The 1975’s Matty Healy feared jail time after Malaysia LGBTQ+ stunt
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atty Healy has admitted he feared being despatched to jail after he kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage in Malaysia and criticised the nation’s anti-LGBTQ+ legal guidelines.
Healy’s band The 1975 have been banned from the Southeast Asian nation, the place homosexuality is unlawful, after the 34-year-old protested the legal guidelines on the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur on July 21.
In mild of the controversy, the British singer has revealed he and his bandmate have been satisfied they have been going to must “shave” their heads in preparation for a stint in jail.
Speaking through the band’s present in Hawaii on Sunday, Healy stated how “doing the right thing often requires quite a lot of sacrifice” earlier than referencing the incident.
Healy stated he feared jail time after Malaysia stunt (Lesley Martin/PA)
/ PA WireHe shared: “All I’ll say is that I don’t give a f**k about any white saviour complex b******s. What I’ll say is that doing the right thing often requires quite a lot of sacrifice and very little reward.
“And being seen to do the right thing requires very little sacrifice, and that’s when you get all the rewards.
“And me and Ross [MacDonald] nearly shaved our heads because we thought we were going to prison for being f**s.”
His feedback come because the Malaysian pageant has demanded damages from The 1975 over allegations that Healy’s “abusive language, equipment damage and indecent stage behaviour” prompted the occasion to be cancelled.
At the pageant, Healy made a speech about homosexuality, and kissed the band’s bassist on stage.
The three-day occasion was subsequently axed and headliners Australian singer-songwriter The Kid Laroi and American rock band The Strokes didn’t play.
Future Sound Asia (FSA) issued a press release on Monday saying that it has issued the band with a letter of declare calling for The 1975 to “acknowledge their liability and compensate FSA for damages incurred”.
The organisers of the Good Vibes Festival stated if the ultimate warning will not be addressed than authorized proceedings in English courts will start.
It provides: “FSA would like to reiterate their strong disapproval of the band’s behaviour during their performance at GVF2023.
“In particular, lead singer Matthew Timothy Healy’s use of abusive language, equipment damage, and indecent stage behaviour not only flagrantly breached local guidelines and Malaysian laws but also tarnished the reputation of the 10-year-old festival.”
It additionally claimed the cancellation meant “significant financial losses for FSA and negatively (impacted) local artists and businesses that depended on the festival’s success – affecting the livelihoods of many Malaysians”.
The band additionally contravened the settlement with FSA, the organisers declare.
“FSA deeply values the trust that fans and regulatory authorities have placed in them over the years,” organisers added.
“The organisation remains unwavering in its commitment to fostering vibrant live music experiences in Malaysia, ensuring full compliance with local laws and regulations.”
Last month, The Good Vibes Festival stated the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Digital gave them an “immediate cancellation directive” following “controversial conduct and remarks” made by Healy.
The Ministry stated The 1975 had been blacklisted beneath a physique that oversees international artists enjoying in Malaysia.
The 1975 then cancelled two tour dates, on the We The Fest in Jakarta, Indonesia, and on the Taipei Music Centre in Taiwan, in Asia following the occasion.
The Standard contacted The 1975’s reps for remark on the time.