The frontman of The 1975, Matty Healy, criticized the Malaysian government for its anti-LGBTQ laws during the band’s performance in Kuala Lumpur on July 21.
Healy stated, “I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it. I don’t see the fucking point… of inviting the 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with.” He then ended the concert early, describing the Malaysian government as a bunch of derogatory term, and stating, “If you push, I’m gonna push back. I’m not in the fucking mood.”
Holding a bottle of wine, Healy addressed the audience directly, saying, “Unfortunately, you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m fucking furious. And that’s not fair on you, because you’re not representative of your government. You are young people, and I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive.”
Healy revealed that the 1975 had considered canceling the show due to Malaysia’s anti-gay laws. He stated, “I pulled this show yesterday, and we had a conversation. We said, ‘You know what? We can’t let the kids down because they’re not the government… If you want to invite me here to do a show, you can fuck off. I’ll take your money, you can ban me, but I’ve done this before, and it doesn’t feel good.”
In protest against Malaysia’s anti-gay legislation, the 1975 bassist Ross MacDonald kissed Healy onstage. Being LGBTQ in Malaysia is illegal, with strict enforcement of laws and frequent hate crimes against queer individuals.
Before leaving the stage, Healy informed the crowd, “Alright, we gotta go. We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, I’ll see you later.” The band’s next performance will be in Jakarta, Indonesia, at We the Fest.
Although the 1975 has not released an official statement, a source close to the band explained, “Matty has a long-time record of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, and the band wanted to stand up for their LGBTQ+ fans and community.”
This isn’t the first time Healy has made a statement through performance. In 2019, he kissed a male fan onstage during a gig in Dubai to protest the United Arab Emirates’ legislative attacks on queer individuals. Being gay in the UAE can result in up to 15 years of imprisonment.
During the band’s recent “At Their Very Best” tour, Healy frequently kissed various audience and band members onstage. The group will return to North America this fall for an extended run of dates in the “Still… At Their Very Best” tour.
