Here’s Why FSA Appealed For The 1975 To Perform Here Despite Their Bad Track Record
They said that if they judged all international performers by their controversial past, then not many would be able to perform in Malaysia.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter or Telegram channel for the latest stories and updates.
The organiser of Good Vibes Festival (GVF), Future Sound Asia (FSA) said that they appealed to bring The 1975 to GVF2023 because of the band’s huge fan base in Malaysia.
Since a lot of people knew that Matty Healy had a troublesome past, they want to know why the organisers still invited them.
READ MORE: Matty Healy Has Been Problematic For Some Time, Here’s A Starter List Of His Controversies
Earlier today, FSA and Arts, Live Festivals and Events Association (ALIFE) held a press conference at The Bee, Publika to address the 1975 issue that went down last week at the Good Vibes Festival.
Present at the press conference were Ben Law, Founder and Director of FSA, Wan Alman, Director of Management of FSA, Rizal Kamal, President of ALIFE and Para Rajagopal, Chairman of ALIFE.
Wan Alman said that when they first announced the lineup, fans were excited that The 1975 was on it. They did know about the Dubai incident 4 years ago but judging by their performances after that, they didn’t have any problems anymore.
“They didn’t have any problem when they played in Singapore two days before GVF, and they certainly didn’t have a problem when they performed at GVF previously in 2016, when Malaysia’s LGBTQ law was still the same,” Wan Alman told the reporters today during the Q&A session.
He said that Puspal, with their stringent policy in place had done a great job when they rejected the band in the first place. But FSA had already revealed the lineup to eager Malaysians.
Not wanting to disappoint their fans, FSA appealed to Puspal with a written statement from 1975’s management to assure them that the band would adhere to all performance guidelines.
So I think FSA & Puspal have done our best to ensure that no incidents occur and I think this is solely the fault of Matty Healy and The 1975.
Wan Alman Arrifin, FSA
We already receive assurance from their management that they wouldn’t do anything.
When they gave the green light, of course, the show would go on.
He then said that if they judged all performers from their past notorieties, then they wouldn’t be able to bring many international performers in Malaysia, a contradictory situation for the organiser of GVF, who has been bringing in great international artists in this past 10 years.
Do we really wanna go down that route where we ban artists for something that they have done in other countries a few years ago?
Wan Alman Arrifin, FSA
Because if we go down that route, then a lot of artists won’t be able to perform.
Rizal Kamal, President of ALIFE also supported him by saying that their past notoriety should not hinder the talents to be shown in Malaysia.
While it is true that certain British rock bands may have had previous notoriety, it is essential to recognise that such incidents should not hinder the opportunity for artists to perform in Malaysia.
Rizal Kamal, President of ALIFE
Thousands of international performers have graced our stages with no issues, and we are committed to welcoming more in the future.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
