Why Is Matty Healy’s 1975 Getting Sued By Good Vibes Festival For 2.4 Million USD? Lawsuit Explored

Why was the lawsuit filed against The 1975?

According to Variety’s report, the organizers of the festival have sued Healy and the band members following the lead singer’s public demonstration against the nation’s discriminatory LGBTQ policies during the festival in July of last year.

The organizers aim to recover a total of approximately 2.4 million pounds, as the festival had to be canceled due to the band’s reported misconduct.

According to reports, organizers of Future Sound Asia, the festival, have submitted legal papers in a British court claiming that the band and their representatives were aware of several performance guidelines they were expected to adhere to but allegedly chose not to comply with them.

According to the organizers, the band was informed back in 2016 about certain restrictions that applied to them, and they were warned multiple times leading up to their concert last summer as well.

As a seasoned event organizer with over a decade of experience under my belt, I strongly believe that establishing clear guidelines for performers is essential to maintaining a professional and respectful atmosphere at events. From my personal experience, I’ve seen firsthand how unchecked behavior can quickly derail an otherwise successful gathering, causing tension among attendees and potentially damaging the reputation of the event itself.

Guidelines from Malaysia’s Central Agency for Foreign Filming and Performances by Foreign Artists (PUSHPAL) often prohibit acts such as kissing, kissing an audience member, or similar actions between performers.

According to reports, the band received $350,000 for their show at the festival and they consented to abide by the festival’s rules for their performance.

The document indicated that PUSPAL declined the band’s request to perform in July 2020, since there was an article from 2018 discussing the lead singer’s struggle with drug abuse and subsequent recovery.

The documents stated that the band assured compliance with all local rules and regulations regarding Healy, and their request for permission was approved.

What allegedly unfolded during the concert?

According to the lawsuit, it is alleged that the band opted out of performing at the festival on the previous night, discussing necessary steps before eventually reconsidering and carrying out their scheduled set.

The documents claim that, as a form of protest, they chose to perform a completely new selection of songs (setlist), and act in ways that intentionally violated the established guidelines.

In addition, the lead singer delivered a controversial speech and engaged in what appeared to be an extended, feigned display of affection with the bassist, Ross MacDonald. This incident involving the vocalist and Ross reportedly aimed to provoke controversy and violate both the rules and conditions outlined in their agreement.

Besides this, it appears the band surreptitiously placed a wine bottle on stage near the primary drum setup for easy reach by Healy.

The lawsuit alleges that the performer is charged with excessive drinking, erratic behavior due to intoxication, smoking cigarettes, and displaying inappropriate actions such as apparently vomiting on stage, excessive grunting, and spitting towards the audience. It also claims he delivered an abusive speech filled with profanity, and intentionally destroyed a drone that was rented by the event organizers.

The organizers claim their license was revoked

Following the kiss, PUSPAL officials instructed the band to halt their performance. During this interruption, Healy reportedly became quite confrontational towards them. It was claimed that he used profanity towards both the band members and the audience, escalating the situation so much that his managers had to intervene and calm him down.

On the following day, the permits for the organizers were revoked, leading to the cancellation of all upcoming shows featuring a mix of local and foreign artists, which had been scheduled for the next two days of the event.

After departing from the festival, the band and their crew hastily went to their hotels to gather their belongings, aiming to exit the country early the following morning. This was because they had learned that their performance violated Malaysian law.

According to the report, Healy asserted that he was temporarily detained by Malaysian officials following his stage demonstration.

Based on the report, last summer saw a period of dispute, during which Future Asia Sound allegedly penned a letter to the band 1975, accusing them of breaching their contract and asking for a compensation of USD 2 million. At this point in time, 1975 has not responded with a counter lawsuit.