The 1975 Cancel Shows Following Malaysian Festival Controversy

Mauricio Santana/Getty Images

The 1975 Cancel Shows Following Malaysian Festival Controversy

Mauricio Santana/Getty Images

On Friday, the 1975’s set at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lampur was cut short after Matty Healy protested Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ laws by making out with his bandmate and giving a speech about the political situation in the country. The rest of the festival was then canceled per government directive. The next stops on the 1975’s tour were in Indonesia and Taiwan, on Sunday and Tuesday respectively, but both of those shows have been canceled.

“The band never take the decision to cancel a show lightly and had been eagerly looking forward to playing for fans in Jakarta and Taipei but unfortunately due to current circumstances, it is impossible to proceed with the scheduled shows,” the 1975 wrote in a statement. “Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”

Meanwhile, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes (whose set was among those canceled) weighed in on the controversy:

And Malaysian artists and vendors are reportedly readying a lawsuit against the 1975.

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