KUALA LUMPUR (CelebrityAccess) — Indie rock icons The 1975 are potentially facing a sizeable bill in the wake of the cancellation of the Good Vibes festival in Malaysia last month.
The Kuala Lumpur-based festival was only on the first of three full days of music when The 1975’s Matt Healy criticized Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ laws from stage during the band’s headlining set.
As a result of his criticism, the band’s set was cut short and then the remainder of the festival was subsequently cancelled by Malaysian officials over the incident.
Now, Good Vibes organizer Future Sound Asia has filed a lawsuit against The 1975, seeking compensation for damages incurred by the cancellation.
According to Rolling Stone, a law firm representing the festival’s promoters has demanded RM 12.3million (approximately $2.625 million) from the band.
“The claim against The 1975 is essentially for breach of contract. They entered into a binding contract with Future Sound Asia to perform, and the position of Future Sound Asia, among others, is that this contractual obligation was breached. Further, Mr. Healy’s representative categorically provided a pre-show written assurance that Mr. Healy and The 1975’s live performance “shall adhere to all local guidelines and regulations” during their set in Malaysia. Unfortunately, the assurance was ignored,” an attorney representing the festival told Rolling Stone.
A rep for The 1975 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
