Paul Verlaine” (Part of the Band, The 1975).
Nonetheless, the queer community in Malaysia is quite disappointed in the band, including The 1975’s fans. They do not believe any of his actions benefit queer folk in Malaysia, but this event rather endangered them; putting them in the spotlight. Additionally, the rest of the lineup from the festival was cancelled. A queer Malaysian expresses that his actions “will make rightwing politicians “more paranoid”, and give them more ammo to further anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-music narratives” (Ratcliffe, The Guardian). Yet, there are many international fans and queer individuals that claim they weren’t aware of Malaysia’s laws and are now participating in activism or donating to LGBTQIA+ organisations. The band itself was asked for over 2 million USD from the Malaysian government.
This scene caused by Healy and MacDonald was a common act, part of the show the festival had asked from them. The consequences are only a reflection of what the Malaysian LGBTQIA+ community undergoes daily, without over $2 million each to ask for ‘forgiveness’ from the government.