23-7-2023 (JAKARTA) The British indie-rock band, The 1975, cancelled their concert in Indonesia on Sunday (Jul 23) following the cancellation of a music festival in Malaysia due to a same-sex kiss and a tirade against the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws by the band’s frontman.
While Indonesia’s LGBTQ laws are comparatively less strict than neighboring Malaysia, which criminalizes homosexuality, the country has witnessed the cancellation of several events in recent years due to opposition in its predominantly Muslim population.
Malaysian authorities cancelled the Good Vibes music festival in Kuala Lumpur after the band’s lead vocalist, Matt Healy, delivered a profanity-laden speech and shared a kiss with the band’s bassist, Ross MacDonald, during their set on Friday. Consequently, The 1975 announced the cancellation of their performance at the We The Fest event in Jakarta and another show in Taiwan, a country known for its thriving LGBTQ community.
In a statement posted on the We The Fest Instagram page, the band expressed their regret about the cancellations, stating that they never take such decisions lightly and had eagerly looked forward to playing for their fans in Jakarta and Taipei. However, due to the prevailing circumstances, it became impossible to proceed with the scheduled shows.
The Indonesian government and festival organizers have not yet commented on the cancellations.
The band’s next scheduled concert is at the Lollapalooza festival in the United States in early August.
During their performance in Malaysia, Healy expressed that the band had contemplated pulling out of the festival, stating, “I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with.”
Despite Indonesia’s national laws not criminalizing homosexuality, there have been attempts by conservative politicians and groups to criminalize it, and LGBTQ individuals often face discrimination in the country.
In response to Healy’s on-stage protest, Malaysian Communications and Digital Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, condemned the singer and ordered the festival’s cancellation. He stated in a tweet, “Never touch the sensitivities of the community, especially those that are against the manners and values of the local culture.”
This is not the first time that Healy has used his platform to advocate for LGBTQ rights. In 2019, he kissed a male fan during a concert in the United Arab Emirates, a country known for its stringent anti-LGBTQ laws.
