Good Vibes Festival Organiser Sues The 1975 For RM11.25mil In UK Court

The 1975 broke Malaysian laws while performing at the Good Vibes Festival 2023 and caused the three-day event to be shut down.

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The organiser of the Good Vibes Festival, Future Sound Asia, has filed a lawsuit against British band The 1975 and all its members individually after the controversial incident on stage during the concert last year.

Reports cited international news portal Variety on 30 July 2024 that Future Sound Asia is seeking RM11.25mil (GBP 1.9mil) after the band’s antics caused the scheduled three-day festival to shut down.

The documents were filed at the United Kingdom’s High Court. It was stated in the document that the band and the management team were aware of the numerous prohibitions the band has to abide by to perform in Malaysia.

Future Sound Asia held a press conference on 27 July 2023 to address the incident involving The 1975. Image: TRP File

The ban includes swearing, smoking and drinking on stage, removing clothes, talking about politics or religion, kissing, and “kissing a member of the audience or carrying out such actions among themselves.”

Future Sound Asia said the band previously performed at the festival in 2016 and was reminded multiple times again ahead of the performance last July.

The 1975 was paid RM1.6mil (USD 350,000) to perform and agreed to abide by the rules.

The Malaysia Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists (Puspal) initially rejected the band’s application to perform last year due to a 2018 article about lead singer Matty Healy’s drug addiction and recovery.

However, the band appealed and the application to perform was granted on the condition that they adhere to local guidelines and regulations.

In the lawsuit, the band decided not to perform the night before the festival. They discussed what actions to take before changing their minds and agreed to proceed with the performance.

On 21 July 2023, the day to perform, the band went on a protest by playing a completely different setlist and acted in a way that breached the guidelines.

The band also planned to smuggle a bottle of wine onto the stage next to the main drum kit so that frontman Healy could easily access the drink. He was spotted on stage drinking from the bottle.

Healy also went on a profanity-laden tirade about LGBT laws in the country and kissed his bassist Ross McDonald. He also destroyed a video drone hired by the festival organisers and spat at the audience.

Healy was also “very aggressive” towards Puspal officers when they ordered the band to stop their performance. He had to be restrained by his managers.

The band and its management rushed to their hotels to collect their luggage so they could flee the country in the morning after they were aware they breached Malaysian law.

Healy later claimed he was “briefly imprisoned” by Malaysian authorities. The band was supposed to perform at We The Fest in Jakarta, Indonesia after GVF2023 but cancelled that too after running away.

The incident led to the Malaysian government introducing the “kill switch” to future concerts and performances.

Kid Laroi held an impromptu concert at the hotel bar as a treat to his fans. Image: TRP File

The concert’s cancellation affected the concert organiser who had to issue refunds, many vendors, and other foreign artists such as Kid Laroi. Kid Laroi managed to hold a mini-concert for his fans at a hotel bar despite the change of plans.

Healy has shown no remorse and kissed Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge during a performance at the Lollapalooza 2023 Concert in Chicago. It was alluded that he told the crowd not to visit Malaysia before being cut off by the start of the track.

Regarding the lawsuit, Variety said the band has not filed a defence and the band’s representative declined to comment.

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