A London judge ruled on Monday ( Feb 24 ) that members of the British band The 1975 cannot be held personally responsible for the losses of a Malaysian music festival caused by lead singer Matty Healy kissing a male bandmate on stage.
The organizer of the Good Vibes Festival is seeking 1.9 million pounds ( S$ 3.2 million ) in losses after Healy criticised the country’s anti-homosexuality laws , and then kissed bassist Ross MacDonald at the Kuala Lumpur show in July 2023.
The clip of the love sparked a reaction in the mainly Muslim nation, where homosexuality is a crime , punished by 20 years in prison and punishment. Some LGBTQ organizations also criticized the group for putting its area at risk and stifling activists ‘ efforts to change.
The 1975 Productions LLP’s four individuals allegedly owed a duty of care in a lawsuit brought by Future Sound Asia in the High Court. But the singer’s lawyer argued that the fit should just target the business  , – not the players.
Judge William Hansen argued that the allegations against the group members were “bad as a matter of laws” and that there is no compelling argument for the case to go to trial. He allowed the situation to proceed against the business, but ordered FSA to give 100, 000 weight in legal fees.
Band lawyer Edmund Cullen had argued the state was an “illegitimate, arbitrary and incoherent” test” to button duty on individuals” because FSA just had a contract with the band’s company.
Authorities initially refused to let the group perform, according to FSA’s prosecutor Andrew Burns, citing reports about Healy’s drug use and subsequent recovery. They gave in after the group promised to follow the band’s instructions and rules, he said.
When the band played the same event in 2016, they had agreed not to bet, smoke, drink, take off clothing or talk about religion and elections on level, Burns said.
Burns said the group deliberately provoked Indonesian authorities in 2023 by smuggling a bottle of wine on stage, and through Healy’s “obscene statement” and the love. He said the group also performed a” second-rate established of music” to upset the audience.
They could be argued that they were acting on their own rather than just by themselves as LLP people, according to Burns.
The band was supposed to be paid US$ 350, 000 ( S$ 468, 700 ) for a one-hour set, Burns said.
The present wasn’t the first day Healy made a political speech in the name of LGBTQ rights: he kissed a female fan at a 2019 music in the United Arab Emirates, which outlaws same-sex physical activity.
After the show in the Malaysian capital, The 1975 cancelled its concerts in Taiwan and Jakarta, Indonesia.
The band has been placed on a blacklist by the Malaysian government.