The 1975 frontman Matty Healy had some choice words for the Malaysian government pertaining to its extreme anti-LGBTQ laws while performing in the country’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur.
“I made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it. I don’t see the f—— point… of inviting the 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with,” Healy said before cutting the concert, a headlining slot at Good Vibes Festival, short. “I’m sorry if that offends you, and you’re religious… but your government are a bunch of f—— r——. I don’t care anymore. If you push, I’m gonna push back. I’m not in the f—— mood.”
Wielding a bottle of wine, Healy then addressed the audience directly: “Unfortunately, you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m f—— 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.”
The singer added that The 1975 considered dropping out of the show due to Malaysia’s anti-gay laws. “I pulled this show yesterday, and we had a conversation,” Healy said. “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 f—— off. I’ll take your money, you can ban me, but I’ve done this before, and it doesn’t feel good.”
The 1975 bassist Ross MacDonald then walked over to Healy and the two engaged in a prolonged kiss on the mouth, in protest to Malaysia’s anti-gay legislation. Being LGBTQ in the country is illegal, with laws strictly enforced and queer people frequently subject to hate crimes.
Before exiting the stage, Healy said to the crowd, “Alright, we gotta go. We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, I’ll see you later.” The band is next set to perform in Jakarta, Indonesia, at We the Fest.
While The 1975 has yet to release an official statement, a source close to the band told Variety, “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.”
Healy pulled a similar stunt in Dubai in 2019, kissing a male fan onstage in protest of the United Arab Emirates’ legislative attacks against queer people. Being gay in the UAE can land residents up to 15 years in prison.
After the Dubai gig, Healy wrote on Twitter: “I don’t think we’ll be allowed back [in the UAE] due to my ‘behaviour’ but know that I love you and I wouldn’t have done anything differently given the chance again.”
During The 1975’s recent “At Their Very Best” tour, Healy made a habit of kissing various audience (and band) members onstage. The group will return to North America this fall with an extended run of dates in the “Still… At Their Very Best” tour.