A London judge has ruled that members of The 1975 cannot be held personally and individually liable for the the losses sustained by Malaysian festival Good Vibes in 2023 – find out more below.
- READ MORE: The 1975 at Reading Festival: a slick, safe, nostalgic tour through a beloved debut
The ruling comes amidst a court hearing between the band and festival organiser Future Sound Asia (FSA) – an argument for The 1975 being cleared of individual liability was heard by the Malaysian High Court last week.
Per AP, London judge William Hansen has now said that FSA’s demand that The 1975’s members be liable for the losses they faced after the entire festival was shut down following The 1975’s performance and on-stage kiss are “bad as a matter of law and that there is no good reason why the matter should go to trial”.
Judge Hansen has also allowed the case to proceed between The 1975’s company The 1975 Productions LLP – not as individuals – and FSA, but has order FSA to pay £100,000 in legal costs.
Last summer news arose that the band were being sued for $2.4million (£1.9 million) by the festival organisers, Future Sound Asia (FSA). This came as the latter claimed that The 1975 Productions LLP breached their contract and the four band members were in breach of a duty of care.
The band’s representative Edmund Cullen earlier this month called the FSA’s attempt to “pin liability on individuals” an “illegitimate, artificial and incoherent” and “quite bizarre” when the organisers had a contract with the band’s company and asked for the court to strike out claims against the individual members.
In response, Andrew Burns – who is representing the FSA – claimed that the members “deliberately behaved in a way to challenge and provoke the Malaysian authorities”, and as a result, the festival has “substantial losses”.
All of their comments and legal proceedings track back to The 1975’s headlining set on the first day of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival in 2023, where frontman Matty Healy and bassist Ross MacDonald used their set to share a kiss while on stage. Homosexuality is a crime in the country and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
During the set in Kuala Lumpur, the singer also gave a speech calling out the Malaysian government for its hardline stance on gay rights. “I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with,” he said. “I am sorry if that offends you and you’re religious and it’s part of your fucking government, but your government are a bunch of fucking r*****s and I don’t care anymore. If you push, I am going to push back.”
The remainder of the festival was axed, and after the incident, The 1975 were banned from performing in Malaysia. They also faced a class action lawsuit from Malaysian artists and vendors over the cancellation. On top of that, the move divided many fans and some in the country suggested that Healy’s actions would make life for the LGBTQ+ community in the country worse.
