The 1975’s Indonesia, Taiwan concerts canceled after same-sex kiss controversy in Malaysia
By Bryan Ke
July 24, 2023
The 1975’s scheduled concerts in Taiwan and Indonesia have reportedly been canceled following a controversial show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last week.
What happened: The incident occurred at the Sepang International Circuit on Friday, the first day of Kuala Lumpur’s three-day Good Day Vibes Festival.
The English pop rock band’s lead singer, Matty Healy, criticized Malaysia’s government and its anti-LGBTQ+ laws onstage with a bottle of wine in hand and saying in part, “I made a mistake when we were booking shows, I wasn’t looking into it. I don’t see the f*cking point, right? I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and telling us who we can have sex with.”
Bassist Ross MacDonald reportedly approached Healy after his speech, and the two exchanged a kiss while performing their song “I Like America and America Likes Me.”
Anti-gay laws: Male homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia. It is punishable by up to 20 years in prison under the country’s anti-sodomy laws.
Muslim Malaysian citizens can face imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of up to 5,000 Malaysian ringgit (approximately $1,100) and up to six strokes of the cane under the Sharia Law.
The aftermath: On Saturday, Malaysia’s Communications and Digital Ministry announced that the band “challenged, belittled and disparaged local laws and violated the morals of Malaysians” at the festival and have been blacklisted from performing in the country.
The Good Day Vibes Festival was also canceled as a result of the incident.
More cancellations: Following the incident, The 1975 announced that they would be canceling their shows in Indonesia, where they were supposed to play on Sunday, and in Taiwan, where they were scheduled to play on Tuesday.
The 1975 told their fans in a recent statement that it is “impossible to proceed with the scheduled shows” given the “current circumstances.”
We The Fest, the organizer of their Jakarta concert, also made an announcement on Instagram on Sunday.
The 1975 did not explain why they had to cancel their concert in Taiwan, a beacon of LGBTQ+ rights in Asia that officially started allowing transnational same-sex couples to register their marriages earlier this year.
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