TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The 1975 did not live up to their tour title, “At Their Very Best," as they performed Friday (July 21) at Kuala Lumpur’s Good Vibes Festival.
About halfway into their headline set, singer Matty Healy, had to get something off his chest. "There is no reason to invite The 1975 to a country and tell us who we can have sex with," said Healy.
In an address to fans, Healy said the band met backstage and decided to carry on with the show for the sake of the fans, trimming out any love songs and replacing them with angst and rage directed at Malaysia's government, which continues to enact laws where homosexual acts can lead to 20-year prison terms, per UDN.
He capped off a very defiant action which he knew would get him banned from the country, a minute-long kiss with bassist Ross MacDonald.
The kiss that brought the festival and 1975's Asian Tour to an end. (Facebook, OPAG News/tv)
The fallout from “the kiss” was quick as the stage went dark after The 1975 finished their song, with the band later escorted offstage. Fans at the festival were stunned and waited for the band to return, but they did not, concluding the festival 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
Later that evening, Good Vibes Festival organizers were informed that their festival licenses had been revoked and Saturday and Sunday performances of major artists such as The Strokes and Ty Dolla Sign had been cancelled.
Making matters worse for Taiwan fans of The 1975, the bad vibes at the event led them to prematurely conclude their Asia tour, sacrificing the final date of the festival which was scheduled for Tuesday (July 25).
Official announcement of concert cancelation. (Facebook, Live Nation Taiwan)
Live Nation Taiwan announced on their Facebook page that the Taiwan concert was due to the band’s "current situation," noting the band did not make the decision to cancel a show lightly and had been looking forward to meeting fans in Taipei. Unfortunately, due to the current situation, the concert can only be canceled."
Relevant ticket refund procedures will be announced at a later date.
